Chapter 2

The glare of the hot sun roused Isabella the next morning.

She opened her eyes and winced due to the sudden brightness. It took a while for her to adjust to the light, and when she opened her eyes again, she was shocked at the scene before her.

She was in a metal cage, and there were other young girls around her. She sat up quickly, wondering how she got there. She was still in the dress she had on the previous night, damp from the rain.

She was chained, just like the other girls. There were several other cages holding other girls, and the cages were chained to metal poles in a large open backyard.

Frowning in confusion, Isabella leaned towards the girl beside her and whispered.

"Hey. Do you know what's going on?"

The girl stared at her blankly before answering.

"What does it look like? We're going to be sold."

"Sold?"

"To the highest bidder." The girl nodded. "A lot of us were lured here, while others were sold to dealers, who would resell us for pure gold."

Isabella found it difficult to take this news. She looked around, gazing at the men who walked around holding whips, yelling profanities at the girls who refused to be quiet.

"What's your name?" The girl asked after a while.

"Isabella."

"I'm Veronica."

Isabella smiled, but it didn't even reach her eyes.

"Do you know who brought me here?"

Veronica nodded. "You were unconscious when he brought you here. People call him Vinnie and he works for the bigger bosses."

"Is he a tall man with dark hair and a scar on his face?" Isabella asked.

"That's him. He and a few other men dragged you in last night and chained you up."

Isabella's ears were ringing. She held her head and leaned back, trying to process the whole situation. It wasn't possible. Her aunt couldn't have sold her, right?

"Were you lured here too?" Veronica asked.

Isabella shook her head, deciding to remain in denial.

"I don't think I'm meant to be here." She said. "Last night, my aunt and I were supposed to meet with an uncle of mine. She left to find him, and few hours later, this strange man you call Vinnie attacked me and knocked me out. This has to be some mistake. My aunt would be searching for me."

Veronica shook her head in pity. "I hate to break it to you, Isabella. But it seems you were sold by your aunt. Vinnie probably brought you here to resell you in gold."

"That's impossible." Isabella disagreed. "Aunt Sophia wouldn't do that to me. She wouldn't betray me this way, after all the years we've been together."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty two."

"Yup, she sold your ass off." Veronica nodded. "The quicker you believe it, the better for you."

"Why do you say that?"

"Most young girls are sold from the ripe age of twenty." Veronica answered. "You are of no use to her anymore. My stepmother sold me too. She's the only family I have left. My mom is late, and my dad who remarried her died a few weeks ago."

"I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Don't be. He was a fucking bastard."

Isabella was shocked at the venom in Veronica's words. She looked away, still finding it hard to believe that Sophia had betrayed her this way.

Suddenly she spotted Vinnie, the man who attacked her the previous night. She gripped the cage and rose to her feet.

When Vinnie noticed her, he grinned.

"Finally awake."

"You get me out of here this instant!" Isabella yelled, pounding the cage. "When my aunt finds me, you will be sorry."

Vinnie laughed mockingly. "Your aunt said you were a bright one, but you're still a naive fool. You haven't figured it out, have you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I paid her in full." He smirked. "A thousand dollars to get rid of you for good. But why do that, when I can get paid in gold in return?"

Isabella was left speechless as she listened to him. Her grip tightened on the metal bar as realization dawned on her. It was true. Sophia did sell her.

Vinnie was still laughing when someone rushed to the backyard and beckoned on him.

"They want you to begin the auction now. They are getting impatient."

"Got it." Vinnie nodded, then he turned back to Isabella. "Still think this isn't real? How about you go first."

He snapped his fingers and two hefty men entered. They opened the cage and tugged on the chain holding Isabella.

"Don't try to resist, else they'll whip you." Veronica advised her. "I hope we cross paths again."

Before Isabella could reply, the men viciously pulled on the chain and she fell, landing hard on her face. Rage burned through her and the urge to fight back was so strong, but she forced herself to remain calm.

She got up and was pulled into a backroom with a fire place.

Suddenly the hefty men seized her arms and restrained her.

"What are you doing?" She panicked. Fear seized her when Vinnie pulled out a carved poker from the fire. It glowed red hot, and she realized he was going to brand her.

"Hold still." He smirked. "This will only hurt a little."

He pressed the hot steel into upper arm and Isabella screamed in pain. She kicked out, knocking Vinnie backward with her foot.

The poker dropped from his hand and landed on his own foot.

"Fucking bitch!" He yowled in pain. In his anger, he slapped her.

Isabella's head snapped back with the force of the slap and her lower lip split.

"Take her out and tie her to the stakes." Vinnie snarled.

With her arm burning in pain, Isabella struggled as the men dragged her into an open space. There was a wooden stake on top a high podium and the men tied her to it.

Below her were a large number of men and their lewd gazes seemed to penetrate her. They were the type who would spend a large amount of money to purchase young girls and use them for their sexual benefits.

Vinnie came out a moment later, limping slightly. He glared at her for a moment, then faced the crowd of men.

"Let the auction begin." He smiled.

"A hundred pieces of gold." One man yelled from the crowd.

"Two hundred pieces of gold." Another countered him.

"Three fifty pieces."

"Four hundred pieces."

"Five hundred."

The haggling went on, and Isabella felt a sense of shame and rage. These men were pricing her like she was some sort of commodity. Veronica had been right. These men didn't deal in dollars. They were ready to spend pure gold.

"One thousand pieces of gold." Someone yelled and the crowd went wild.

"One thousand pieces going..." Vinnie began the count down, grinning like a fool.

"Two thousand pieces."

"Five thousand pieces."

"Ten thousand pieces."

The men yelled angrily, unable to bid higher. Vinnie was moving around the podium like a proud peacock, and he began the countdown again.

"Ten thousand pieces of gold going once. Going twice..."

"A hundred thousand pieces of gold." A deep voice spoke through the cacophony.

The men were silenced immediately, and they turned around, searching for the owner of the voice. Whispers echoed as they parted, until all eyes fell on the mysterious stranger seated at the back, legs crossed, a lit cigarette hanging from his lips.

The aura around him was choking, and when he looked up, the men all retreated.

"It's Don Antonio." Someone whispered in fear.

No one dared bargain after he spoke. Isabella herself was shocked. She raised her eyes and her gaze locked with intense stormy grey eyes.

Vinnie was ecstatic. He lifted his hand and brought an end to the bargain.

"Sold!"