Bought For His Vengeance

Chapter One (Amara POV) Sold. The gavel slammed, decisive and final, just like my life. The sound echoed in the room, louder than it should have been, like it was trying to settle into my chest… like it wanted me to understand that there was no going back from this. My eyes slowly rose to look at the man who had bought my life for the price of a necklace. A necklace. That was all I was worth. My breath hitched the moment I saw him. He was handsome… but not in a way that made me feel safe. There was something about him that made my chest tighten instead of relax. Something cold. Something unreadable. Dangerous. That was the word. And somehow… I knew it without him saying anything. I wanted to scream. I wanted to beg. I wanted to tell them they made a mistake, that I wasn’t supposed to be here, that this wasn’t right— But what use would it be? I already tried that. No one listened. No one ever did. (Flashback) “Sit,” my foster mother had said. My foster dad stood by the window, staring outside. That was never good. He only did that when something serious was about to happen… something I wouldn’t like. “We’ve done a lot for you,” my foster mom started. Her voice was calm. Too calm. “We took you in when no one else would. Fed you. Clothed you. Gave you a roof.” I nodded quickly. “I know… I’m grateful, I—” “Then show it.” I froze. The words hit harder than I expected. “I… I do,” I said quickly. “I help around the house, I don’t cause trouble—” “Well, it’s not enough.” The room suddenly felt smaller. Like the walls were closing in. She pushed a paper toward me. “Just sign a contract and we’ll call it even.” I frowned, my fingers twitching slightly. “What kind of contract?” My foster dad finally spoke, his voice low. “We’ve run into some troubles.” My chest tightened. “And all you need to do is say yes,” she added, like it was nothing. Like it was simple. My stomach twisted. “What kind of trouble?” She smiled slightly. “Let’s just say Isolde is going through a rough patch.” My heart dropped. Isolde. Their real daughter. Not me. “What if I say no?” I asked quietly. For a moment, no one answered. Then— She reached for something on the table. A small box. My breath caught instantly. “No…” She opened it. My mother’s bracelet. The only thing I had left of her. “Then your mother’s belongings bear the price.” My chest tightened painfully. “Please…” my voice came out softer than I wanted. “You can’t take that. That’s all I have.” “Then sign.” My hands started shaking. I didn’t understand what I was agreeing to. I didn’t know where I was going. But I knew one thing— I wasn’t being given a choice. So… I signed. (End of Flashback — Amara POV) I was brought back to reality by two men roughly dragging me until I stood in front of the man I now knew his name— Dante. Dante Moretti. Even thinking it made my chest tighten. His name brought fear to people lesser than… and more than that. Including me. I kept my eyes low, but I could feel it. His gaze. It moved slowly down my skin, like he was studying me… judging something I didn’t understand. God. I could feel a shiver run through me. I hated it. I hated how my body reacted to him without my permission. (Dante POV) I gripped her chin, forcing her to look at me. And for a second— I just stared. This was her. The girl I had been looking for. The one who thought she could hide. My jaw tightened slightly. Same face. Same eyes. Same everything. I didn’t hesitate. “Bring her,” I commanded. (Amara POV) I was hauled into a car that looked like it could buy my family… and still have money left. The door slammed behind me. The sound made me flinch. Everything felt too much. Too fast. Too real. The drive to wherever he was taking me was brutal. No one spoke. No one even looked at me. It was like I didn’t exist. Like I was just… something being transported. My head felt heavy. My body felt weak. And before I could even process anything— Sleep took over. I woke up slowly. Confused. Disoriented. I was laying in a bed. Soft. Too soft. The kind of bed that didn’t belong to people like me. For a second, I just stared at the ceiling, trying to remember where I was… what happened. Then it hit me. Everything. I sat up quickly, my heart starting to race. I rushed to the door and grabbed the handle. It turned. Unlocked. I froze. Was this my chance to escape? My heart started beating faster. I didn’t think. I just ran. Through the corridors. Barefoot. Not knowing where I was going. Not caring. I just needed to get away. Then suddenly— I bumped into something. Hard. Warm. A muscular chest. I gasped, stumbling back as I looked up— And froze. Brown eyes. Cold. Empty. Him. (Dante POV) “Where do you think you’re going?” She stuttered immediately. “N… n… nowhere.” I almost smiled. There was something about the way she looked at me— Fear. Real fear. Not fake. Not controlled. And for some reason… I found it interesting. I took a step forward. She took one back. Good. “Follow me,” I said. (Amara POV) I didn’t argue. I couldn’t. I followed him. Back to his room. Everything was black. Dark. Cold. Even the air felt different there. Heavy. I barely had time to look around when his voice cut through everything. “Strip.” My body froze instantly.