sold to the devil

CHAPTER 5

Amanda’s POV

The car ride dragged like it was never going to end. I sat stiff in the back seat, pressed against the corner as if the leather could swallow me whole. My wrists still throbbed where the guards had grabbed me too tightly at the auction.

Damon sat across from me, quiet, calm, like the silence belonged to him. His presence filled the car even though he wasn’t doing anything. He didn’t look at me, didn’t say a word. He stared out the window, his jaw sharp in the dim light.

I tried not to look at him, but I couldn’t help it. The man who bought me. My new owner. The word itself made me sick. Owner. How had I ended up here?

I thought of my father’s face when he said I’d be sold. His eyes had been cold, like he’d already buried me. And Linda’s smirk, Georgina’s slap, Correy’s silence. They had stripped me of everything before Damon even lifted his hand to claim me.

I wanted to ask him questions. Why me? Why did he buy me? What did he want? But the words wouldn’t leave my throat. Something about him told me asking would only make things worse.

So I kept my head down and watched the blurred world pass outside the tinted glass.

When the car slowed, my chest tightened. My stomach churned. The door opened, and the night air rushed in, cold against my skin.

The guards pushed me out. My heels clicked against the stone, too loud in the silence. And then I saw it—the house.

No, not a house. A fortress. Tall walls. Heavy gates. Cameras that blinked like eyes in the dark.

I froze, but one of the guards nudged me forward. “Walk.”

Damon walked ahead, his steps steady, never turning back. I followed, each step pulling me further into the life I hadn’t chosen.

Inside, the air was colder. Cleaner. The kind of silence that pressed on your ears. The floors were marble, the walls dark, the furniture arranged so neatly it looked untouched. No warmth. No life.

Damon finally stopped at the base of a staircase. His voice was low but firm when he spoke. “ This house has rules," he said. "You'll learn them. Break them, then you'll regret it."

I swallowed hard but stayed quiet.

"One more thing," he added stepping close but not too close. "You do not touch me. Ever. Understand?"

My brows furrowed,but i nodded.

He called for a maid. A woman dressed in black appeared instantly.

"Take her to the guest room," he odered.

I followed her without looking back. My steps were stiff, heavy.

The stairs creaked faintly under my feet. My heartbeat echoed louder than my steps. She led me down a hall lined with closed doors until he stopped at one. She opened it and gestured inside.

“This is where you’ll stay.”

I stepped in, hesitant. It was a bedroom. Too big, too clean, too perfect. A bed, a dresser, curtains drawn tightly shut.

It wasn’t a prison cell. But it felt like one.

I turned, my voice breaking free before I could stop it. “What do he want from me?”

Her eyes locked with mine.

"just obey the master's order." she said as she turn to leave.

I stood still for a long time, staring at the door. My chest rose and fell too fast. My hands shook, but I clenched them tight.

The word spun in my head. My father had demanded it. Georgina had demanded it. Even Correy, with his lies, had expected it. And now Damon.

No matter where I turned, obedience was the only currency anyone wanted from me.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my body tight, my mind racing.

Time passed, but I didn’t know how much. Minutes? Hours? The silence made it impossible to tell. I just sat there, hugging myself, staring at the neat sheets.

At some point, I lay back, my head sinking into the pillow. My eyes stared at the ceiling until they blurred. Exhaustion finally dragged me under.

But sleep wasn’t kind.

Faces haunted me. My father, not meeting my eyes. Linda laughing as she handed me the drink. Correy leaning toward her, whispering, choosing her over me. Georgina’s hand striking me again and again.

I tossed in the sheets, sweating, mumbling, trapped in the nightmare.

When I finally woke, my chest was tight. My breath caught in my throat before I even knew why.

The room was dark. The curtains still closed. The door still shut. But something was wrong.

The air felt different.

I pushed myself up slowly, my eyes straining. That’s when I saw it.

A shadow. By the window.

I froze. My heart slammed in my chest.

The shape moved slightly, enough for me to know it wasn’t my imagination. Someone was inside. Watching.

I tried to speak, but my throat burned. “Who’s there?”

No answer.

The shadow shifted again, closer this time.

I backed against the headboard, clutching the blanket to my chest like it could protect me. My breath came fast, too fast.

Then a voice cut through the dark. Calm. Low. Dangerous.

“You don’t belong here.”

The words stabbed into me. My stomach twisted.

“Who are you?” My voice shook.

The shadow didn’t move closer, but I could feel the weight of its stare.

“You’ll learn soon enough.”

The air in the room grew heavier, pressing on my chest. My fingers dug into the blanket until they hurt.

And then, before I could react, the shadow stepped forward, the faint light catching a face I didn’t recognize. Not Damon. Someone else.

Someone who wasn’t supposed to be here.