They entered a large room, with dim lighting. There were only seven tables, each with a small lamp. Six men were sitting at the tables, avoiding eye contact due to the lack of light. The last table was unoccupied and located near the center. Nicoletta gestured for him to take a seat. Björn was surprised when she placed a mini tablet on the table and leaned forward, revealing her cleavage. "The procedure has changed now. You will press the red button, and the details of the auction will appear on the screen behind those curtains," Nicoletta explained. Björn looked up and saw a TV hanging near the black curtains, displaying seven lines with numbers marked as "zeros." "The button is used to raise the bid, and your bid will be marked on number seven, which is you." "He's got quite a few zeros," Björn muttered. "Any doubts?" Nicoletta asked, and Björn shook his head. "Okay," Nicoletta said as the dim light disappeared. "See you in a little while. Good luck, Hoffmann..." And she disappea
Ava felt the dry branches crunching under her feet as she tried to get as far away from the man as possible. Her mother had warned her many times not to trust people from outside, but she had immersed herself in her work as a tour guide in the town. However, there was something about him that had captivated her. Perhaps it was the way he treated her during that month, enchanting her with his stories during their hikes, the gentle brush of his fingers when he helped her set up her camping tent, or his dazzling smile. He was simply the first man who had caught her attention and made her daydream. But that night, everything changed. They had organized a hike before leaving town, and Alice's group had joined them. When she least expected it, he led her down a path they shouldn't have taken. He covered her mouth, pinning her against the thick trunk of a tree. Her eyes widened with surprise and confusion. "What was he doing?" She stared intently at his pale face and imposing figure, keepin
Björn felt his heart pounding hard as he closed the door. He had lied, hadn't lied, used to not because he knew that lies had short legs, and sooner or later, he would come across the truth. He had experienced it years ago. He was about to go back into the room and tell her what had happened. It didn't matter if he would get in trouble with lawsuits and the police. That was the last thing he cared about right now. A knock on the door made him stop. "Come in," he said. The door opened, and Thomas appeared with a laundry bag. "Sir, the laundry," Björn glanced fleetingly in the bedroom door and removed his hand from the knob, then turned to Thomas. "Thank you," Björn said softly, taking the bag, and Thomas noticed that something seemed off. "Is everything all right, sir?" Thomas asked, noticing Björn's demeanor. "Miss Gray has woken up," Björn replied, his brow furrowed. "Does she know what happened?" Thomas ventured to ask. Björn remained silent for a couple of seconds before answe
Christine was ascending the stairs, making her way towards the main office of the club. She knew that sooner or later she would come face to face with Nicoletta Costa, and it was high time to clarify things between them. Though she was a woman still lacking trust, Bruno, and her father had placed their faith in her. She was an indispensable piece in this establishment. As she reached the double doors, she was met by two tall, imposing men dressed in security suits. They remained unfazed by the presence of the blonde. "Good morning. I'd like to speak with Mrs. Costa," Christine stated. One of the men scrutinized her carefully. "Do you have an appointment?" he inquired. Christine pursed her lips. "No, but I'm Mr. Hoffmann's right-hand woman, and it's an urgent matter," she replied. The other man activated the microphone hidden within his sleeve and murmured something. Once done, he directed his gaze back to the impatient blonde. "You may go in," he said, opening the door. Christine d
Ava finally regained control of herself. She reviewed the images of the nightmare to figure out what had happened. Björn had given her some privacy as he entered the room. After a couple of minutes, there was a knock at the door. Ava slowly opened it, her pale face peering out. It was Björn. He noticed the embarrassed look in her eyes. "Here's your dress. I've already had it cleaned," he said, expressing his gratitude through his eyes and a slight nod, as he handed her the dress. "Breakfast has been brought in early, so..." Ava hadn't paid attention to the growling in her stomach due to hunger. She blushed gradually, thinking that Björn hadn't heard it. But when she saw him press his lips together, trying to hide his discomfort, she nodded to cut the awkward moment. "I'll change and join you for breakfast," Björn frowned. "No, Miss Gray, we will have breakfast together. I'll be waiting for you in the dining room," Björn added, holding out something else. "Here's a new toothbrush.
Björn and Ava ate breakfast in complete silence. He read his newspaper, took the last bite, and spoke. "How are you feeling?" Björn asked without taking his eyes off her. Ava cleared her throat. "Well, thanks for breakfast. The headache is gone. I have to go to the house to take a bath and get ready for..." She stopped her words. Then she stopped her words. "Of course, if you still..." He didn't finish the sentence when he saw Björn's gesture. "Let's talk about what happened hours ago," Björn said. Ava tensed. He noticed how her cheeks flushed. "First of all..." Björn interrupted her, waving his hand to stop her from saying anything else. "What was the last thing she remembered?" Ava took a sharp intake of breath, held it for a few seconds, and then slyly blew it out between her teeth, remembering almost nothing. Again she cleared her throat and stirred in her chair. "I accompanied my friend to homecoming, but I don't usually go to parties and stuff," she paused briefly. "I don't
Björn showered, got ready, and went over the day's schedule. Before Ava arrived at the office to continue working on what she had pending, he would pay her a visit. There was a knock at the door, and he gave the order to come in. When his head of security walked in, he noticed her tension. He knew something was wrong. "What's going on?" Björn asked directly. "I've looked into it," Thomas replied. Björn felt a knot forming in the middle of his stomach. "Tell me," Björn said, taking a discreet breath. "At the last minute, Mrs. Laurent held the welcome meeting that her brother Bruno usually gives to new staff in the meeting for this weekend, but at the last minute, she changed it and asked for discretion," Björn frowned. "My source told me he didn't want his name mentioned for anything in the world. He wanted it to be casual, spontaneous." "I wouldn't say I like that at all." "I agree, Mr. Hoffmann. Besides," Thomas cleared his throat, "it seems that those who ambushed Miss Gray wer
Ava came out of her room dressed in her gray executive suit and a white dress shirt, with her hair pulled back in a bun at the bottom of her head. She checked her watch. It was ten minutes to eight in the morning. She went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Alice and the kitchen girl had already left for work. When she finished drinking her glass of water, there was a knock on the door. Ava hurried, thinking that her boss might have sent for her. When she opened the door, the man who had accompanied her earlier appeared, holding a black bag with the "Seasons" hotel logo on it. "It's for you, Miss Gray," the man said. Ava's brow furrowed. "Mr. Hoffmann sent it to you. When you're ready, we can leave." She took the bag and looked inside, pulling out a box. To her surprise, she discovered it was a new cell phone. She looked up, almost refusing to accept it. "I..." Ava started, but the man interrupted her. "When you're ready, we can leave. I'll wait in the buggy," he nodded. Then t