Sold To Mr. Billionaire

Five minutes. Five minutes was all it took for all hell to break loose. “You wretched bastard!” Mr. Price’s eyes were bloodshot. His blue-green orbs showed no compassion and instead, they mirrored a craving for blood and vengeance. The veins on his neck were so prominent, it looked like with just a bit more pressure they would pop out. He took a glass wine cup and smashed it on the floor, right next to where my father knelt. “You selfish, low-class disgrace!” “Sir, p-please…have mercy,” Father managed to say in between his tears. His hands were kept together above his head to further portray his pleading heart to the murderous man in front of him. “Did you show any mercy when you poisoned my grandfather!” Mr. Price screamed. He dragged his hair while he paced around the room. He reached for a cup and smashed it on the floor. My father shuddered and a small part of me feared that my father’s head would be next. “I…I p-promise… I have nothing to do with this,” Father cried My heart broke, cried and prayed for my father all at the same time. “Sir, your grandfather just woke up,” Cecelia, one of the maids of the mansion, informed with her head kept low and her voice timid. “I'll deal with you later,” Mr. Price growled, pointing a finger at Father. He turned his back on us and left the living area. A teardrop rolled down my cheek and I didn't realize that I had become a crying mess until I felt my mother's hand on my back. “Don’t cry, my love. Your father needs us to be strong right now.” Her words were supposed to comfort me but why did they only make me sob even louder? Mother embraced me in a hug as I cried on her shoulder. “Father would never hurt anybody,” I said through my sobs. “I know,” she cooed. “We will get through this.” Mother rubbed my back and cleaned the tears on my cheeks. I ran to my father's side and hugged him. Knowing how dejected he must have felt, I hugged him like this was the last day we had together like this would be the last time I would see him. “Jocelyn, your father isn’t a killer.” Father’s voice was low and distant. I took his hand and faced him. “I know, you are a good man.” We both cried asking ourselves why fate decided to play a cruel game on us. The sounds of calculated footsteps jolted us from our self-pity. Mr. Price was back and this time he looked rather dejected than his violent self a few minutes back. He rolled his sleeves up to show his chiseled arms and folded them. Mr. Price cleared his throat and proceeded, “I will spare you on one condition.” Father and I looked at each other. His chestnut brown eyes screamed relief with a tinge of fear dancing around his orbs. He gently turned his eyes away from me and faced Mr. Price. “Sir, anything.” “I want your daughter,” He announced, his face expressionless. Mother’s scream stopped Mr. Price from continuing any further. Her resolve broke and she began to cry uncontrollably. “Please Mr. Price, not her,” she begged on her knees. “This matter does not concern you.” Mr. Price gave a curt reply. Father remained silent. He just stared pointedly at the floor like it held all the answers. Was he contemplating selling me off for his freedom? My eyes met with those of the one who had suddenly become the judge of my fate. His eyes held a mix of blue and green hues. They could be likened to an ocean during a raging storm, beautiful yet an epitome of sheer danger. Why would someone like Mr. Price want someone like me? What was his game and what would he do to me? The fear in my heart had been replaced with a painful curiosity. I began to study the man before me, hoping that I could find some answers hidden somewhere in his body language. His face was sculpted to perfection almost like it had been chiseled by a high-profile artist. His lips were pulled into a thin fine line. The stoic mask he wore on his features made me wonder if this was the look he used while finalizing all business transactions. Is that what I had become? A business transaction? “You aren’t ready to speak?” Mr. Price asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence as well as interrupting my thorough examination of the enigma that was Mr. Price. “Sir please, she is my only child. I-I mean isn't there another way?” Father begged. “Well, you should have thought about that before poisoning my only living family!” Mr. Price shouted, his voice bouncing off the walls. “Listen here, there are only two options. Option one, I have you sent to jail, and considering the connections I have, I am willing to pull a string or two to have you spend the rest of your worthless life in jail.” He flicked his fingers. He began to pace around as he spoke, “Let's see, we can have you arrested for attempted murder, hmmm, fraud, that's a good one, and yes, theft…the list goes on and on really.” Anger boiled down my throat as I clenched my fists behind me. “Or option two, you give me your daughter and we never have to see each other again,” He said, his voice gruff and his lips forming into a deep scowl. “I…I can't. I'm sorry. I can't ruin her life,” Father finally said falling to the floor, sobbing. Poor father was righteous even until the very end. I look at Mother and she looked just as helpless as Father did. We were screwed. “Have it your way then,” Mr. Price spat. “Sebastian! Atlas! Scott! Take this filth out of my sight!” He growled and in response three buff men ran into the living room with matching black suits and dark shades. They beelined their way to my father and picked him up as if he were nothing but a worthless rag. With tear-streaked eyes, Mother began to scream. “Please you can't do this.” “He did nothing wrong,” she screamed again when no one listened to her. I had my heart stuck in my throat as I watched the chaos unfold in front of me. My mother was nothing short of maniacal, screaming and shouting like a mad woman and my father was a sad hopeless victim, who could do nothing but needlessly beg as he was carried away. My ears rang from the pain my heart failed to carry and my head ached with an intensity of a million bee stings. My eyes met with those of Mr. Price once more as I shouted, “Wait!”