Sold

{Elara’s POV}

The door burst open.

Two guards stepped inside without a word, they gripped me by the hand and pulled me out. My legs were weak from the sleepless night, but I refused to stumble. I kept my head up, even as my heart pounded painfully against my chest.

They dragged me down the hallway

Each steps felt heavier than the last

At the end of the hall, my uncle stood waiting… practically vibrating with excitement.

That alone made my stomach twist… I couldn’t believe that my uncle, the man whom my parents trusted with their life, would sell me off like that.

I knew that my uncle was a shitty man, but never in my life did I think he would go this far. On getting to the living room, his eyes gleamed the moment he saw a man standing there

Zeke.

Dorian’s right hand man.

He was tall, had sharp features and was dressed in all black. He didn’t look like a person but like a shadow pulled into human form.

“Young Master Dorian will not be coming in,” Zeke said flatly as we got closer to him. “He has other important places to be.”

George’s smile twitched, desperate to stay polite. 

“Of course… Of course, I know how busy Dorian is.”

Zeke didn’t respond, instead he handed him a file.

George’s eyes almost sparkled. Inside were the documents of their agreement. The trade.

“Just sign it,” Zeke said flatly, “and everything will be yours as agreed.”

I watched as my uncle snatched a pen like a starving man grabbing food and I couldn’t help but feel disgusted. His hand shook with greed as he signed his name.

It was done.

I felt my heart sink. 

One signature, that was all my life was worth.

“Miss Harrington,” Zeke said softly as he approached me, “if you’re ready… I’ll escort you to the car.”

His tone was polite.

Ready? Did I have a choice? Still… I nodded.

My fingers clutched my dress before I turned toward the door. Zeke's steps matched mine. He didn’t rush me.

We walked toward one of the black luxury SUVs parked in the driveway. A guard opened the back door for me and Inside sat a man. A man carved out of ice and power. 

Head slightly tilted, eyes low as he scrolled through something on his phone. His aura alone filled the entire car. 

Dorian Damaris. I had heard only dangerous things about him. The Mafia Lord of the cartels under the disguise of a tech company.

I swallowed hard as I watched him. Right now I could only see his side profile, not his full face. I had heard rumors that even after all the dangerous things he had done, he still had the face of an angel. I was lost in thought when he finally spoke.

“Get in,” he said without looking up. His voice was calm but filled with authority.

Quickly, I stepped inside the car. If I was going to survive around him, I needed to stand strong. Zeke entered from the other side and the cars drove out of the mansion.

*********

We arrived at the small government registration office where we would get a marriage certificate. A woman who was behind the desk looked up and froze. With her mouth agape, her pen slipped right out of her hand. 

“Oh my…” She fanned herself dramatically. 

“You two. Wow! You’re a stunning couple!” 

Dorian didn’t react. Zeke didn’t react. While I felt like melting into the floor. The woman cleared her throat, and suddenly flushed red. Probably feeling embarrassed at her outburst.

“Uh… right! Marriage registration! Just… just give me a moment” she said before quickly walking to the back room and It didn’t take long before she came back with a document. 

“I just need you two to sign here and here” she pointed at the lines our signatures were to go. 

Dorian signed first. His signature was sharp, controlled… just like him. He then passed the document to me. 

I stared at the pen and paper for a moment before picking up the pen and with trembling hands, I signed on it. 

“It’s done…” the woman announced, sounding giddy.

A lump grew in my throat as my eyes burned with tears I refused to let fall. 

‘Come on, Elara. You’ve cried enough already.” I told myself. 

“Now that it’s signed, you just have to seal it with a kiss!”

What?

My head snapped up as my eyes widened in shock. 

What did she just say? Did I hear it right?

Zeke’s lips twitched. Almost forming a smile but he quickly looked away. Suddenly the air turned cold as goosebumps crept up my skin. Slowly I turned to look at Dorian and found him already staring at me causing my heart skip a beat.

This was the first time I looked at his face properly and he looked…. dangerously handsome. The tabloids didn’t lie. He’s breathtaking, even with his expressionless straight face. 

I was so lost staring at his face that I didn’t know when he closed the gap between us causing me to freeze in place.

‘Wait, is he really going to…’ 

He stopped just inches from my face then firmly gripped my chin lifting them slightly so I could look directly into his gorgeous blue eyes. My mind screamed for me to move away but I couldn’t. I felt stuck. His movement was slow but without hesitation and just like that, his lips landed on mine.

I froze. 

The shock of it stole every coherent thought from my mind. One of my hands instinctively grabbed his shirt as my mind went blank.

Slowly his lips moved, then firm and possessive. Like he was marking something that now belonged to him. My nostrils were filled with the scent of his cologne as heat rushed up to my face.

But I didn’t kiss him back. 

After what felt like forever, he finally pulled back just enough for my lips to part from his. Dorian looked at me for a second longer before turning away.

“It’s done,” he said calmly, while I stood there breathless. My heart raced as I could still feel the lingering effect of the kiss. 

My thoughts were a mess, and for the first time I realized something terrifying. This man wasn’t just dangerous, he was going to change my life completely. The woman stamped the papers at lightning speed, bringing me back to reality. 

“Ohhh you both are so cute…. Congratulations! You’re officially married. How I love to see beautiful couples. I mean, have a lovely day!” 

She handed the documents to Dorian who just ignored her and walked outside leaving the woman’s hand hanging. Zeke quickly took the file from her then turned to me

“Please this way miss,” he said, guiding me outside to the car.

The door shut softly behind me while I sat there not moving at all. My heart was still beating as the memory of the kiss refused to leave my mind.

After a while, the car finally stopped in front of a massive tall black gate towering several feet into the air. The cars drove forward, and the gates slammed shut behind us and suddenly, there was no way out.