Chapter One
1385 Words
"Get in!"
One of the guards barked as he shoved a group of girls into the room.
A few stumbled, catching themselves before they hit the filthy concrete floor. They looked terrified—some no older than fourteen.
"Move, bitch."
Another guard roughly shoved a girl into the small cell I shared with three others.
She collapsed to her knees, her body trembling. Wide, frightened eyes darted around the room as she fought back tears.
The metal door slammed shut with a loud clang.
The sound of retreating footsteps echoed through the corridor before silence settled over us once again.
The new girl crawled into the far corner of the cell, wrapping her arms around her knees. Like every girl who arrived here, she wasn't ready to speak.
None of us blamed her.
My name is Andrea Valdez.
I'm a 21-year-old microbiology student... or at least I was before I was kidn*pped on my way to school.
I've been trapped in this nightmare for a week.
By now, my parents have probably stopped looking for me.
Not because they couldn't find me.
Because losing me probably doesn't matter to them.
It took only two days to understand how this place worke
d.
Girls came in.
Girls disappeared.
Some were dragged out kicking and screaming. Others walked out with empty eyes, as though the fight inside them had already died.
They were sold.
The youngest girl I'd seen couldn't have been older than fourteen.
The oldest was around twenty-eight.
The traffickers separated us into two groups.
The broken.
And the unfinished.
The broken were obedient. They had accepted whatever fate awaited them.
The unfinished... were girls like me.
Girls who still fought back.
Girls who still refused to become someone's pet.
Every day they tried to wear us down.
Every day I refused.
Not because I believed someone was coming to save me.
Because if I ever got the chance to escape...
I wanted to be strong enough to take it.
The screech of metal against metal pulled me from my thoughts.
The cell door opened just enough for four trays of food and bottles of water to be shoved inside before it slammed shut again.
I picked up a tray and began eating.
The others did the same.
Except the new girl.
She stared blankly at the food, untouched.
"You should eat," I said quietly.
She looked at me, startled.
"They won't poison us."
I forced myself to swallow another bite before continuing.
"If they wanted us dead, they wouldn't waste food on us."
For a long moment, she simply stared at me.
Then, with shaking hands, she picked up the tray.
It wasn't much.
But it was enough.
Enough to remind both of us that we were still alive.
---
The black SUV rolled through the rusted iron gates without slowing.
The guards straightened instantly.
No questions.
No inspections.
The gates opened as if they had been expecting him.
Max let out a low whistle as he glanced through the tinted window.
"I'll never get used to places like this."
Beside him, the man in the tailored charcoal suit didn't bother looking outside.
One leg crossed over the other, he calmly scrolled through the reports on his tablet, his expression unreadable.
"You're working?" Max asked incredulously. "At an underground auction?"
No response.
Max sighed dramatically.
"You know, most people come here to unwind."
The man finally looked up.
"I don't."
"Then why did you come?"
"Because you wouldn't stop talking."
A grin spread across Max's face.
"So you admit you came because of me."
"I admitted nothing."
The SUV came to a smooth stop.
A middle-aged man hurried toward the vehicle before the driver even opened the door.
"Mr. Volkov, Mr Wolfe" he greeted with a respectful bow. "It's an honor to have you both here."
Leon Volkov stepped out, adjusting the cuff of his suit.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Calm enough to make everyone around him nervous.
Power didn't need to be announced.
It simply followed him.
The auction manager smiled nervously.
"We've prepared the private viewing room."
Leon gave a single nod before walking inside.
Max fell into step beside him.
"You've seriously never bought anyone from one of these places?"
"No."
"Not even once?"
"No."
Max chuckled.
"I'll make a bet."
Leon didn't answer.
"By the end of tonight, you'll leave with someone."
"I don't collect people."
"We'll see."
The underground hall buzzed with quiet conversations.
Men in expensive suits raised glasses of whiskey while guards patrolled the room with rifles slung over their shoulders.
Behind reinforced bars, rows of girls sat silently, avoiding eye contact.
Most looked broken.
Some cried.
Others simply stared at the floor.
Leon barely spared them a glance.
Then—
"Go to hell."
The sharp female voice sliced through the room.
Heads turned.
A guard stood outside one of the cells, his face twisted with rage.
Inside, a young woman stood between him and another terrified girl.
"You've got quite a mouth," the guard growled.
She lifted her chin.
"And you've got quite an ugly face."
A few men laughed.
The guard unlocked the cell and grabbed her arm roughly.
"You think you're funny?"
She yanked her arm free.
"I think you're pathetic."
The slap echoed through the room.
She staggered but refused to fall.
Instead...
She looked him straight in the eye.
Not with fear.
With hatred.
Pure, unyielding hatred.
The room fell silent.
The guard raised his hand again.
"Enough."
One word.
Calm.
Quiet.
Yet every sound in the room disappeared.
Leon had spoken.
The guard froze immediately.
He lowered his hand and stepped back.
For the first time that evening, Leon's attention rested entirely on the young woman.
Even with a reddening mark on her cheek...
Even surrounded by armed men...
She refused to lower her gaze.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Beside him, Max followed his line of sight before smirking.
"Well..."
"You just lost your bet."
Leon didn't answer.
His eyes never left the girl behind the bars.
----
Andrea
Okay, you must be wondering, Has she gone crazy?
Far from it.
The girls were being prepped for the auction when one of the guards came in and tried to drag the new girl out of my cell.
I knew exactly what he wanted to do. Normally, it was forbidden, but virgins were in high demand, and the new girl wasn't one... which gave him a free pass.
But I wasn't about to stand by and let a young girl be r***d.
I know I should've minded my own business, but... I've never been good at listening to my own mind.
So here I was, my cheek stinging from a slap, while a guard glared at me with a look that promised I'd regret this later.
I was scared as f**k, but I wasn't about to let them see it.
As I braced myself for another hit...
A voice cut through the room.
"I'll take her."
I turned toward him.
Tall. Impossibly handsome. Hair the color of night, sterling-gray eyes that looked almost lifeless, and pale pink lips. Dressed in a charcoal suit, he radiated power, confidence... and something that warned me to stay the hell away.
Naturally, I ignored that feeling and met his gaze head-on.
For the briefest second, something flickered in his eyes before vanishing as though it had never been there.
Wait...
Who was he taking?
The man who had led him in—probably the manager—stepped closer.
"Sir... she isn't trained yet. Perhaps you could choose someone else," he said respectfully.
The stranger's gaze never left mine.
"No. Get it done. Have her at my estate within an hour."
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Or maybe not.
I could've sworn I caught the faintest hint of a smile.
"You heard him. Let's get this over with," another voice said, sounding far too cheerful for a place like this.
I looked at him.
He had come in with the other man.
He was handsome too, though in a completely different way. Long red hair tied into a ponytail, moss-green eyes, and a crisp dress shirt with dark trousers. He looked laid-back, but definitely not like someone you'd want to underestimate.
The two men walked away, and in that moment, I knew my fate had been sealed.
- Writer
