Lahat ng Kabanata ng Switched at the Mafia Auction: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

~ Avelyn ~The mornings no longer startled me.At first, waking up before dawn felt like being yanked out of the grave, my bones stiff, my muscles screaming as though I’d fought a war in my sleep. But after a week of Ms. Freda’s merciless training, my body had started to anticipate it. My eyes opened when the shadows still clung to the corners of my room, and my feet carried me, sluggish but obedient, to that mirrored torture chamber before I had the chance to rebel.It wasn’t easier, not at all, every stretch still pulled at places I didn’t even know could ache, and every time I wrapped myself around the pole, I felt like a tangled puppet seconds from collapse but my body didn’t resist as violently anymore. I still left the room limping like a wounded soldier, but I made it out. That was progress, wasn’t it?And somehow… I wasn’t crumbling inside like before.Kyle’s voice had something to do with it.Every night, once the halls fell quiet and the walls stopped pressing in on me, I cu

~ Avelyn ~I woke up before the maids could rustle me awake. My eyes snapped open to the gray light bleeding through the curtains, but it wasn’t rest that pulled me out of sleep — it was guilt. Heavy, suffocating guilt that pressed on my chest like a stone. Ariana’s name carved itself into my brain the moment my lashes fluttered.She’d stood by me through everything, through the humiliation in the Elvans’ house, through the whispers, through every scar I carried. And what did I do in return? I locked her out. Blocked her number. Pretended she didn’t exist because I was too much of a coward to tell her where I’d ended up. Her family was wealthy, knowing Ariana she’d try to help me. But she was no match for Xander. I never wanted the people I care about to get involved in this mess, my mess of a life. If Kyle didn’t mysteriously show up here, I would never had told him, no matter how tempted I was, it was simply too cruel to burden someone else with this. So I decided to let her think

~ Avelyn ~The door slammed behind me, hard enough to rattle the frame. My lungs were already tight, my throat closing in. The second I was inside my room, I didn’t even think — I just sprinted straight for the bathroom.The shower came alive with a violent twist of my wrist, water hissing against the tiles like a thousand whispers mocking me. I ripped the sports bra over my head, tugged at the rest of my clothes like they were shackles I needed to escape, and stumbled under the spray before it even warmed.I scrubbed. Hard.The sponge tore at my skin, dragging over every inch with soap that foamed too quickly, slipping through my fingers like it couldn’t keep up with my desperation. His cologne clung to me. I could still smell that woodsy, rich, suffocating scent, it was like smoke I couldn’t breathe out of my lungs. I raked at my arms until they stung, my chest until it burned red. My own nails left angry streaks.But it wasn’t enough.Because it wasn’t on my skin.It was inside me.

~ Avelyn ~The maid led me out into the garden, dew still clinging to the roses, their petals heavy in the faint evening light. It should’ve been beautiful like manicured hedges carved into perfection, the scent of lavender drifting like a lullaby but all I could think of was how this place wasn’t paradise. It was a cage dressed in silk.And in the center of it, he sat.Xander was lounging at a wrought-iron table, sleeves rolled carelessly to his forearms, collar open, a glass of wine in one hand and files spread before him. He didn’t look like a man burdened by empire. He looked like a man born to command one. His presence burned through the fresh air, made it heavy, made me want to shrink into the shadows.But I didn’t. I stood there, stiff, bracing myself.His gaze lifted lazily from the page to me. Slowly and deliberately, his eyes traced down my messy bun, sweat-soaked training clothes clinging to my skin, down to my sneakers dusted with dirt. His lip curved the way it always did

~ Avelyn ~The music hit first.A slow, decadent rhythm, heavy on bass, like a heartbeat amplified and stretched into something sultry. Then the lights followed, a beams of violet sweeping across the stage, striking the polished floor beneath my bare feet. It gleamed like glass, slick and dangerous, every step a reflection waiting to betray me.I forced myself to breathe. My emerald dress clung to my skin, the slit scandalously high and the fabric shimmering beneath the lights. The audience’s roar melted into a low hum in my ears. I could feel their eyes on me, greedy, expectant, daring me to give them more.So I did.I stepped into the center of the spotlight, letting the beat guide the sway of my hips. My hand skimmed down the slit of my dress, brushing my thigh as if I were teasing myself for their benefit. A wave of whistles cut through the room. Somewhere in the blur, champagne glasses froze midair, conversations stilled.The bass deepened. I twirled slowly, letting the silk flar