Chapter Two
1406 Words
Days blurred into nights, each creak of the door sending a fresh jolt of fear through Alessia. She lost track of time, her world confined to the cold room. Every sunrise held the unspoken terror of being chosen, dragged off to the unknown fate whispered about in hushed tones – the auction.
She knew exactly what the auction was, she had heard rumors but no one dared speak of it aloud.Powerful men from all over the country came to buy women and do whatever they pleased with them. The women stopped having lifes and became properties.
Alessia heard talks about a lot of powerful men that participated in it but two names stood out. Lorenzo Russo and Gabrirl Moretti; the leaders of the two biggest mafia rings in Italy, they were the ultimate predators and despite her desperate attempts to stay clear of their world, now found herself trapped in their web.
The door opened, snapping her back to reality. The man who had tried to force himself on her stood at the entrance, his face contorted with hate, barked the words she dreaded, "Get up. It is time."
Fear washed over her as she shakily stood to her feet. She followed a silent procession of girls, each face a mask of despair, into a vast hall filled with clothes.
In the center stood Viper, his expression unreadable. His voice, devoid of emotion, echoed through the room, "You all know why you are here." His gaze swept over the crowd, lingering on Alessia for a heartbeat longer. "The auction starts in two hours. Behave. Any escape attempts and you'll be killed. Marie will prepare you and tell you what to do.”
A woman with eyes like chips of ice materialized beside him. Her voice, sharp and devoid of warmth, commanded, "Single line." Girls scrambled to obey, fear herding them like cattle. Marie walked down the line surveying them one after the other and when reached Alessia, she stopped, her cold gaze dissecting Alessia's every feature. "Where did you find this one?" she questioned Viper.
"Quite beautiful, isn't she?" Viper chuckled, a sound devoid of humor.
"She will be the star of the show," Marie declared, her eyes boring into Alessia's soul, stealing her breath. "I will take over from here." With one last look at her, Viper vanished, leaving Alessia alone with Marie's chilling gaze.
The transformation wasn't gentle. Marie's hands were rough and efficient, stripping her of individuality layer by layer. Clothes molded to her like a second skin, highlighting every unwanted curve. Makeup painted a mask of allure, masking the fear on her face.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she barely recognized the beautiful stranger staring back at her . But the fear remained. Each beat echoed the impending doom, the terror of becoming a possession, a plaything for men she couldn't even see.
The hall buzzed with anticipation as the bidding began. Powerful men, faces hidden behind masks, voices booming with authority, bartered over the future of the women who went in front of her.
She watched, numb and detached, as girls were paraded onto the stage one by one, their masked bids echoing like hammer blows against her already fractured spirit. Then, a hush fell. Her name, spoken with practiced indifference, hung heavy in the air. She stepped onto the stage, the spotlight searing into her skin. Masked faces turned as one, their gazes stripping her bare despite the physical distance. Fear turned her legs to lead, cold sweat tracing icy lines down her back.
Marie began the bidding, her voice smooth as silk over steel. Numbers flew back and forth.
“One million.”
“Ten million.”
“25 million.”
“50 million…. Going once… Going twice.”
Alessia winced. She could hear the excitement in Marie’s voice. The highest bid they had gotten all night was ten million yet here were men offering five times that.
Suddenly, a voice from the back shattered the cacophony. "500 million!" The audacity of the bid silenced the room. All eyes turned to the man who had a cruel smile on his face as he took off his mask.
Recognition punched Alessia in the gut – there was no mistaking Lorenzo Russo, the most feared man in Italy.
Marie, unfazed, continued the charade. "500 million going once, going twice…" But Alessia heard nothing beyond the deafening echo of "sold."
Her world imploded, the shattering sound of her whispered "no" swallowed by the applause.
A pair of cold hands gripped her arms, dragging her off the stage. Reality slammed into her with the force of a tidal wave – her life, as she knew it, was over.
That was her last thought before she fainted.
She blinked into focus, disoriented. Panic clawed at her throat as she realized she was in a dark, unfamiliar room. A voice, rough and thick with an Italian accent, sliced through the silence. "So, you're finally awake."
Alessia froze, memories flooding back in a sickening wave. The auction, the chilling price tag, Lorenzo Russo. She whipped her head around to find him in the corner eying her.
His eyes, cold and calculating, bored into hers. Age had etched lines on his face, making it look sulkin and unattractive. His gray hair looked greasy, framing a protruding stomach that pushed against his silk robe. Every instinct screamed at her to look away, but she couldn't tear her gaze from the man who now owned her life.
"I paid a king's ransom for you," his voice rumbled, the heavy accent making every word sound threatening. "So, let me make one thing perfectly clear. You belong to me now. You are my property, and I will do with you as I please. f**k you whenever I please."
The threat hung in the air, thick and suffocating. She swallowed hard, bile rising in her throat. The meager dinner from days ago threatened to make an unwelcome return. Fear clenched her stomach.
He was old, the hair on his chest adding to the unappeal. Yet, there was something undeniably predatory about him, something that made her skin crawl.
"Try to run," he continued, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper, "and I'll end you before you reach the door. Misbehave and the consequences will be the same. Capisce?"
He stood, taking a step towards her making her scramble back against the wall, the stone cold against her skin.
"You are mine," he declared, his voice laced with possessiveness. "And when I say mine, I mean it. No other man will touch you. Disobey, and I will kill you both. Do you understand?"
A single tear escaped, tracing a cold path down her cheek. She could only nod, fear rendering her voice useless. She wanted to scream, to fight, to run, but all she could manage was a silent plea for escape. The thought of submitting to him, of being at his mercy, turned her stomach inside out. The thought that this man who made her skin crawl would touch her made her want puke.
“Take off your clothes and spread your legs.”
Everything in Alessia stilled. Finally finding her voice, she whispered, “What?”
“Per cosa pensi di vedere qui?”
(What do you think you are here for?)
She gulped the tears flowing more freely now, “Please… Please.. Don’t do this to me. I have never. Please.”
His eyes darkened as he took another step towards her, “You are mine Ragazza. I f**k you when I want. Now take off your clothes. I will only ask again once.”
With shaky legs, she rose to her feet. Slowly she slipped off the dress, the fabric falling to the floor, forming a puddle at her feet.
Her hands went behind her back to unclasp the bra when a deep voice sounded behind the door.
“Signor Russo, c'è qualcuno che vuole vederla."
(Master Russo, there is someone here to see you.”)
“Who dare interrupt me when—“
The words stopped flowing from Lorenzo’s lips when a tall man stepped inside.
His eyes went from Lorenzo to Alessia and she held back her gasp. He had to be the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
“Sebastian.” Lorenzo muttered gruffly.
His lips curved up in a small smile, “Is that how you welcome your son, Father.”
- Writer
