Auction me off?I couldn’t wrap my head around it. How could Damien think of this as a solution?Selling me to who exactly? My dad? It was no longer news that man wouldn't bat an eye even if I was shot dead in his presence.And me agreeing to serve as collateral was all because of Rosie and not him.I blinked, trying to process what Ryan had just said about the situation being complicated,How complicated was it for Damien to result in bidding me off?“Get up, Tracey,” Ryan’s firm voice ordered, lacking its usual bite. I could tell he was also not okay with this.“Don’t... don’t do this,” I whispered, my voice unexpectedly shaky.He sighed, crouching beside me on the floor, I could tell his eyes were filled with pity and regret “I'm sorry Tracey, but, you should know I have no say in this.As he spoke, a lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed it down, my eyes reddened from the reality of the situation. There was no way breaking down right now, in front of Ryan would help in any way
Don Pablo’s POVThe moment I walked into the room, I saw her—Tracey, Damien's little pawn.She was nothing like I had imagined. I expected a fierce, bold woman, someone with fire in her eyes. Instead, she was there, looking like a fragile, scared teenager curled up in the corner, trembling. Her hazel eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her small frame shook as she tried to shrink even further away from me.As I stepped closer, her soft sobs grew louder. They were the kind of cries that could touch even the hardest heart."Please... help me," she whispered, her voice barely audible.But I wasn’t here to help her. This wasn’t about saving anyone. It was business. Pure business between me and Damien Black.Most people must be wondering why a legend in the Mafia world like me would be obsessed with Damien Black.But, how do I tell them? My obsession with Damien Black started years back, when one of my Hamburg shipments disappeared. Twenty crates of weaponry, gone without a trace. M
DAMIEN'S P.O.V“Useless! Fool!“ My voice boomed across the room in anger. I couldn't hold back the anger in me as I slammed my hands on the table spiking the drink across the files.What do you mean by you can't find Tracey?“ I barked, my anger flaring above the roof.“I'm sorry boss, but, it all happened too quick and I—““Don't you dare complete that sentence, Marcus.“ I snapped shutting him off. “Do you get the gravity of the situation? Do you know what's at stake by losing her?“ I yelled, and Marcus ran a hand through his hair.“I'm fucking asking a question, Marcus!““Yes boss, but, I swear, it wasn't intentional.“ He raised his face up, his eyes desperate for a search of understanding. "The car started acting up and I stepped out, trying to check for the fault, when I felt something, like... a prick on my neck.“ He paused, raising his head “ Then everything went black. When I woke up, the car was gone, and she was gone."I froze, my blood running cold. "What do you mean a needl
Tracey's P.O.VDon Pablo had left the room after bombarding me with tons of questions I didn't have answers to.I could the slight irritation on his face when I said I was a mere collateral to Damien and nothing more. I knew I wasn't giving him what he wanted to hear, but of course, was I meant to lie to please him?I had no idea who he was or what he wanted.For an old man, it was ridiculous that he was speaking obsessively over getting Damien's attention.I turned around to look at the unfamiliar surrounding I was placed in. The cobwebs on the ceiling, the dusty air, and even the stack of sacks around made it seem like an abandoned storeroom.I couldn't help but wonder what part I had to play in all of this and why the old man who called himself Don Pablo had decided to kidnap me instead of going over to Damien himself.So now, he had made me a pawn in his dirty game and I took a deep sigh and gradually began to realize I had no choice but to accept my fate.It was obvious Damien w
“Isabella, listen,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady even though my heart was pounding. “I don’t want you to get in trouble, but if you can just find a way to get me out of here, quietly, I promise I would leave, and no one will ever know you helped me.”She frowned, her small hands twisting the hem of her dress nervously.I pulled closer to her, my bruised hands finding their ways into hers, squeezing them slightly. “But the storeroom is locked from the outside, and Papá keeps the keys with him...” She muttered batting her eyelids against each other.Of course, he does. There's no way he'd drop the key so carelessly.“Do you know where he keeps the keys?” I asked, trying not to let my desperation show.Isabella nodded hesitantly. “Sometimes, he leaves them on the table in his office. But there are guards outside... and I’m scared.”I felt a pang of guilt hit me on my chest. She was just a kid, and here I was, about to drag her into something she had no business being involved
DAMIEN'S P.O.VMy men stood in a tight circle, their faces tense as I interrogated each of them.“Does anyone know anything about Tracey’s disappearance?” I barked, my voice echoing off the bare walls.They all shook their head in fear.None of them seemed to know a damn thing about Tracey's sudden disappearance and it made my blood boil.I didn't want to admit it, but the fact that Tracey was kidnapped right under my watchful eyes was upsetting, and it wasn't just because it reflected on how weak my security was, but because it was her.I dismissed my men and stood up the wheelchair, pacing around the empty room, I sticked out an empty cigarette from the pack and lighten it, taking in a long puff.I rarely smoked, but dire situations calls for dire solutions.Well, this wasn't a solution but, atleast, it was enough to keep my sanity in check for the time being. The bitterness of the tobacco was a perfect match for my mood.Tracey's absence was disturbing, in a way I didn't think it
