Meeting the devil

Elina POV

Horror twisted in my gut the moment I saw them-rows of masked men, lounging in silence, their stares sharp and hungry.

My skin crawled under their gaze, like they were peeling me apart without touching me.

I felt exposed, violated, and I hadn't even stepped onto the stage yet.

Disgust clawed up my throat.

They were treating this like entertainment-like we were nothing more than items in a twisted game.

A woman was pushed onto the stage, the spotlight shining on her. The anchor was describing her and her features like she was some animal ready to be slaughtered and devoured.

"One million dollars !" Someone yelled, making me baffled.

A million. That was insane. Were slaves worth that much!? Someone was going to pocket a million dollars off by selling my life ?

One by one, the girls were auctioned off. Each one went for a million dollars or more.

And then what I feared for the most happened. It was my turn now. To. Be. Auctioned.

Someone pushed me to the stage and I looked at everyone with feared eyes. I think I'm going to puke any moment now.

A collective sound of shouts and acknowledgement filled the room. There were even a few whistles.

The emcee listed my features like he did with the others.

" Non virgin. Red hair with exotic blue eyes. She sure is a feisty one. She is 19 years old but she looks even younger than she is."

"The bidding is now open."

He stepped back to the stage and ran the bidding. He set the price, and it slowly started increasing.

This time more men bid on me. I was disgusted when I saw the one man who bought a woman here, bid on me as well.

"2 million dollars !"

"5 million dollars !"

"10 million dollars !"

The bid was rising higher and higher. The man who was behind all this was going to make a fortune off my suffering. And I would die paying off the debt till I take my last breath.

Tears streamed down my eyes and I couldn't tolerate this insanity.

"You all are sick ! You disgusting pigs!!" I yelled from the top of my lungs.

"20 million dollars!!" A man who looked like a gangster but built like a fucking boar barked out loud.

"20 million dollars! Anyone else?"

The emcee's gavel struck the podium with a deafening finality. "Fifty million to the gentleman in the back. Congratulations. This beauty is now yours."

The words hit me like a punch to the chest.

Just like that... my fate was sealed.

A guard grabbed my arm roughly and yanked me off the stage. Before I could even process what was happening, a black sack was pulled over my head, plunging me into darkness. I was still in that humiliating doll dress, the pearl necklace clinging to my skin like a shackle.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking. I couldn't believe it-this was real.

I had been sold.

Sold to a stranger.

I had no idea who he was, what he wanted, or what would become of me. Just that my life no longer belonged to me.

Was this truly my fate?

How did it come to this?

Terror sank into my bones, cold and merciless. There was no hope left-no light, no rescue, nothing but dread.

I sobbed softly beneath the sack, the sound muffled by the heavy silence. My wrists were suddenly shackled with cold, tight metal, and I was dragged across some kind of floor before being shoved into what felt like the back of a car-or a limousine.

"Sit still." The guard's voice was sharp and threatening.

"Wait for the master. And don't make a sound if you value your life." I felt something cold and sharp brush against my neck-steel, maybe a blade. I froze.

Master.

That's what they called these monsters...?

Would that monster listen if I begged?

Would that monster let me go if I pleaded?

Would that monster hurt me?

I didn't know. And that uncertainty was worse than any nightmare I could've imagined.

"There she is, my little puttana."

I felt chills when the disgusting man entered. He removed the bag from my face and removed the rope.

"I'm going to have so much fun with this feisty little bitch. What's your name?"

I didn't answer. I just stared at him - unblinking, unflinching. And spat at him "Go fuck yourself."

He narrowed his gaze. "You need discipline, and I'm going to enjoy every second of it. " he muttered darkly, stepping closer.

That's when something inside me snapped. I wasn't going to flinch. I wasn't going to cower. Not anymore.

The moment he reached out to grab me, I moved - fast and without hesitation. I grabbed the nearest thing I could - a thick glass bottle left on a small table - and slammed it against his face with all the strength I had left.

He let out a sharp, choked cry and stumbled back, clutching his bleeding nose. "What the fuck!!??? Oh my god, my nose is bleeding."

His shock gave me just enough time. I quickly bolted.

Voices erupted behind me. Shouts. Footsteps. But I didn't look back.

I was running for my life - and for the first time, I felt like I had a sliver of control.

