LOGINAmelia Rose was never meant to survive. At twenty-two, she works three jobs to keep her drug-addicted parents alive, only to be beaten and sold by the very people she sacrificed everything for. When she wakes chained in a black-market auction house, her fate is sealed with a single bid. Four billion dollars. Kade Silvano never planned to buy a woman. A respected CEO by day and an untouchable king of the underground by night, he attends the auction out of obligation, not interest, until Amelia steps onto the stage. Silent. Defiant. Unbroken. Instead of making her his possession, he brings her into his world as the nanny to his three-year-old daughter. A rule. A boundary. A lie they both pretend to believe. Because the closer Amelia gets, the more dangerous Kade becomes. And the deeper she falls, the harder it is to tell where captivity ends and desire begins. In a world ruled by blood, power, and obsession, love is not soft. It is chosen. And it always comes at a price.
View MoreI hurriedly entered the hamburger shop and made my way towards the locker room in a hurry. My stomach twisted when I realized I was late again. Great, just great. I just hoped my asshole boss wouldn't find any reason to fire me.
I couldn't afford to lose this job, not when I was barely keeping my life together. "Hey Amelia" my co-worker, Anna, smirked looking at me. For some reason, she never likes me and that was all because of our asshole boss. She always seemed to enjoy my misfortune. I hated that she had a thing for Mr. Lloyd, our boss, the same man who made my shift a living nightmare. Forty-five, lecherous, and the kind of guy who made every interaction uncomfortable. And yet, Anna would move mountains for him and make my life a living hell. "Hi," I responded timidly hoping that will make her get off my back. But boy, I was so wrong. "You've decided to come late again. Do I need to tell a little birdie to convey this news to Mr. Lloyd?" Anna stated with mirth in her eyes, seeming pleased with herself. "Anna...don't. What do you want" I pleaded, desperation clear in my voice. I couldn't lose this job. Losing this job would mean failing school, missing rent, and letting my parents sink further into their addiction. I'd already barely slept the last two nights, juggling three jobs just to scrape by. The locker room swung open and there he was. Mr. Lloyd, leaning against the frame with that smug , self satisfied look, like he owned the world and had a tight leash on his employees. Specifically, an employee like me. His gaze lingered too long, cold and calculating, scanning me as if he could read every line on my face. "Late again, Amelia?" His voice was oily and it made my stomach coil in a knot. "I hope you are not slacking off in your other little jobs....or school. I'd hate to see a smart student like you drop out you know..." He purred, satisfaction evident on his face. I swallowed hard, keeping my gaze down, praying I wouldn't say the wrong thing. My hands shook slightly as I clutched my locker strap. Every nerve screamed that one misstep would ruin everything and that is a luxury I couldn't afford. "Y..Yes, sir," I whispered, clutching my locker door like it was a lifeline I couldn't lose. He smirked, taking a step closer. "Good. I'd hate to think you are slacking or resorting to other motives to earn money" His gaze lingered way too long leaving no room for misinterpretation like they always did. Anna leaned against the wall, clearly enjoying the show. I could feel her amusement like the way my nails were digging into my palm. "Maybe you should take a break, Amelia," shevsaid, voice dripping with false concern. "I'm sure Mr. Lloyd would understand if you needed...special attention for your, uh...other jobs." It doesn't take a genius to realize that Anna was enunciating that, I was in fact a whore. I could have retaliated but the last thing I wanted was to give him a reason to make me lose everything I was barely holding on to. As much as Mr. Lloyd liked me, he also liked Anna because Anna gave him wanted. Among my other jobs, this is the one that actually pays well. And I wasn't going to lose it because I couldn't seal my mouth shut. I swallowed hard and turned to look at him, forcing my voice to be steady. "I...wont be late again, sir." His smirk deepened, satisfaction glinting in his eyes. "See that you don't." And with his threat, he walked away, Anna hot on his tail. I took a deep breath and walked towards the counter after changing into my work uniform. "I'm having a hamburger and a coffee. Bring them over." Some old man not far younger than Mr. Lloyd commanded from one of the tables. "Coming right up." I responded and got to work. After I was done, I passed the food to my other co-worker, Ben to deliver the food. A minute later, he came back with the order still in his hand. "What happened? Doesn't our customer like it?" I questioned Ben softly. "I don't think it has anything to do with the order. He said he wants to be served by you" Ben muttered. This wasn't the first time customers asked me to do this. I blamed it on my attractive figure. I wished I had come to this world as scrawny. Maybe then, perverts would leave me the fuck alone. I took a deep breath and took the tray away from Ben with a strained smile forcing myself not to grimace in disgust after I turned to look at the middle aged man who was licking his lips in a lewd way. "Be careful" Ben whispered to me and made his way to take my place at the counter. He was the only one here who gave me an ounce of safety. He actually liked me as a human. I steadily made my way towards the table and greeted the man. My hands trembled as I set the tray down. The man at the table didn't even look at his burger; instead, his hand snaked out, reaching for my thigh. With a jolt of pure adrenaline, I hissed and slapped his hand away before he could make contact. I didn't stay to hear his protest. I bolted for the washroom, the fluorescent lights blurring as I locked myself in a stall and