Chapter 1

ELEANOR

"Fuck! Eleanor we have to go!" Lucy yelled as they were just about starting. "Let's go please, we can't let that pig Mr. Paulo meet us here."

I certainly did not want Mr. Paulo to meet me still in the backroom trying to get my makeup properly done. Both I and the rest of the other girls were to be put on sale tonight. Yes, on sale.

I was dressed in a short black body con dress going way above my knees, almost revealing my entire thighs as a means to entice whoever would buy me tonight. I hated wearing these revealing outfits but I had to bring myself to put them on because that was what Mr. Paulo ordered. Some of the other girls had put on dresses even shorter than mine so it seemed I turned out a bit lucky in getting the one I was given to wear.

We all lined up to be addressed by Mr. Paulo, the fat and immensely greedy man who ran this empire.

"Ascoltare girls, it is yet another time to go and make yourselves some money and make me even a lot more," a filthy smirk stirred up from his once rigid face as his eyes assessed us all, taking delight in seeing the dresses he had us wear.

Surely they were going to attract the number of uncultured and ill-mannered lot that sat at the auction room waiting for us to be revealed.

This was not the life I had dreamt of living—being sold to horny lot of men for money, but my life took to a deadly turn of events.

Our family was doing well until my dad lost his job and my mother left us right after.

We managed to feed because I dropped out of school, almost emptied my savings and worked several jobs in order to assist paying the bills and keeping us afloat, but my dad gave up like a coward and mysteriously ran away as well. Our lives only became worse from there.

My sister fell sick and was diagnosed with cancer and that was when it all came crashing down. I emptied my savings trying to keep up with her medications but it wasn't too long before I had nothing left and the jobs I worked were no longer meeting up with life's demands.

I began searching for alternative jobs and soon I found out about a man named Paulo who was rumoured to help girls my age by giving them jobs. I went ahead to try my luck hoping I could get him to give me a job as well but I never thought it would turn out to be something this repulsive.

I wanted to decline the offer and search for something else but when I got my first payment upfront, I knew I had to stay if I wanted my little sister to remain alive.

The hallroom had a warm and inviting elegance that matched the distinguished crowd gathered inside as softly glowing candles placed in polished candelabras filled the room with a pleasant fragrance.

The deep red table linens added a touch of richness, complementing the overall setting.

There was something almost magnetic about the atmosphere—a quiet but unmistakable energy that you could feel as soon as you walked in. It was the kind of room where you knew something important was about to happen.

"Benvenuti, stimati signori! The time we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. But firstly, some entertainment before our girls, and your possible properties for this year are unveiled!" Mr. Paulo addressed, signifying the start of the evening.

The auction kicked off with a bunch of ballerinas dressed in what seemed like swimsuits—the kind of entertainment deemed appropriate for the fancy events of the millionaires and few billionaires present, and shortly after, the auction began.

It finally dawned on me when it got to my turn to be sold what path I was about to go take just to ensure my little sister Matilda did not die of cancer.

"7 million!" One of the men yelled out with pride. "Anyone else willing to take it higher?" The chairman asked, hoping for someone to pay for me with a higher price. It's an auction so the highest bidder takes the win.

My heart raced as I could hear different dogs for men take the prices higher and higher to acquire me as their property. Each time someone took the price higher, my heart would almost drop into my stomach as anxiety filled me up. Who was going to be my master?

I had heard different stories from some of my colleagues about the type of men that came here—especially how they treated them like objects for sex and nothing else. We were told we'd be sold for maids but there was more to it than that and I found out more as I hung around till I was 'ready for the business' according to Mr. Paulo.

Lucy was the only one amongst all the other ladies that I could call a friend because we saw eye to eye and had a similar kind of background—she was also the bread winner of her family as well.

The rest of the other ladies were just in it for the money. I knew this because they often spoke on how easily they'd open up their gateways for their owners, and I was filled with utter disgust each time I heard them discuss such topic.

They were so shameless, ugh!

"19 million!" another one gloated. They sure had money to spend on drugs, alcohol and women than help the poor on the streets. These variety of men seemed ruthless and the kind of men that wouldn't really care.

"19 million!" the chairman echoed back. "19 million, anyone that can match up with that? Going, going, go—"

"FIFTY MILLION!" A voice yelled and swallowed the entire ruckus in the room leading to absolute silence.

My heart really did drop way into my stomach this time around. Who in the world would pay a whooping fifty million dollars to buy me? I just couldn't believe it.

"Fifty million dollars," he repeated even more confidently this time, lifting his bidding card up like he owned the very room we were all in.

From the stage where I stood, I could see that he seemed taller than everyone else in the room. His tuxedo which was well fitted, gave a magnificent show of the huge bag of muscles he had.

But as for his eyes, he had the kind of eyes that showed he was no ordinary man and certainly none to be messed with. This sent my heart beat plummetting down into my stomach.

"Sold!" The chairman said as he banged his gavel on the table. That was it. Certainly no one was willing to go higher. "Congratulations Mr. Armando, the papers for closing the deal would be brought to you soon."

"Mr. Armando," I whispered to myself in overwhelming fear. Who was he? And why would he pay such an amount to buy me? I could tell from the way he looked at me before he left the room that he didn't even seem to like me at all.

I bowed my head, trying to hide my nervousness as my feet couldn't even hold on to the ground anymore.

The silence in the room was broken as everyone in the room shortly paired themselves to discuss who was being bought for a whooping fifty million dollars—me.

The whole room became filled with the chattering from different tables while the other girls stared at me in awe like I had just won a lottery, but I certainly didn't like where I already saw my life going in the hands of a man like that.