Chapter One ~ Ella

Prologue

The grand ballroom, adorned with opulent chandeliers that cast a mesmerizing glow, bore witness to an event that changed my life forever. People from the shadows of society, their faces hidden behind masks of elegance, had gathered for an auction like no other.

I stood at the center of it all, a pawn in a game I didn't understand.. Dressed in nothing more than transparent garments that clung to my trembling form, I stood atop the cold, unforgiving auction stand. The sheer vulnerability of my situation was overwhelming, and I couldn't comprehend why I had become a mere commodity in this dark theater of desire.

The room buzzed with an unsettling excitement. The crowd, a sea of faces concealed behind ornate masks, whispered in hushed tones as they eagerly awaited the spectacle about to unfold. This was no ordinary auction; it was a theater of the macabre, where the line between desire and evil blurred. Powerful and wealthy men filled the room. The stage was made in such a way that you could be seen all around making it harder to stand on shaky legs.

I couldn’t help but wonder if all the other women were here because of debt or what they did to end up in a chaotic situation.

How the hell did it get this far?

Chatter and whistles filled my ears, a cacophony of excitement and anticipation that seemed worlds away from my bewildered existence. As I hesitated, a glance at the ravenous crowd only fueled my discomfort. Their faces, obscured by masks of opulence, contorted with glee as they beheld my unease. To them, I was little more than a plaything, a symbol of their twisted fantasies.

"We start at one million dollars," the host's voice, both suave and sinister, declared, igniting the bidding war. The numbers soared into the stratosphere, two million, three million, and onward, each bid slicing through my composure. With every increase, my heart raced, my innocent eyes filling with tears and a hint of stoic resentment.

But it was a single utterance from the shadows that sent a shiver down my spine. "Interesting," the voice murmured from the depths of the room as if sensing the turmoil within me. The man in the VVIP private room, a figure of power and enigma, had taken notice of my emotions.

"She looks like a kitten who just wants to bite her lord," he remarked, his words laden with a chilling sense of possession. His eyes were grey and looked like a storm was brewing in them. He has stopped my world and now I have no idea what he is up to but he looked so powerful the ground looked like it worshipped him. His bidding card rose, revealing the sum of his interest. "Fifty million," he declared, the weight of the number hanging heavy in the air.

The auction ground to a stunned silence. Fifty million dollars for a woman was an exorbitant sum, even if she was deemed a virgin. No one dared to challenge the man in the VVIP room, for he was known as the MAFIA LORD, a name that sent tremors through the criminal underbelly of the city. With that final bid, he sealed my fate, claiming me as his property.

One would wonder How I got here in the first place. Well, it all started with debt but as I stand here knowing I have been bought makes my stomach twist and turn from the unknown especially since I have been bought by the most dangerous man.

All I can hope for is to be strong enough to survive this world I have been signed into. It seems I won’t be turning twenty-five after all.

The bigger question is will I ever be allowed to leave and be free?

The man stands up and takes off his mask. Our eyes lock again. What I see sends horrific feelings in my body and my face looks pale.

What is this man up to?

A week Earlier:

As the clock struck midnight, I left my station to take out the trash when I heard movements by the corner.

My stomach twisted from fear so I quickly rushed to the the dump site so that I could return to the club. But before I knew what was happening, a hand suddenly grabbed my ponytail from behind, yanking me backward and dragging me to the corner, in a hidden spot.

"Look who we've got here, boys.”

The dark eerie voice that had become my worst nightmare reaches my ears and my heart sinks to the pits of my stomach.

They found me.

How? I recently changed jobs and made sure I used an alias while working here.

The thought of what they would do to me now fills me with dread. Will they make me do one of their promises of selling one of my kidneys to pay off my debt?

My head is roughly tilted up and I see three scary-looking figures standing before me with wicked grins on their faces.

The trio always exuded an aura of danger that sent shivers racing down my spine every time I met them. They were the collectors, men who had lent me money so I could save my parents but it seems I had sold my soul to the devil.

They always find me.

"Our dear Ella," a man I called Fat lips smiled as my name rolled off his tongue and I wished he wouldn’t call me ever again.

He was the leader of the loan sharks and was known for his ruthlessness.

My heart was pounding in my chest and I panicked when the realization hit me. They would do anything to me at this point and no one would even hear me.

Tears began to roll down my face as I pleaded silently for mercy. The other two men closed in around me, their penetrating stares making my skin crawl clearly they had been drinking and you can’t reason with a drunk bastard.

"It's time to settle up, sweetheart," Fat lips hissed, his breath tainted by the stench of cheap liquor. "Your debt isn't shrinking on its own. I would hate to have to hurt such a beautiful face." he smiled while pulling my ponytail and twisting it in his finger. Causing pain to shoot up my scalp and it hurt like hell but I knew better than to protest.

