Chapter 3: Sold to the Ghost

The moment he said it, the hall froze.

“One hundred million.” His voice still rang in my ears. It was cold and final.

No one dared raise another card. No one breathed.

Even the auctioneer stuttered then cleared his throat, adjusting his collar like he was suddenly sweating through his suit.

“I… believe the bid has been claimed.”

A few murmurs stirred around me. Whispers from all directions. They weren’t curious this time, they were terrified.

“Who the hell bids like that?”

“It’s him. Has to be.”

Some said “The Ghost.” Others said “The Reaper.”

My chest clenched. I didn’t know what those names meant, but I saw it in their faces, those weren’t nicknames. They were warnings.

And whoever he was, he just bought me.

Two men in black suits walked down the aisle, their steps in sync. No emotion on their faces. Not even a smile or a greeting.

They stopped in front of me, and one extended a hand.

“Come quietly.”

But I didn’t move and he didn’t repeat himself.

They lifted me gently by the arms like I was nothing, like I weighed no more than a feather, and escorted me off the stage. I tried to look back toward the upper row, toward that shadowy figure but I still couldn’t see his face.

Just his presence which felt like smoke in my lungs.

They led me through a door at the side of the stage and down a corridor so silent, I could hear the hum of electricity in the walls.

One of them pulled out a black silk cloth.

“Blindfold her.”

“No—wait, I—” The cloth wrapped around my eyes before I could finish and darkness swallowed me whole.

⸻

I don’t know how long we drove.

The car smelled like leather and mint and no one spoke.

I sat between the two suited men like a passenger with no destination. I couldn’t tell if we were still in the city or somewhere deep in the woods. Every sound, every bump in the road made my heart jump.

Then, I heard a voice. The one on my left.

“She doesn’t look like much. Fragile.”

The other answered, “Doesn’t matter. He said she comes in untouched.”

“And if she runs?”

“Train her.” He said with a calmness that froze my heart.

“But not a scratch,” the first added. “His orders are alive, unharmed and still pretty.”

I wanted to scream or punch the window. To do anything even if I had to beg but my lips didn’t move. I stayed still. Afraid that if I moved, they’d remind me I wasn’t a person anymore.

That I was now a property.

Eventually, the car stopped. They took me by the arms again. Led me up steps. Through what sounded like glass doors. I could feel the change in the air. In here was cool and expensive.

A voice spoke through an earpiece but I couldn’t make out the words. After a pause the men spoke.

“Yes. We’ll leave her.”

The blindfold was removed. I blinked, adjusting my eyes to soft lighting. I had to admit it was much better than the blinding stage lights.

Marble floors, acurved staircase and a wall of windows that looked out onto a city skyline. The place was absurdly beautiful like it was carved out of another world.

And it was empty with no guards in sight. Not a single staff. Just me.

They released me in the middle of the room and walked out without a word, the glass door clicking shut behind them.

I stood there, staring. This… is his home?

It was a trap dressed in silk and gold with a touch of bronze chateau. But I wasn’t about to sit and wait.

I searched the space like a thief quiet, fast, desperate. But the doors were locked and the windows bolted shut.

Until I found something. One window, slightly cracked. Tall and narrow, tucked behind long sheer curtains.

The lock was loose. I pushed it open an inch, heart pounding. The night air rushed in, brushing against my skin like freedom itself.

I didn’t think. I climbed immediately. One foot on the sill while my fingers grabbed the frame above. My bare legs shook, trying to get a foothold.

Just one push. Just a little higher and I could—

“Need a hand escaping?”

I froze like rat caught stealing cheese. The voice was right behind me. Low and smooth but awfully familiar.

And worse of all, it was unmistakably amused.