The Billionaire's Redeemed Girl

CHAPTER TWO

The day after their arrival, Diya barely slept. Her mind replayed the faces of her parents back home, the small kitchen where her mother made tea every morning, the quiet lane in their neighborhood. All of it felt impossibly far away now.

The girls were woken at dawn, Srijana’s guards pounding on the metal doors.

“Get up!” one barked. “Wash yourselves and dress up. You will meet customers tonight.”

Diya felt a shiver crawl up her spine. Customers. The word made her stomach clench.

As the girls moved through the corridor, Diya reached for Roshni’s hand.

“Roshni,” she whispered, “what do we do? We have to run.”

Roshni’s eyes darted nervously around. “Where will we run, Diya? Did you see those men outside? They’ll kill us.”

“I can’t let them…” Diya’s voice trembled. “I can’t let them touch me.”

“I know,” Roshni said, voice breaking. “I know. Just… let’s survive tonight first.”

They were herded into a smelly washroom, where buckets of cold water were lined up. Srijana stood near the doorway, arms folded across her chest, surveying them like cattle.

“Scrub well,” she ordered. “Men pay good money for beauty. Don’t waste it.”

Diya lowered her gaze, rage boiling in her chest. She had never hated anyone like she hated this woman.

Hours later, they were led into a courtyard with low lanterns swinging in the breeze. Other girls stood lined up in cheap dresses and glittering jewelry, their faces painted to hide their fear.

Srijana clapped her hands. “Smile, all of you!”

No one smiled.

Men began arriving, loud, half-drunk, stinking of tobacco and sweat. Their eyes roamed over the girls like wolves choosing prey. Roshni shrank back behind Diya, praying no one would look at her.

Panic rippled through the girls. Diya felt Roshni’s hand grab hers, cold and sweaty.

“Diya, what do we do?” Roshni whispered.

“Just hold on,” Diya replied, though she had no idea how to save either of them.

A group of drunken men spilled through the gate, laughing, staggering, their eyes hungry. They began picking girls as though selecting animals at a market.

Diya’s stomach turned.

She saw one of the men pointing at Roshni.

“No,” she gasped, but Roshni was already being dragged off by them.

“Diya!” Roshni cried, reaching for her.

Diya tried to run after, but two of the men caught her by the arms and held her still.

“Well, Srijana, who’s new today?” A young man asked. “You know for the birthday boy” He laughed. He was with other men who were dragging a very drunken handsome man with them.

Srijana turned, smiling. “A special group just arrived yesterday. You should see this one.”

They dragged the tall man in, clearly drunk, his shirt unbuttoned halfway. His hair was neat despite his condition, and there was something heartbreakingly handsome about his sad eyes.

Jared.

He barely glanced around before dropping onto a nearby chair. “Bring me…more whiskey…please” He could barely speak properly.

Srijana’s eyes glittered with interest. “I have someone you might like.”

Diya’s heart sank.

“No,” she whispered to herself. “No, please, no.”

A guard yanked her forward.

“This one,” Srijana announced proudly. “Fresh. Untouched.”

Jared looked up blearily, squinting. “Layla?”

Diya froze. Layla? Who was Layla?

“Please,” she whispered to Srijana, “I can’t…”

Srijana leaned close, her perfume sickly sweet. “If you do not please him, you will not eat tomorrow. Understand?”

Diya swallowed hard, the room spinning. She was shoved toward Jared, who stood unsteadily and reached out a hand, brushing her hair from her face.

“Layla,” he murmured again, voice thick with sorrow. “Why did you leave me?”

Diya could smell the alcohol on his breath. Her body went rigid.

Jared pulled her closer, still confusing her for someone else.

“Why did you leave me, Layla?” He said with a teary voice.

Diya’s lips trembled. “I…I’m not…”

He didn’t listen.

“Stay with me this time,” Jared said, clutching her wrist tightly. “Don’t go. Stay. Please, I'll protect please.”

His eyes, dark and lost, made her shiver. For a second, she felt a strange pity for this broken man. But then terror took over.

Jared’s friends pulled them both roughly toward one of the private rooms. Diya struggled, trying to dig her heels into the ground, but the guard behind her gave a hard push.

The door slammed shut.

Her heart beat so wildly she thought it might burst.

Jared turned and looked at her with an empty, haunted gaze.

“Layla…” he whispered, before reaching for her again.

Diya knew this night would destroy her, but she had no escape. No hope.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Please, she prayed silently, let this end quickly.