I WAS SOLD TO THE UNDERWORLD KING

CHAPTER THREE

The moment I was brought into the room, it felt colder. It wasn't just the air; it was how everything changed around me. The space seemed huge, bigger than anything I'd seen since being captured, yet it felt smaller, like I couldn't breathe. It was as if all the attention in the room was so strong it left no space for me.

They stopped me right in the middle.

The light above was blinding, shining straight down on me. It was harsh and left no dark corners to hide in. Every little move I made felt open for everyone to see, every way I shifted my weight was visible from all sides.

I didn't need to look up to know I was being watched. I could feel it.

Still, I slowly lifted my head.

Every seat was taken.

Men sat in rows, some relaxed, leaning back, others leaning forward with their hands together, all their eyes focused on me. A few watched with simple interest, while others looked with something sharper, something that stayed on me for too long.

No one looked away.

I stood where they put me, my arms held straight at my sides. My body tried to stay still under the weight of their watching eyes. My heart was already beating fast, each beat louder than the last, my breathing shaky no matter how hard I tried to control it.

A voice broke the quiet.

"Turn him."

Hands grabbed my arm and shoulder, forcing me to move before I could do anything. I fought for a second, my muscles tensing, but the pressure increased just enough to remind me how little power I had.

I turned.

"Good," another voice said, sounding thoughtful, like he was looking at something valuable. "He'll hold."

A soft sound of voices spread through the room.

I swallowed, my throat dry. I lowered my gaze again, trying to focus on something steady. The floor beneath me was shiny and smooth, reflecting the light so much that it was hard to look at for long.

They started talking more freely.

"At least he looks clean," someone said.

"Not bad," another added. "He'll last longer than the others."

A quiet laugh followed.

"Depends on who takes him."

Those words felt heavy.

I lifted my eyes a little, just enough to see their faces without looking right at them. Some talked like they were discussing everyday things, something without real importance. Others watched quietly, their focus more direct, more planned.

Those were the ones I tried to ignore.

There was something in the way they looked at me that made my stomach clench.

"He'll make a good pet," a man near the front said, his voice calm and sure. "If trained right."

The word hung in the air for longer than it should have.

*Pet.*

My hands tightened into fists at my sides before I could stop them.

Another voice answered, amused. "You always say that."

"And I'm usually right."

A few quiet laughs came again.

The sound made something inside me twist sharply. I forced myself to stay still, to keep my face calm even though my body was showing signs I couldn't completely hide.

"Start," someone called out.

The bidding began.

"Five million."

"Ten million."

"Fifteen."

"Twenty million."

The numbers came fast, one after another. Each voice was calm and steady, as if they were talking about something normal. No waiting. No second thoughts.

"Twenty-five."

"Thirty."

"Thirty-five million."

The speed stayed the same, the voices firm. I tried not to listen, but the sound filled the room, leaving no place to get away from it. Every number made something inside me tighten, pulling me deeper into a reality I couldn't ignore.

"Forty."

"Forty-five."

"Fifty million."

A soft murmur followed that one, a few men shifting in their seats, their attention becoming sharper.

"Fifty-five."

"Sixty."

"Sixty-five million."

My breathing became uneven again.

I could feel sweat forming on my back, my hands trembling slightly as I tried to keep them still. My mind struggled to stay focused, thoughts flying by too fast to hold onto.

A man on the left leaned forward a bit. "Raise him."

The hands holding me moved, tilting my chin up.

"Look at that," he said, his voice thoughtful. "He's trying to stay calm."

Another voice answered from the right. "They all do."

A quiet moment followed.

"Until they don't."

The bidding went on.

"Seventy million."

"Seventy-five."

"Eighty."

The numbers kept going up, the pace becoming tighter as fewer voices were heard.

My control slipped for a second.

A thought came quickly and sharply.

*I might break right here.*

*Something inside me might give up in front of all of them, leaving nothing left of me.*

I pushed the thought away.

I straightened up a little, taking a breath that didn't feel steady but was enough to keep me standing.

"Eighty-five million."

"Eighty-eight."

"Ninety."

The room became a little quieter after that. The tension shifted as the number reached a point that made even them pause.

Then something changed.

The change wasn't loud.

It didn't come with a sudden noise or shouting. It happened quietly, but everyone in the room felt it at once.

The voices softened.

Then stopped.

I felt it before I understood it.

Something was different.

I lifted my head, my eyes moving towards the entrance.

He walked in, not rushing.

There was no announcement, no signal for his arrival, yet the whole room changed because of it. The men who had been talking moments ago fell silent, their attention shifting without hesitation.

He didn't look at them.

He walked forward with steady steps, his presence calm and controlled in a way that didn't need effort.

He stopped.

His gaze moved once.

It landed on me.

The effect was instant.

The bidding started again.

But it had changed.

"Ninety-two million."

"Ninety-five."

"Ninety-seven."

The numbers rose quickly now, almost hurried, as if the room knew something had changed beyond their control.

"Ninety-eight million."

A pause followed.

No one spoke right away.

The silence lasted.

Then—

"One hundred million."

His voice carried clearly across the room.

It wasn't loud.

It didn't need to be.

The number settled heavily, final, leaving no room for argument.

No one spoke.

No one tried to bid higher.

A man near the front let out a quiet breath, leaning back in his seat. Another shook his head, almost smiling.

"Of course," someone mumbled quietly.

The decision was already made.

I felt the hands on me shift again, pulling me back, guiding me away from the center. My legs moved without fighting, my body following before my thoughts could fully catch up.

The light grew dimmer as I was led away from its direct shine.

The room faded behind me, the voices disappearing into silence as the distance grew between me and the place where everything had just been decided.

I didn't look back.

I couldn't.

As they led me towards the exit, one truth became very clear in my mind, heavier than everything else.

The most powerful man in the room had just bought me for one hundred million dollars.