Chapter One

Chapter One

Mirabelle’s POV

Darkness was all I could see. Murmurs, laughter, and the sound of people’s footsteps were all I could hear. My hands rubbed tightly against each other, while my teeth bit down on my lower lip in fear.

The last thing I remembered were the tears flowing down my cheeks as I was taken away from my uncle and aunt. The little smirk plastered on my aunt’s face kept replaying in my head.

“This is our last hope for you to pay the debt your parents left—and whatever you owe us. It’s not going to be a big deal. Just be with a man until he gets tired.”

Those were the last words I heard from them before everything went dark.

Now, I was in an unknown place. I had no idea where I was.

I could feel the cold metal under my bare feet. The scent of perfume, sweat, and something darker floated through the air. Being blindfolded, with no real clue of what was going on, was insane. I couldn’t see anyone—of course, they would hide their identities.

“Are you guys ready for the last present we have for you?”

The voice, who I assumed was the host of the event, rang out. I knew we were being sold, and I wasn’t the only one there.

“We saved the best for last, and I know you’re definitely going to love this one.”

The speakers boomed as a pair of hands gripped my arms tightly. My toes clenched, and my breath hitched at the contact.

Oh shit—I was the last one? Why did I have to be the best?

I didn’t know where I was, but I could feel others around me in the same room. A tightness squeezed my chest—it was strange and suffocating, and I hated it.

“She’s just twenty. Unable to attend college. Has about a hundred thousand dollars in debt. More personal details will be given to her owner. You may begin bidding.”

My hands clenched my dress as my heartbeat pounded faster.

Oh—I must be standing right in front of them. I lowered my head slowly, trying to look away even though I couldn’t see.

“Why are you being shy, young lady? One of these people here is going to have you in their hands for a long time. Don’t you think it’s a good thing—having all your debts paid off?”

I felt a finger caress my jaw.

Irritating.

Annoying.

It hurt that I couldn’t even defend myself.

“Leave your hands off what belongs to us.”

A stranger’s voice rose from the crowd. I could hear another complaint about whatever bullshit the first one had just said.

I was just like an animal waiting to be feasted on.

What a big shame.

“One hundred fifty thousand dollars.”

A voice from the crowd called out. My eyebrows arched. This was the craziest thing I’d ever experienced. Someone was really willing to pay that much for me?

“Two hundred thousand dollars.”

Another man’s voice followed. I knew it then—there was no going back. I was going to be sold.

I’d always seen shit like this online or read about it in books, but I never thought it was real. My aunt gave me up to them, and honestly, I should’ve hated her. But I was too tired to feel anything anymore.

Greediness lies in the heart of humans.

“Six hundred thousand dollars.”

A female voice now. Gasps erupted around the room.

“She is so fucking hot, and she’s going to make more than that for me when I finally have her in my arms.”

“You know I won’t let you have such beauty. I knew they were saving the best for last. That’s why I saved all my money just for her.”

“One million dollars.”

Louder murmurs. Commotion.

“Oh! Looks like we’ve got a final price. Does anyone else want to bid higher? Going in three… two—”

I wished they’d just cancel the whole thing. A part of me still wanted to be free, but there was really no difference between being sold and running all my life, drowning in debts I never asked for.

Debts.

That’s all I’d ever paid for. And yeah, that’s why I never went to college either.

“I’ll pay fifty million dollars to have her.”

A deep, husky voice echoed through the room. Goosebumps crawled up my skin. My head tilted slightly toward the direction of the voice.

Someone get that man checked?!

“Of course, it’s going to be Luca. Why pay that much for someone you won’t even spend the whole day with? Just let us have her.”

Different voices filled the air, clearly upset.

“You always take the hot ones, only to let them go a day later. Now we’ll never know what it feels like to be in that body.”

“Going in three… two… one! Sold!”

A rod hit the table.

Just like that, guys, I was sold.

Suddenly, a hand was behind me. A cloth was pressed over my nose—I felt metal graze my skin. My breath hitched. A wave of dizziness slammed into me.

All I could hear was my own heartbeat, pounding so fast and hard. My legs buckled as I slowly sank to the floor.

BLACKOUT.

⸻

My eyes opened slowly, and the first thing that hit me was the smell—old money, cigar smoke, and polished wood.

Then the memories returned—being blindfolded… sold to someone I knew nothing about. Sweat trickled down my temple as I jumped out of bed in panic.

“I shouldn’t be here,” I muttered, my voice trembling with pain. I still felt dizzy.

Then I heard the door creak open. Was I being monitored? How did they know I was awake? Or was it just a coincidence?

I reached for the nearest sharp object—a pair of scissors.

Three men in suits walked in. They were bulky, like guards. One of them stood at the door, like he was expecting someone else to enter.

I raised the scissors toward them. “Don’t you fucking come near me. You’re going to regret it,” I said, stepping back slowly. My voice was shaking—I wasn’t sure if they noticed.

“You should step a little closer if you’re going to make empty threats.”

That voice. I recognized it from the auction.

He walked in, and I finally saw the man who paid fifty million dollars to own me.

“You can all leave us.”

“But boss—”

One of them protested, until a gun was pointed at his head.

“Oh shit—” I gasped. The scissors slipped from my hand. My back hit the wall. I had nowhere to run.

A gun.

A fucking gun. That was a fucking gun and it was pointed to someone’s head?

Different thoughts flooded my mind. That thing could end someone’s life in seconds.

They all left, and I was alone with the man who had just pointed a gun at one of his own.

He stood there, towering. His dark, straight hair grazed his sharp jawline—sharp enough to cut through diamond. He looked like someone who was in his late thirties.

He walked toward me, and I couldn’t move.

He raised his arms slightly, making his muscular frame more visible under his shirt. Every nerve in my body tingled. My skin crawled with unease as he closed the distance between us.

“Please… I’m begging you. I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just born into this world by inconsiderate parents.”

My voice cracked as tears streamed down my face.

My eyes stayed on the gun by his side.

What if he pulled the trigger by mistake?

I’d never seen a gun up close before. And now… here it was.

A low, wicked chuckle left his lips as he raised the gun to my face.

“Are you scared I’m going to blow your head off with this?”

My body froze as the cold metal touched my cheek.

My chest burned. I didn’t even realize I hadn’t been breathing.

He didn’t pay all that money just to kill me… right? That couldn't be.

I clenched my fists, swallowing hard. I side-eyed the gun as he brushed my hair behind my ear with it.

I felt exposed—like I was standing at the edge of something unknown and terrifying.

His right hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer.

“Do you know what it means to be here?” he asked. The gun stayed in my ear.

“What?”

“I love it when my girls act innocent,” he murmured, a smirk playing on his lips.

I looked at the exposed part of his chest.

A tattoo.

Black ink curled over the left side of his chest.

I knew that symbol. Everyone knew that symbol. There had been warnings, articles, whispered rumors.

The mark of Giordano's family.

I felt the blood drain from my face.

“I hope you keep it up when I fuck you so har

d—because you’re mine now,” he finished.

No… it couldn’t be.

I’d been claimed by the most feared mafia boss in the country.

Luca Giordano Bianchi.

And I'd just be bought by the devil himself.