Caged By A Billionaire

--- 📖 CAGED BY THE BILLIONAIRE Episode 1 – The Auction Night The red velvet curtains parted, and the spotlight snapped on. Amelia blinked against the glare, her heartbeat thundering in her ears as the auctioneer’s voice boomed over the crowd. “Lot Twenty-Five. Unblemished. Untouched.” Gasps and murmurs rippled through the sea of tuxedos and diamond-drenched women below. Men raised glasses of aged scotch, eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. Bidding paddles slid into gloved hands. Amelia stood barefoot, trembling in a satin slip that barely clung to her frame. Every instinct screamed for her to run, but her knees locked. Her wrists, once bound, still ached. She was only nineteen. How did it come to this? She remembered the alley. The promise of a waitress job. The man with a smile too smooth to be trusted. After that — darkness. Then pain. Then this stage. Her body might have been here, but her soul had curled inward, hiding. "Ten thousand dollars!" someone shouted. "Twenty. "Thirty-five. The numbers flew like arrows. Amelia could barely process them. Each price felt like a slap — a label on her body. A tag on her worth. Tears blurred her vision. Then, a voice cut through the chaos. “Five hundred thousand.” Silence. The room stilled. Heads turned. Amelia looked up. From the shadows of the back row, a man stepped forward. He didn’t wear a flashy suit or a smug grin. His tailored black coat whispered wealth without arrogance. His face was hard, chiseled — jaw tight, lips in a grim line, eyes… unreadable. Midnight eyes. The auctioneer stammered. “F-Five hundred thousand from—?” “Lucien Cross,” he said simply. Gasps again. Louder this time. Everyone knew the name. Billionaire. Elusive. Dangerous. He didn’t attend events like this. He didn’t bid. He didn’t care. And yet here he was. Bidding on her. “Going once!” the auctioneer barked, trying to regain control. “Going twice—” “Six hundred!” another bidder barked, a bloated man with rings on every finger. Lucien’s gaze flicked to him. No expression. Just a slow shake of the head. "One million," Lucien said quietly. Dead silence. The man sat down. The gavel dropped. “Sold!” The curtains closed. Amelia collapsed. — When she woke, the world smelled of leather and spice. Her head lay against a pillow too soft to be real. Her wrists were unbound, her satin slip replaced with a silk robe. She blinked into the dim light. And then she saw him. Lucien Cross. Sitting in a dark armchair near the fireplace, watching her. “Where am I?” she croaked. “My penthouse.” Her heart thudded. “Why… why did you buy me?” He didn’t speak immediately. Then: “Because I don’t let monsters win.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Are you one of them?” He stood, walking slowly toward her. He didn’t touch her. He simply crouched to eye level, his voice barely above a whisper. “If I was,” he said, “you wouldn’t be covered.” Amelia’s bottom lip trembled. “Then what do you want from me?” He rose to full height, looking down at her. “I want to keep you safe,” he said. She didn’t believe in safety anymore. But something in his voice made her want to. ---