Chapter 5

Angela:

Tensely, I sat in the chair as Agnes brought her tattoo equipment to brand my beautiful fair skin with Richard's name.

I had not thought of this day coming. How did I end up like this?

In just one day, one night, and I was sold off to my older sister's boyfriend.

Tears welled up in my blue eyes, but Agnes did not say a word to me. She was focused on her job to avoid making any mistake, as if she would be killed if she did it wrongly.

"You do not have to cry. Master Richard has never allowed anyone to wear his brand before," Agnes said as she kept her gaze focused on my chest.

I winced as the cold drawing tools pierced my skin, drawing Richard Henshaw's name on my beautiful fair skin.

Once Agnes was done, she smiled and stepped away from me. "Take a look at it," she said, as the room was illuminated with bright white light.

As I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, I was stunned to see Richard's name written in an italic font on my chest.

"Do you love it? Do you wish to add anything to it?" Agnes asked me, grinning from ear to ear.

"No, I am fine," I replied coldly, though my voice was filled with pain.

"You do not have to pretend. Master Richard wants you, as no woman in this Top Hills City has bared her master's name boldly like this. You should consider yourself lucky," Agnes said as she cleaned her tools and packed up her bag to leave the room.

I did not reply to Agnes. I had no words to say to her, and I did not even feel like thanking her. I had no tattoo on my body before; now I had to wear a brand on my chest, at the top of my cleavage and just right above my middle chest.

A knock resonated on the door, and it was unlocked as Richard came in with a cold expression on his face. He wore a crisp white top and black trousers, as he had taken off his black leather coat.

"I am done, Master Richard," Agnes spoke with a smile, and Richard glanced at me with his cold expression to confirm if Agnes had branded me with his name properly.

Taking a step closer to meet me, Richard replied with a smile, "You did a good job, Agnes. Good to see you have branded her well. Meet with Derek. He will settle you and escort you back safely."

"Thank you, Mr. Henshaw." Agnes bowed to Richard and immediately left the room.

I lowered my face as I had not expected to be in this deep mess.

"What are you thinking about?" Richard asked as he strode away from the door to meet me.

"Thinking about your parents? Right?" Richard inquired, but I did not bother to look at his face.

"Speak when I talk to you," Richard ordered as he came and stood in front of me. He was the mafia lord's son; how dare I disobey him, knowing that he does not love me?

"Why did you purchase me? What do you want from me? Please let me go home. I promise to pay you the money once I graduate and start working," I begged Richard as I looked at his handsome dark face.

Richard laughed out coldly and peered at my face.

"What kind of job did you want to work to pay me back my money? Do you plan to sell this beautiful body of yours to any man to raise the money?" Richard inquired as he trailed his right finger down my left arm.

My skin crawled as I felt the coldness of his touch on my arm.

"No. I am not saying now, but maybe in the coming years, I will be able to pay you back. Or I will speak with my father. Please, let me call him," I begged Richard as tears welled up in my blue eyes.

"Fine. Go on and call your father. Let me see what he can do to help you," Richard said as he brought out his phone and handed it to me.

My hands trembled as I accepted his iPhone from his hands. "I should go on and call my parents?" I asked Richard with disbelief.

Richard smiled, leaned against the dressing table in the room, and replied, "Yes. Let me see how your father can pay me back. Since you do not understand that your duty is to serve me now."

Richard had a bored look on his face, and I immediately clicked on the call log to contact my father.

My hands trembled as I heard the call ringing.

"Hello, Father," I said as soon as my father answered his call.

"Angela, what is wrong? What happened to you? Your mother has been trying to reach you all to no avail. Where are you now, and who asked you to leave home?" my father demanded, his loud voice filled with anger.

"Dad, Isabella took me to Richard's party, and she sold me off tonight," I replied, crying.

"What? How dare Isabella do this? Are you sure? Where are you? Who owns the phone that you are using to contact me? Who bought you?" Dad demanded, and Richard came forward and grasped his phone away from my ear.

"Please, let me speak with my father," I begged Richard, and he smiled and waved me off.

"Hello, Mr. Moraga," Richard said, his icy voice speaking to my father over the phone.

"Yes. Who is this?" my father asked, and Richard replied, "Richard Henshaw. Your daughter belongs to me now."

"No, Richard. You cannot do this. Angela is not for sale. She is innocent. She did not willingly offer herself to be sold to the Dark Realm. Please let go of my daughter. I will pay you off. Do not touch her," my father pleaded, his voice trembling over the phone like a leaf in the gale.

Meanwhile, I was stunned that my father knew about the auction.

"You know the rules, Mr. Moraga. I already bought your second daughter tonight, and I do not need a refund. If I had not purchased her tonight, I guess another mafia lord could have, and you would not be asking for negotiation right now. You should blame it on your first daughter, Isabella," Richard replied calmly, and I sat on the chair looking at his face with disbelief.

*Did Richard know that my sister was taking me to the Dark Realm Auction to be sold?*

*Did he plan with Isabella to have me kidnapped and to be sold to him?*

"Dad, do not listen to Richard! He planned it with Isabella! Richard was looking at me at his birthday party, and Isabella took me there against my will. Call the police, Dad. I cannot be locked up here!" I screamed, believing that my father would hear me, even when Richard was the one holding his phone.

Richard laughed and said, "Hahaha! Mr. Moraga, I will appreciate it if you call the police. But you know the rules. Even the Dark Realm has the government backing it. I will only refund your second daughter to you when I tire of having her around and when I am done with her."

"No, Richard. Please… Angela is innocent. She is not like Isabella. Let us have an exchange. Isabella loves you, and that I am aware of. Is she not your girlfriend?" my father inquired nervously.

I wondered why my father was afraid of Richard. *Was it because Richard's father is the number one mafia boss in this city?*

"I do not have anything to say to you, and what I choose to do with your second daughter is my business. As for Isabella," Richard hesitated on the call as he glanced at my face.

"I never wanted her. I just wanted to use her to chase other young women from clinging to me and to prevent my father from arranging a marriage for me. So, I will still stick with my relationship with Angela until I find a wife."

"What?" I looked at Richard with disbelief.