Lahat ng Kabanata ng After the Don Bought Me for Five Dollars, He Went Mad With Regret: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 9

I knew he was humiliating me.In the old days, he never gave me a gift worth less than a million dollars. Even a handkerchief had to be the finest.Now he was using this to remind me of the price of betraying him.I stood under the spotlight, looking at the man I'd once loved most, and at that glaring number in his hand.Bianca turned to the crowd. "What, no one's raising the bid? Do you think she isn't worth it?""Don't worry, everyone. She's disloyal, sure, but it's only for one night. Use her and toss her."At her words, the men who'd been itching to bid raised their paddles at once."Three dollars!""Four dollars!""Four dollars and five cents!"At that, Bianca burst out laughing. "Mr. Harlow, you're being awfully cheap."The man called Mr. Harlow looked at me with disdain. "Everyone's bidding this low. If I went higher, I'd just be overpaying."Bianca laughed. "Then how about you let me have her? My budget for her is only five dollars.""Though I've no interest in women. Once I wi

At my words, Lucian frowned too, clearly displeased.But before he could speak, Bianca had already burst out laughing."Ten thousand? Aria, who do you take me for!"I smiled, satisfied, took the bottle, filled Bianca's glass first, then stepped in front of Lucian.His glass sat on the table, his fingertips resting against it. He never looked up."Don Castellano. Miss Ferraro."I lowered my eyes, my voice as calm as if I were reciting some meaningless line."To the two of you. May your true love win in the end.""Never to part."Lucian didn't drink. He poured the wine straight onto the floor. "A traitor's blessing. It makes me sick."But Bianca laughed, clearly delighted by the words, and threw a card straight in my face."Take it. The PIN is my birthday."She took another big gulp of wine and melted against Lucian's chest, her voice thick with barely hidden boasting."Lucian set them himself, you know. Every card, every PIN, they're all my birthday."I paid her no mind. The money was m

"What are you saying?" Lucian frowned, thoroughly lost."You know what hurt most after I was sold to that farm? It wasn't how many beatings I took. It was the day the people who used to serve me, the maids, the old gardener who watered the flowers, got thrown in there too, like dogs!""That was when I learned they'd been dragged down because of me. And yet they didn't blame me. One of the maids, seeing me covered in filth, wiped the mud from my face and called me Miss Bennett."At the memory my tears wouldn't stop, and my voice shook badly.My mind flew back to when I first came to the Castellano family.That year, Lucian wasn't the Don yet. He was only the future heir, and I was just an ordinary rich girl.We fell in love at first sight at a party. Later my father died, my family fell into ruin, and he brought me home to the family.At first I was lost in grief, weighed down by it all day long.It was Lucian who stayed with me every day.When the weather was good, he'd pull me outside

Third Person POVThe first thing Lucian did after returning from the hospital was look for Aria.When he learned she'd left right then and there, he furiously hauled a guard over. "Why didn't you stop her!"The guard, scared half to death, stammered, "We... we were only focused on you at the time..."Lucian muttered "useless" under his breath and tugged at the bandage on his shoulder."You have one day to find her."The guard took the order and left. Then Lucian spoke again. "Wait. Where's Bianca?"They answered at once, eager to make up for letting Aria slip away."We've already locked her in the punishment cell. Don't worry, D—"Before he could finish, Lucian yanked out the IV and strode toward the punishment cell.Before he even reached it, he heard the heart-wrenching sobs from inside."Let me out... I'm begging you... let me out.""Here, you unlock this for me and I'll pay you! A lot of money! And if that's not enough, I'll sleep with you!"The moment she said it, the guard she'd