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The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 9. Orion
Anika / AnyaA month. It’s been a whole month since I was confined to this gilded cage, tethered to a switchboard in the corner of Bastien’s sprawling penthouse office. Initially, the wires had seemed like shackles, but over time, they’ve become almost comforting. A routine within the chaos. I’d never worked a day in my life before this, but now I find myself quite adept at juggling calls, directing inquiries, and handling irate customers who’ve lost more than their wallets at Bastien’s casinos.I’ve become a pro at this switchboard thing, if I do say so myself. Over a month of directing calls to “Mr. Duval’s office,” “Accounting,” or the “VIP Casino Suite,” and I’ve made minimal mistakes. I’ve even memorized some of the regular callers’ voices—Mr. Rodriguez, who always wants accounting but forgets the extension, or Miss Williams, who speaks so softly it’s like she’s sharing state secrets.It’s a Thursday, and the day promises the same monotony as the ones before it. Bastien is here
The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 10. Lunch
Anika / AnyaToday is different. It has to be, because Bastien invites me to lunch. This is the first time he’s extended such an invitation, and it immediately puts me on edge. What is this, another power play? A way to toy with me some more? Regardless, declining isn’t an option. I’ve learned that much.He takes me to one of his restaurants, one that apparently he owns among his laundry list of assets. It’s upscale, elegant but not gaudy. The staff treat him with a mixture of respect and wariness—emotions I’ve come to know all too well.It’s like walking into a world I don’t belong, yet, it’s a world I’ve been thrust into, whether I like it or not.As we settle into the plush velvet chairs, the atmosphere is charged, as though even the air knows to tread carefully around Bastien. He’s dressed in a tailored black suit that makes his green eyes appear even more impenetrable. Once we’re seated, he scans the menu briefly before setting it aside, as though he already knows what he wants.
The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 11. Escape
Anika / AnyaThe day after the Orion note, the air feels different, charged. Every tick of the clock reverberates like a drum in my chest. I sit at my switchboard, diligently plugging and unplugging lines, routing calls.And then, as if summoned by my very thoughts, the light for Line 3 blinks. My pulse quickens; it’s her designated line.I connect the call and put on my most professional tone. “Front desk, how may I assist you today?” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Bastien engrossed in a pile of documents, ear glued to his phone.The familiar voice comes through the speaker. “Don’t panic, it’s me. Orion. We have a plan.”With Bastien in the room, I can’t risk any slip-ups. “Ah, Mrs. Williams, so nice to hear from you again. How can I assist you today?”Sarah, if that’s even her real name, catches on quickly. “My husband and I are planning a night out, you see. We’re hoping everything will be in place by tomorrow night. We’ll require an escort service from the penthouse to the pa
The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 12. Liar
BastienWhat the fuck was she thinking? My mind’s a goddamn whirlwind as I lead Anika—or whoever she really is—back into the penthouse. Each step feels heavy, like I’m dragging the weight of the revelation along with us.Who the fuck does she think she’s fooling?It started with a slip. One goddamn slip on a phone call. She was talking to a client, and the line got crossed for a second. Names got jumbled, and out came her real name, not the “Anika” facade she’d been playing. Anya. It slipped through her lips before she even realized, I bet. At that moment, something clicked.I’d been growing suspicious, what with her being a little too savvy for someone who’s never worked a day in her life. So I dug around. Made some calls and pulled some strings, and it didn’t take long for things to make a twisted sort of sense. She wasn’t just some random girl on an auction block. She was more, much more and I’m going to find out what.Little did she know, the entire escape act was a setup, a test
The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 13. Prisoner
Anya I shut the door behind me, hearing the ominous click as it locks from the outside. This isn’t just a room; it’s a well-decorated cage, and the weight of my reality settles in like an iron shroud. Slowly, I walk to the bathroom, each step dragging heavier than the last. The reflection in the mirror catches me off guard—a stranger with haggard eyes and a face drained of color. Who is this woman who thought she could outsmart a man like Bastien, who’s made a career, maybe even a life, out of being three steps ahead of everyone else? I turn the shower knob, letting the water heat up as steam fills the room, clouding the mirror and mercifully blurring my reflection. Stripping down, I step into the shower, the hot water hitting my skin like tiny, stinging slaps. I welcome the discomfort, the heat—anything to feel something other than this suffocating despair. The water hits my skin, searing and yet numbing, as if each droplet is both a balm and an acid. My body cringes at first,
The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 14. Disregard
AnyaI wake up to the ring of an alarm, a jarring sound that shatters the remnants of a restless sleep. For a second, I forget—forget where I am, why I’m here, and the cage I’ve locked myself into. But reality rushes back in like a flood, washing away the ignorance of sleep with a slap of cold truth. Today, I still have to be Anya the switchboard operator, not the fool who tried to run away.I drag myself out of bed, each movement tinged with a sense of dread. The events of the previous night loop in my mind like a reel, each moment sharp and vivid. The rush of escaping, the sudden stop of the SUV, and Bastien—his cold eyes, his cruel smirk, as if saying “Did you really think you could escape me?”I manage to dress, choosing a simple blouse and slacks. Nothing too flashy, nothing that screams ‘look at me.’ The last thing I want right now is attention, especially from Bastien.Heading to the kitchen, I try to shake off the remnants of dread that followed me into my dreams last night.
The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 15. Annoyance
BastienI’m sitting here at my desk, staring at the screen that refuses to hold my attention. My thoughts keep drifting to her. Anya—or whatever the hell her real name is. She’s over there, plugged into that switchboard like some kind of machine, but I can see the tremble in her hands, sense the tension radiating off her. I’d have to be blind not to.She’s scared, and the dark part of me relishes it. She should be scared. She lied to me. But another part of me, a part I’m not all that fucking comfortable with, asks what I really expected. She found herself in a goddamn auction, for Christ’s sake. Lying probably seemed like the least of the evils she had to consider.I swivel my chair slightly, watching her closely as she picks up another call. Her voice shakes for a split second before she regains composure, handing the call with a professionalism that almost makes me proud. Almost.She’s efficient, I’ll give her that. The way she’s handling the calls, you’d think she’d been doing i
The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 16. Pool
AnyaThe sunshine streaming through my windows hints at a world outside that I used to be a part of.But today is different. It’s my first day off, and I decide to spend it by the pool. The sun is out, the sky a crystal-clear blue as if trying to mock the murkiness clouding my thoughts. I walk out onto the penthouse deck, sliding the glass door shut behind me with a soft click.I make my way to the pool deck, ignoring the ever-watchful eyes of the guards positioned strategically around the area. They barely glance my way, their expressions unreadable but their presence as heavy as a chain. The sun beats down on the gleaming pool surface, turning the water into an inviting, shimmering blue. I lay down my towel on a chaise lounge, feeling the warm sun immediately start to sear my skin through the fabric of my swimsuit. For a moment, I close my eyes and let myself drift. The sun, the sky, the water—it’s almost enough to make me forget, almost enough to lull me into a false sense of free
Latest chapter
- The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy EPILOGUE TWO
- The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy EPILOGUE ONE
- The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 53. New Beginning
- The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 52. Niko's Pain
- The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 51. Pasts Overlapping
- The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 50. New Purpose?
- The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 49. Welcome Home
- The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 48. Vendetta Claimed
- The Alpha Kingpin's Fixation: Auctioned To The Enemy 47. Final Straw
