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ONE

“He’s dead,Isa,”  Nina, her chambermaid said softly,and reached out to pull Isabelle close to her,her arms warm and comforting against the sudden chills that racked Isabelle’s body. “Your papá is dead.”  

The door opened as soon as Nina dropped the news.  An older chambermaid who wasn't close to Isabelle walked in with a dress on her hands.Walking towards the bed,she lay the dress there.

“Get dressed! You have visitors.Your uncle Don Francesco will not like to be kept waiting. You must hurry up,” she stated,unbothered by the position she had met them.

Isabelle sat on the floor,mute and frozen at the spot.She needed time to process the news.

Her papá was dead?

No it couldn't be.

She felt a hand grab her as she was pulled  up from the floor.

“Didn't you hear what I just said? Get dressed!” she repeated,this time around with more aggression.

Isabelle wasn't sure what was happening.She just knew one thing…her uncle had taken over. The door closed after Nina and in the room she remained with Giulia.

She let the dress she wore fall to her feet as she picked up the dress,laying on the bed for her.

Something was happening,but she didn't know what.

Looking at the mirror,she clutched at the sides of the dress.She felt empty…dead.

Her nipples were visible for anyone to see through the thin silk fabric. Her curves—her body was there for anyone to see.

The dress couldn't hide her pain neither could it hide her naked body.

“Stop it! You will ruin the dress.I'm sure you don't want your uncle getting angry,” Giulia said, grabbing her hand again. “Let’s go.They're waiting.”

They made their way through the hallway with Giulia holding her hand firmly.She didn't want to take chances.And right now,Isabelle felt she was right to do so,

because right now she wanted nothing more than to run away.

The sound of men’s laughter and wine glasses clicking  against each other greeted her as they neared the biggest room in the house.

How many men were there?

She got her reply as she walked into the room to meet the lustful gazes of men eating her up—all the way down.She felt like they were undressing her with their eyes and she got extremely uncomfortable.

She needed to get out of here.

The guards weren't hiding that they were ogling her.

“Ahh! There she is,my beautiful niece,”  she heard her uncle say as he pointed towards her.A surge of defiance riled up within her.Her father was dead and he was drinking?

She turned quickly and headed towards the door, pushing Giulia away from her.

“Get her! Do not let her escape,”  Don Francesco ordered,standing immediately on his feet.

Isabelle ran as fast as she could,with guards running after her.She got close to a ceramic long vase,making sure to let it crash on the floor to slow them down on their chase.

And just as she had gotten to the exit,the sound of a gunshot stopped her on her tracks.

“Isabelle don't make me consider killing you,” her uncle uttered,his voice loud enough for her to hear.

The guards held her tightly, dragging her towards the room and onto the podium.

Don Francesco walked towards her,giving her a glare and turning his eyes back to the men.

“My niece here is so enthusiastic to get married…that I can assure you,” he stated,his face beaming with smiles.He let his hands caress her hair and slowly let it drop to hold her hand.The feeling of disgust increasing by the moment.

He gazed at her again lustfully,licking his lips.He urged her to turn around for the men.She knew better than to disobey.

“My beautiful niece,Isabelle Conti.She just turned twenty-one.And she's a virgin—you see,” he said,making sure they heard the virgin part.

A virgin? Did he have to tell them?

“Then she's a sweet one then.I like them untouched,” a man said,his eyes ogling her.

“Surely you are not mistaken.Sometimes I wish I can have her myself,” her uncle revealed.

Isabelle turned towards him and spat in his face.

“I’ld rather die than let you get your filthy hands on me,” she declared defiantly.

He uttered no word.

Instead,he gestured towards Giulia.She came up to the podium and slapped her hard.

“Do not be disrespectful,Isabelle,”

Isabelle looked at her angrily unable to let the words in her throat out.

“Alright.Shall we begin?” the auctioneer asked.

Don Francesco raised his hand in the air in agreement.

Isabelle brought her eyes down,she couldn't stand the hungry gazes on her.She was yet to understand what was going on.The number of men in the room brought chills all over her.They looked ready to have their way with her in turns.

She clutched her dress tightly again,but stopped when she realized her nipples were becoming more visible.

“Five hundred dollars,” a man yelled out from the crowd.

She looked up immediately,and only then did it occur to her that she was being auctioned…sold off.

“One thousand dollars,” another yelled,in a bid to outbid his counterpart.

“Four thousand dollars”

“Ten thousand dollars”

“Twenty”

“Thirty”

Isabelle shut her ears to keep out the shame with tears sliding down her cheeks.She was going to end up with one of these men.Men that were twice older than her father.Disgust ripped through her.

“Thirty? Did I hear fifty?” the auctioneer urged.The haggling continued.

Not until,a voice said—

“One hundred thousand dollars!”

Silence ensued throughout the room.The men were whispering now.It seemed as though no one could outbid that amount.

Most of the men turned to trace who the voice belonged to.

Isabelle couldn't help but look up to see who she now belonged to.

Her eyes stopped to examine the man who had just bought her for a hundred thousand dollars.He was just as she had expected,twice as old as her father.The aura around him was unmistakable.

“It’s Don Domenico Lombardi,” one whispered.

“You dare not bid again,” another muttered.

“Going? Going?” the auctioneer asked looking around to know if there was going to be an out bid.Noticing there wasn't going to be any,he yelled out—

“Sold!” 

And the gavel echoed loud across the room.

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DISCLAIMER

Dearest readers,if you're reading this book and you're expecting an all sweet romance…then I’m sorry but you wouldn't be getting that.

It's about to be a wild ride with Alessandro and Isabelle,and if you don't grip your chairs tightly,you might end up falling off the ride.

The male lead will do things that will annoy you and mess your head up. Do make sure you can handle it before you go any further.

Remember it's a dark romance.

You've been warned!

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CONTENT WARNING

This book is intended for mature readers and contains scenes of graphic violence as well as those of a sexual nature.

Triggers include physical violence,sexual violence,emotional abuse,self harm and is strongly rated 18+.

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DEDICATION

To all the females in love with the fictional men in dark romance...remember to run when they are real.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE

I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please do leave your comments and reviews.

Alright.

Tighten your seatbelts because it's about to be a wild ride.

Xoxo,

Betty Kris.