Tracey's P.O.VThe Dungeon was worse than any nightmare I had ever imagined in my entire life.The metallic stench emitting from this place was enough to make my stomach churn.I raised my head up to look around the place. The air in here was as suffocating as the thought clouding my head.My hands were trembling, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop them. This place was terrifying, and I was certain no one would ever find me here, not even Damien.What had I done? I muttered inwardly, hot tears rolling down my cheeks.I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the scary thoughts floating into my mind.I never should’ve tried to escape and worse, I shouldn't have dragged little Isabella into this mess. She was just a little girl, and I’d put her in danger all because I thought I could outsmart another dangerous Mafia leader.One thing I realized from my few meet with Don Pablo was that he wasn't like Damien.Damien was ruthless and cold to his enemies, but he had some sense of contr
DAMIEN'S P.O.VThe tension in the air as I arrived at Deigo’s estate was suffocating. His men were already waiting at the iron gate, their gun drawn and pointed in my direction. I scoffed at the silly act of Deigo. That old childish bastard. I was sure he had been alerted of my arrival into Milan. Glancing at the men through the tinted window, my fingers brushed against the gun in my lap. They were dressed like soldiers, but I knew better. Deigo hired street dogs, men who lived for chaos and weren’t afraid to get their hands bloody.“Deigo’s idea of a welcome party,” I muttered to myself.I cocked my gun in place as our car halted by the Iron gate of Deigo's Vicinity.I didn’t trust a single one of them. Hell, I barely trusted my own men right now.Marcus leaned toward me, his hand resting near his own gun too. “You sure about this, Boss? Deigo isn’t the type to roll out a red carpet, and it might end up being bloody” He cautioned. I glanced at him, my voice cutting sharp. “I didn’
Tracy's POVSitting on my bed, I could not help but realize something. It was more than obvious to me now. Damian was actually avoiding me. It had been over four days, and yet he had not come to check on me. He didn't even intervene in anything I had been doing. Normally, he would have done much worse than that. In short, he would have been in my head, forcing me to learn, forcing me to do everything possible. He would have been here waking me early and telling me not to be lazy. But he was nowhere to be found. It was like he vanished into thin air. Anytime I tried to see him, he was always not around. Even when I went to his office, he wasn't there. That was kind of frustrating for me because only when I had slowly started getting used to him did he have to vanish like this. I lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. All I could imagine was what happened between the two of us, and it could not stop amusing me as I smiled and rolled on the bed, using my bed sheets to cover mys
Damien's POVSitting in my office, I felt so frustrated as I pondered whether my plan could really work or if I was just being intimidated because I was trying to avoid Tracy. It was a very bad plan, and what if we did not get William? Those thoughts filled my mind, leaving me confused. I did not know what to do, what to say, or even what to think anymore. As I sat alone in my office, I decided to call in Skylo. He rushed in and looked at me. “Are you still trying to decide?” he questioned as I nodded. “I have made my decision. We are not going with that plan of yours. Yes, it is a nice plan. It’s intimidating and well thought out, but it won't work, and a lot of problems could arise. Putting a price on him would mean that every enemy would know about the fight, and I don't want him to be publicized. I don’t want people to know. I just want to quietly find Tracy's father, and that is all,” I said firmly as he nodded. “I also thought about it. I knew you would not easily accept my i
Damien’s P.O.VWaking up at 5 a.m with my body stiff from the restless night. I Sat up in bed, my eyes scanning every corner of the room for anything suspicious. Cameras. Bugs. Anything Diego might use to spy on me.Deigo could not be trusted. Not after everything that has happened between us.Certain there was none, I stood up the bed and moved into the bathroom.The shower was lukewarm, barely doing anything to shake off the exhaustion I was feeling from everything. Last night was an aweful one. Trying to stay at alert, conscious of Deigo's not acting funny had led to a restless night for me.By the time I returned to the room, Marcus was already waiting for me. He stood stiffly by the door, his face blank, but I could see the tension in the way his hands rested at his sides.“Boss,” he greeted, his voice steady as he gave me a small bow.“Any information about the file?“ I asked, not wanting to ask the exact question bugging my mind.If Tracey had been found. “Nothing Boss, not ev
