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.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
"I heard him screaming, Kade," I answered honestly, keeping my voice very soft in the quiet room. "I was walking down the hallway to get fresh towels from the laundry room this afternoon, and I heard the sounds coming through the heavy metal door under the stairs."Kade immediately tensed against my body. He dropped his head lower against my chest and gripped my waist much tighter with his large hands. He did not say a single word, but the sudden rigidity in his broad shoulders told me he was bracing himself for my judgment and my fear."I was completely terrified by the sound of his pain," I continued speaking, carefully stroking the back of his neck to keep him grounded. "My hands started to shake, and my stomach turned over because I knew exactly what you were doing to him in the basement. But Nick found me standing in the hallway, and Nick explained your reasoning to me. Nick told me that you were hurting Silas because Silas allowed me to be vulnerable in the storm, and you refuse
AMELIA'S POVI dropped my hand away from the cold metal handle immediately and spun around to face the hallway. Nick stood just a few inches behind me with a deeply serious expression on his face. He reached out and gently wrapped his fingers around my elbow to guide me away from the basement door."I was just walking to the laundry room to get fresh towels for the bathrooms," I explained quickly while stepping away from the heavy door. "I did not mean to listen to what was happening down there.""I know you did not come looking for this, Amelia," Nick replied quietly as he walked me further down the corridor. "But you need to understand that this house operates on two very different levels. The upstairs is for you and the little girl to live peacefully, and the basement is where Kade handles the violent realities of his business."Another muffled scream echoed through the floorboards beneath our feet. I flinched and wrapped my arms around my waist."He is hurting Silas because Silas
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