collapsed against the door, sobbing until my throat felt raw. After the tears ran dry, I retreated to the sanctuary of the locker room. My stomach groaned as it had been days since I’d had a real meal. I pulled a crushed protein bar from my bag, my only means of survival, and washed it down with lukewarm water. Exhaustion, heavier than my fear, finally won. My eyes fluttered shut. I woke to a skin-crawling sensation, a heavy hand cupping my breast through the work uniform I was wearing. I lunged upward with a gasp of pure terror, my hand flying out in a sharp, stinging arc that connected squarely with a man's cheek. As the fog of sleep cleared, my heart plummeted. Standing before me, nursing a reddening face, was Mr. Lloyd. I scrambled backward, my back hitting the lockers with a cold thud as horror washed over me. "Oh... You slapped me?" Mr. Lloyd asked, his voice low and dangerously calm as he rubbed his jaw.I stared at the three large black garment bags hanging on the wooden coat rack in the corner of the study, and my heart immediately began to race against my ribs. Kade had just declared that we were attending the annual Silvano Foundation charity gala tomorrow night, and he expected me to accompany him as his date. A heavy wave of pure anxiety washed over my entire body because I had absolutely no experience with high society events or wealthy people. I was a former waitress who spent my entire adult life scrubbing tables and serving cheap coffee, so the thought of walking into a ballroom filled with dangerous mafia elites terrified me completely."I cannot go to a formal gala with you, Kade," I said quickly, shaking my head while I turned my attention away from the garment bags and back to his face. "I do not know how to behave around the people in your social circle, and I will inevitably do something wrong that will embarrass you in front of your business associates."Kade did not
After leaving Kade standing by his window, I walked down the long carpeted hallway toward the nursery and pushed the heavy wooden door open. Amy was sitting in the middle of her floor surrounded by dozens of colorful plastic building blocks, but she looked incredibly bored because the security lockdown prevented her from playing outside in the fresh air. I knelt on the soft rug next to her and suggested that we spend the afternoon doing something incredibly messy instead of building towers. She smiled with immediate excitement when I mentioned finger painting, so we spent the next ten minutes preparing our workspace to protect the expensive floors.I gathered a tall stack of old newspapers from a recycling bin in the kitchen while Enzo followed closely behind me, and then we returned to the nursery to spread the paper pages completely across the floor. I pulled a large plastic bin of washable paints from t
The heavy weight of Kade's body pressed down firmly against my legs, and his large hands gripped my wrists tightly against the thick black training mat. The air inside the large private gym felt incredibly thin because his face was hovering only a few inches above mine. He had just asked me what I would do if he pinned me to the ground, and my heart beat rapidly against my ribs while I considered my response. Although he was a very dangerous man to the outside world, I did not feel any fear while I stared up into his dark, focused eyes."I would not do anything at all," I answered truthfully, keeping my voice very quiet so the sound would not break the intense silence stretching between us. "I would simply stay exactly where I am, Kade."Kade inhaled a sharp, deep breath that caused his chest to expand heavily against mine. He lowered his gaze from my eyes down to my lips, and his jaw clenched tightly as he fought a very obvious internal battle. I wanted him to lean down and close the
I threw the heavy grey duvet back and climbed out of the large bed. I walked into the attached closet and searched through the organized rows of clothing Mrs. Halloway had previously provided for me. I found a pair of black athletic leggings and a fitted white cotton tank top. I pulled my dark hair up into a tight ponytail to keep the long strands out of my face. I walked back into the bedroom where Kade was waiting near the doorway. We left the bedroom and walked downstairs to the kitchen in complete silence.The kitchen was entirely empty because it was still very early in the morning. I walked over to the large walk-in pantry and pulled out a plastic container of rolled oats. I placed a medium metal saucepan on the stove and poured two cups of milk and one cup of the oats into the pot. I turned on the gas heat and stirred the mixture slowly with a wooden spoon. Kade sat on one of the tall wooden stools at the island counter and watched my hands move. I grabbed two yellow bananas fr
"A nanny, to be specific," he clarified, turning his attention back to his tablet as the car began to move smoothly down the highway.I let out a harsh, disbelief-filled laugh. I couldn't help it. The hysteria was bubbling up again. "A nanny? You expect me to believe that? No one pays that kind of
I woke up with a start, my heart hammering against my chest like a trapped animal. For a split second, my nose searched for the scent of stale cigarette smoke, burnt spoons, and the rotting smell of the trash that always piled up in the corner of my parents’ kitchen. I expected to feel the spring
Nick stood in the doorway holding the black envelope. Kade stepped away from me immediately, and the warmth between us vanished, leaving the kitchen cold again. Snatching the envelope from Nick's hand without opening the flap, he looked at me with hard, serious eyes.
"Go back to bed, Amelia," Kade said, his voice carrying through the silent house. "You don't want to know what's downstairs."I stood there on the landing. My bare feet sank into the plush carpet. The air in the foyer was cold. Kade stood in the moonlight coming through the high window.
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