After a hectic afternoon measuring every suit, skirt, and shoe from famous brands, Ava entered the house where she would now be living. Alice was sitting in the dining room, enjoying a bowl of cereal, when she spotted a couple of hotel staff carrying bags and purses from luxury brands. Finally, Ava walked in, her tired face evident. "Ava! Wow, what's happening here?" exclaimed Alice, rising from her chair. The men disappeared, leaving the two friends alone at last. Ava slumped into one of the large armchairs in the living room. "These are my uniforms," Alice said, walking over and inspecting one of the bags. Her eyes widened as she discovered a shoebox from GUCCI. "Oh my god," she whispered, pulling out a pair of black high-heeled sneakers. They were exquisite, understated, and could go well with anything. "They are beautiful," she added, winking mischievously at her friend, who didn't seem thrilled or happy about all the purchases. "What's wrong? Don't you like them?" "It's not th
Björn gestured for Ava to enter the room, and she hesitated for a moment, considering it was her boss's private space. However, she entered upon seeing his expression of irritation. She placed the breakfast service cart near the large dining room and straightened up, running her hands through her navy blue coat. Nervousness enveloped her as it was her first official day on the job as his assistant. Björn sat in a chair in the luxurious dining room of the suite, which was the most expensive and exquisite room in the hotel. He finished buttoning his shirt, leaving it half-open. Ava noticed that he was barefoot, and a thought crossed her mind, "Wow, he has nice feet." Ava cleared her throat, trying to push away that random thought. Björn looked at her. "Have a seat," he pointed to the chair next to him. She nodded and walked over. Björn picked up a box and brought it closer, placing it in front of her on the table. Ava frowned. "It's your iPad. We'll be using it extensively. I don't
Paris, France. Bruno took a sip of his drink, closed his eyes, savoring the burn that slid down his throat, and then opened them to look at the landscape in front of him. "Mr. Hoffmann, here is your newspaper," announced the housekeeper from the attic. Bruno turned to the older woman and took it. "Thank you," he replied. The woman shook her head at the sight of the crystal glass in his hand. "You haven't had breakfast, sir," she said. Bruno pursed his lips. "I'm fine," he replied curtly. The woman disappeared, sensing her boss's bad mood. Bruno sat down in the armchair near the window, placed the glass on the coffee table, and began to read the newspaper. However, he wasn't paying attention. The reports he had received from Christine an hour ago had left him restless. "An assistant?" he snorted, shaking his head and clicking his tongue. He tossed the newspaper onto the other armchair next to him. "A bloody assistant!" Christine was not following his instructions, and now a woman
Björn stood under the shower water, hands open against the tile in front of him, head down, and eyes closed, enjoying the cold water cascading over him. In the distance, he heard his cell phone, indicating a new message. Without flinching, he mentally dismissed it, assuming it wasn't urgent. Oscar, his father, and Bruno had the same approach – if there was something truly important, they would call immediately. But gradually, curiosity gnawed at him until he cursed under his breath, turned off the cold water tap, and wrapped a towel around himself. His wet footprints left a trail on the marble floor as he made his way out. Picking up his cell phone from the nightstand where it had been charging, Björn opened the message. It was from Thomas, his new head of security: "Miss Gray and two other female employees are coming to the club. Shall I go and get them?" Björn read the message again, feeling anger rise within him. He immediately dialed Thomas's number and called him. "What do you
Christine stared at Björn in silence, her emotions on the verge of bursting. "You should go to the auction. Maybe you'll find something that catches your eye," Christine's voice was laced with sarcasm. Björn avoided looking at his cellphone screen, waiting for a message or a call. "No, I've never been interested in auctions. I already have everything I want," Björn replied, glancing at the woman before him. "And I don't need anything else." "This one is very special. But it's your loss," Christine said with a smile, then turned and headed towards one of the rooms where the auction was taking place. Björn tried calling Thomas, but there was no answer. He persisted, not liking the atmosphere of the place. He preferred to drive back to the hotel, finding the club already dark enough. He had enough darkness within himself; he didn't need more. The auctions featured unique fetish items, works of art, unimaginable properties, and more. "Why aren't they answering?" Björn muttered to hims
Ava felt her feet being dragged across the cold floor, her heart fluttered with fear. "What was happening?" Why did she feel limp? Why was everything a blur? She felt foreign hands on her body, she wanted to remove them, to demand that they not touch her, but it was as if she had no will. She opened her eyes slightly, despite heavy eyelids, and managed to see a couple of women laughing among themselves. They noticed the denim jacket she had over her black dress and made fun of her attire. Then, once again, she felt the hands—cold hands. She couldn't bear it any longer and closed her eyes. The voices became distant, mocking laughter filled the air. What were they doing? Was this some kind of initiation by a hotel fan group? Finally, she thought it must be a nightmare, a result of having had too much to drink... then darkness embraced her. A woman entered the room, where Ava lay half-naked and unconscious on a massive bed. The women stood still, heads down, while the woman with black ha
Björn and his security team arrived at the top floor, he didn't imagine what this secret auction was, but he was going to find out. Upon reaching the floor, he found several security teams, he wasn't surprised to see them since those interested in the auctions were wealthy individuals. Björn walked through, making way for a man who could spew fire from his mouth and scorch the walls of the place. Anger coursed through his veins, his steps were firm and intimidating. He arrived at the VIP ROOM, which featured a lion figure with a gold-plated crown on a black background. He stopped in the middle of the corridor. A staff member from the club recognized him. "Mr. Hoffmann, how can I assist you?" the man asked immediately and nervously. It was the first time he had seen Björn at his boss Bruno's private auction. "Where does the 'Gold' auction take place?" the man didn't know how to respond immediately, so when Björn noticed his hesitation, he decided to find out for himself. He evaded th
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