I don't know where I was running, there were a lot of tents. I ran to hide in one. But then as soon as I entered, I dashed into a man.

"Ouch!" I fell on the ground, holding the nose. But then I saw him, the man I had one night stand with...!

My breath caught in my throat. What the hell was he doing here?

He turned, eyes scanning me, locking locked onto mine. His brows furrowed. His jaw clenched.

"You...?" He said, voice low, stunned.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the sound of voices shouting in the distance made my body jolt. My head whipped toward the noise-guards, men, searching. For me.

My heart pounded in my ears. I turned to him, desperation crashing over me.

"Please," I gasped, "They're coming for me. I need help."

"Who...?"

"The people...the people here who bought me. I was kidnapped and brought here." My voice trembled in fear as tears trickled down.

But he didn't move. His eyes narrowed slightly, cool and assessing. "Why should I?" he asked, voice as sharp as ice. "We're strangers, remember? I have no business with you."

What..?

His words felt like a slap-but I didn't have time to feel the sting. Anger rose inside me.

""First of all," I snapped, my voice trembling with rage, "it's because of you I ended up here in the first place. If you hadn't brought me to that godforsaken isolated hotel, I wouldn't have ended up in this nightmare place."

He laughed, "Me..? You're blaming me? Wasn't it you who ran off without a word?"

I opened my mouth to argue, but his voice cut through me like a blade. "You've got some nerve," he growled, stepping closer, his voice low and venomous.

"No girl has ever dared to walk out on me like that. You think you can use me for a night and disappear? Do I look like someone you can play with and toss aside?"

His eyes burned into mine, and I felt frozen.

"And now here you are," he sneered. "Crawling back. Filthy, broken, dressed like a damn toy, begging for help."

My breath caught, a lump rising in my throat. But he wasn't done.

"You're not my problem, sweetheart. You were never more than a mistake. Isn't it..?"

I could hear the shouts outside growing louder-men searching, getting closer. Panic surged in my chest, but Aziel just stood there, towering over me, cold and unrelenting.

"Now get out of my sight before I really lose my patience."

No, I can't end up with them. I have to act it out, it's now or never.

"What if I say, I want to be your sex slave instead..? I'll be your...your slave, your sex partner. Whatever you want, whenever you want. I'll always be present. You said you wanted to keep me, I agree to it now."

There was a pin drop silence.

The tension between us was suffocating, coiling in the air like a storm about to break. My heart pounded in my chest as I stood in front of him-desperate, terrified-knowing my only chance of escape rested in his hands.

For a moment, he was completely still. He didn't blink, didn't breathe. His stare bore into me-hard, unreadable-his jaw so tight it looked like he was wrestling something dark inside him.

"You think spreading your legs is going to make me forget about the betrayal from you?" His voice was a low, dangerous growl.

My throat was tight, feeling my body betray me, feeling the heat coil low in my belly despite the fury in his eyes. I should have been afraid-but all I could think about was how close he was.

How anger in his expression twisted the beauty of his face into something darker, more menacing. He was more than handsome; he was devastating.

"Please I need you..." I whispered on his lips, my voice barely more than a breath.

The words hung between us, heavier than they should've been. The silence stretched, thick and unbearable.

His eyes flashed, his jaw tightening even more, but he didn't say anything.

"Look here." The men who were chasing me barged in. I froze in fear, but then more than me, they looked frozen when they saw the man beside me.

"Mr. Valerie King...? You're here..? We are sorry, we didn't know you were here." One of the men trembled as if he had seen a devil.

"V-Valerie King...?" My voice trembled out of curiosity.

"Sì, Our master is Aziel Valerie King." A few men now arriving behind Aziel responded to me.

My face went pale when I heard the name.

I clearly know this name, it's all over the newspapers and media.

He was one of the world's most powerful tycoons in America.

As wealthy as he was influential, he carried a reputation that sent chills down spines. Whispers surrounded him like smoke-dark rumors of his empire built on weapons, drugs, and ties to some of the most dangerous criminals alive.

In simple terms, he was the Mafia incarnate. The most dangerous Mafia lord.

"Why...aren't you confident anymore, ma bella?" Azeil whispered into my ear dangerously.

Fuck, what have I got myself into...?