Sold to Mr Adrian

The road was dry and cracked beneath the donkey's hooves, dust rising in lazy with every turn of the cart's wheels. Adrian barely noticed. He never did. He sat with one arm braced against the window frame, eyes fixed on nothing in particular, like it owed him no attention and he owed it none back. Merchants shouted their wares as the cart rolled past the market square. Children ran barefoot between stalls. But he was less concerned of it all. He was three streets from home when the noise pulled his eyes to the left. A cluster of guards was pushing a line of girls toward the entrance of a squat stone building. Adrian had seen this before — everyone had. It wasn't rare. He looked away out of habit, not feeling. But something made him look back. The last girl in the line who had stopped walking. She was thin, her wrists too narrow, her eyes too wide against her sunken face. And she was resisting, as if her whole body understood something her voice couldn't say. She didn't want to move. Before she knew it, a slap landed on her cheek which made her staggared, she winced in pain but didn't let it show then she looked up — not at the guard, but past him, toward the road. Toward Adrian. And their eyes met instantly but guard shoved her forward aggressively, and she disappeared through the heavy door, and the moment was gone. Adrian sat back slowly. Still thinking about what he just saw he never ever show concerns about this but her eyes drew something. He didn't ask the driver to stop. He didn't ask who she was. But three streets later, he was still thinking about her eyes. When he got home he saw his butler standing by the door side waiting for his arrival and a few maids too. He got down from the cart dressed him self properly with his hands at the back and walked towards the door. Welcome mr Adrian the Butler said. He only nodded while pulling of his syit shirt while another maid hurried to drop his tea on the table for him. He paid no attention to what was happening. He went straight to his room, locked the door, and scribbled a short note to his friend Derick — asking him to find out everything he could about that building and the girls kept inside it. He called for a servant and ordered the note delivered at once. He had no idea what had gotten into him. But he knew he had to find out something