Damien's POVSitting in my office, I felt so frustrated as I pondered whether my plan could really work or if I was just being intimidated because I was trying to avoid Tracy. It was a very bad plan, and what if we did not get William? Those thoughts filled my mind, leaving me confused. I did not know what to do, what to say, or even what to think anymore. As I sat alone in my office, I decided to call in Skylo. He rushed in and looked at me. “Are you still trying to decide?” he questioned as I nodded. “I have made my decision. We are not going with that plan of yours. Yes, it is a nice plan. It’s intimidating and well thought out, but it won't work, and a lot of problems could arise. Putting a price on him would mean that every enemy would know about the fight, and I don't want him to be publicized. I don’t want people to know. I just want to quietly find Tracy's father, and that is all,” I said firmly as he nodded. “I also thought about it. I knew you would not easily accept my i
Tracy's POVSitting on my bed, I could not help but realize something. It was more than obvious to me now. Damian was actually avoiding me. It had been over four days, and yet he had not come to check on me. He didn't even intervene in anything I had been doing. Normally, he would have done much worse than that. In short, he would have been in my head, forcing me to learn, forcing me to do everything possible. He would have been here waking me early and telling me not to be lazy. But he was nowhere to be found. It was like he vanished into thin air. Anytime I tried to see him, he was always not around. Even when I went to his office, he wasn't there. That was kind of frustrating for me because only when I had slowly started getting used to him did he have to vanish like this. I lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. All I could imagine was what happened between the two of us, and it could not stop amusing me as I smiled and rolled on the bed, using my bed sheets to cover my
Damien's POVI can't believe I have been avoiding Tracy for the past two days. I have just made sure not to come in contact with her, and now again I rushed to the office just because I don't want to see her. I sat down, staring at the piles of documents. On a normal day, I wouldn't want to go through all of this, but because I had an aim—and that was to avoid her in any way possible—I found this even more amusing and much better than actually seeing her and watching her smile at me because that was even more annoying than anything. As I went through all the documents, I became a bit tired, only for me to check the time and realize it was not even close to 20 minutes since I had started, and funnily enough, I had not even gone through up to three pages. I felt so frustrated that I groaned, slapping my hand on my forehead in frustration. What has gotten over me? I don't even know why I am doing this. I am not the kind of person who would find this cheering at all or even resort to do
DAMIEN’S P.O.V. The door creaked open, the sound of the door slicing through the whole area tension I didn’t look up to know who was that. My grip on the whiskey glass tightened. “Boss,” a voice said from behind. I exhaled sharply. Skylo. I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to rub my temples. “You’re back.” “Surprise!” His voice was dripping with fake cheer which was fully visible. “Did you miss me?” I finally glanced up at him, my gaze locking onto the same cocky grin, the same lazy stance like he had all the time in the world. My eyes narrowed. “You didn’t tell me you were coming back sooner.” Skylo plopped onto the couch without any care, stretching out like he owned the whole Damned place. “Oops. My bad.” I folded my arms, irritation simmering beneath my skin. “Did you even know about the meeting with the Round Table men today?” Silence filled the whole room at once Then... Skylo’s eyes widened. “Shit.” I smirked. “Exactly.” He scratched the back of his head, look
TRACEY’S P.O.V. I stormed down the hallway, my heels clicking fast. My hands clenched into fists. My whole body still shivering from the past experience with him. Behind me, I felt Skylo’s stare. Cold. Judging. Calculating. I didn’t turn back to confirm my own gaze. He was there, he caught me with him in a romantic spot. And he did nothing, he didn't say any word to stop the action from going on. My heart pounded as I reached my room door. I pushed open the door and slammed it shut behind me. I pressed my back against the door breathing hard and sharp. The room was quiet. Too quiet and it make feel more safer to think. But my body wasn’t in that mood. My lips tingled at the past expression. I closed my eyes, the whole scene playing before my own eye. Damien. I still felt his kiss on my lip. His taste of sliva from his mouth. His hands gripping me, owning me. I should have pushed him away immediately. I should have slapped him and warned him never to do such thing again But
TRACEY'S P.O.V "No," I grumbled, my voice barely above a quick whisper. Was he fucking kidding me or joking with me? To feed him through my mouth through the whole meal?? My fingers curled into my lap, gripping the fabric of my dress so tightly my knuckles turned white, my whole body feeling kind of werid already. My heart hitting hard against my ribs, my body vibrating at his words. As much as I hated the whole thought of it… I think… I was enjoying the thrill of the idea. No. No, no, no. I was not enjoying it at all! I swallowed hard, my throat dry, as if a lump was forming already. It was enough that he had stolen my first kiss just like that… through mouth feeding, not even because we were in love. Not even because I wanted it. Not even because I wished for it. My lips still tingled from the last time. The memory of it playing like a inbuilt disc slate. The same feeling of how warm and demanding his mouth were, had sent a strange shiver down my spine. I blinked, realizing