“You see pretty one, your life is not the only one on the line. For example-’’ he pulls out his phone from his pocket and shows a video of my grandparents sitting in our small house and my heart skips a beat.

“Motivate her more. She needs some kind of inspiration.’’ Another man shouts while laughing like it's some sort of a joke. When I turn to look at him he has yellow teeth and a nose that seems to be out of place from several beatings and standing under that bright light doesn’t help his looks but I guess he is keeping an eye out in case they kill me.

“Well, we can always go for Todd, just break a few of his bones so that you can take care of him in a wheelchair. Always and forever shit like that." Fat lips laughed making me cringe at the thought of Todd being dragged into this mess.

‘’Please.’’ I cry out, desperately trying to reason with men who clearly have no hearts but it is no use.’’ I’m begging you, please give me some time.’’ I cried out but the tears can not compare to the pain I was feeling, It was like someone was slowly squeezing my heart and the pressure caused me endless pain.

“The money! This is your last warning!” He shouted in my ear and I flinched from both pain and fear. He pulled me by my hair and threw me on the ground making me scream as my skin came in contact with the rough stone.

I had known this day would come but I was far from being ready, and as he leaned in closer bending his knee slightly so I could hear him threaten and torture me.

Their threats and intimidation got worse and I ended up making a desperate promise.

"I'll pay it back," I stammered, my voice shaky. "Just give me a little more time, please. Don't do anything to my grandpa, and leave Toddy alone."

Fat lip chuckled darkly, his breath hot against my ear making me want to pull it out from being disgusted. "We'll see about that, Ella."

“Please,’’ I begged with tears still hot and rolling down my face, my walls were broken and the shell shattered as reality hit on what would happen to the people I loved if I didn’t pay back on time.

‘’See you soon sweetheart.’’ they all laughed in sync as they left to probably another destination to harass another girl. This is the most feared loan shark company and when they come for you, no one can help you.

After recollecting myself, I return to my workstation with a puffed face, trembling hands, and a pounding heart. My boss sees how in bad shape I am but doesn’t question or bother to ask me on why I took so long. It’s a habit here to ignore any crime so am not even surprised anymore. I lean in closer to Lila who has been the only friend I’ve had in this place, lowering my voice.

"Listen, Lila, I... I saw them again," I admit, my voice barely a whisper.

Her expression shifts from playful to concerned in an instant.

"Them? You mean..."

I nod, the knot in my stomach tightening. "Yeah, the ones I owe money to. They were here a few minutes ago and it wasn’t a pretty sight."

Lila's brows furrow as she dries a glass with practiced motions. "Damn it, Ella is that why you look so terrible, and here I thought it was Toddy. You need to find a way out of this mess. I hate seeing you like this."

Tears threaten to well up in my eyes again, but I blink them away. "I know, Lila. I'm trying. I'm working extra shifts, doing everything I can..."

She reaches out, her hand resting on mine. "We'll figure this out together, okay? Just promise me you won't go through this alone. Every time there is trash to take care of let's go out together " She reassures me and I believe her.

Later that night, after the unsettling encounter with the debt collectors I recollected myself and checked out to head home.

The world outside is a blur as I walk, lost in my thoughts and worries. The city is a symphony of noises, a cacophony of lives intersecting, but it all seems distant, like a backdrop to the relentless countdown in my mind. After what seems like a second I arrive at my house so tired but when I open the door my Heart drops.

Like a nightmare unfolding before my eyes, I see them again – the men I owe. They sit on my bed filling my small apartment, their faces wearing twisted smiles that send shivers down my spine. It's as if they've been playing games with me today. Their predatory gazes fixed upon me.

I try to steady my trembling hands, but my voice wavers as I speak,

"I don't have the money yet and we met a few hours ago you agreed.  Please, just a little more time."

One of the men, his grin dripping with malice, leans in closer.

"Time? Ella, you've had enough time. Too much time. Plus something came up and we need the money right now."

His words send a chill through my bones, and panic tightens its grip around my chest. They know I can't pay, and their patience has run out. The anger in their eyes is a warning, a precursor to the storm I can see gathering on the horizon. When I met them earlier today I was going to make a plan but now what can I do?

The man, who has his face contorted with rage, slams his palm on the table.

"We've been more than generous, Ella. But you've pushed us too far."

Before I can react, strong hands grip my arms, pulling me away from my house I struggle, but they're unrelenting, their grip like iron. Panic courses through me as I realize the gravity of the situation – they're taking me somewhere, and I have no control.

They force me into a waiting car, and I can't even see the faces of the men who have become my captors. The world outside blurs as the car speeds away, and then, darkness.