Chapter 2

OLIVIA

When I awoke, I was lying on a cold, hard surface. I made to sit up but my head throbbed with pain, and I felt nauseous.

I struggled to be on my feet, but I realized that my arms and legs were bound. As my vision cleared, I discovered I was on a podium, with people all around me.

"Where am I?" I muttered to myself as the entire room was so noisy and my ears hurt as a result of it.

I heard a voice ring out, "This is the next item up for auction. A beautiful young woman, in the prime of her life. Who will make the first bid?”

My heart started pounding in my chest as I couldn't believe what was happening. I was up for sale?

I struggled to free myself and I heard the auctioneer's voice ring out again.

"This young woman is a valuable commodity. She's beautiful, intelligent, and healthy. She would make an excellent addition to any household. I'm starting the bidding at $500,000. Who will make the first bid?”

My eyes filled with tears as she heard the words. I was being treated like a piece of property, not a human being. I felt so alone, so helpless. And then, I heard a voice. A man's voice. "I'll bid $600,000,” he said.

"$600,000 it is! Any buyer in the house? Or should we go with–"

"Seven Hundred thousand dollars!" Another said from the back with his hands raised.

"Seven Hundred thousand dollars! Going?"

"Seven and fifty thousand dollars!" Another said.

God! Why is all this happening? Why am I auctioned for sale? Am I this costly? I questioned myself, feeling so sick.

As the bidding went on, I felt like I was going to faint out of anxiety. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I tried to think back to the last few weeks, and then I remembered something. A phone call. My ex-boyfriend, Mateo, had been on the phone, talking about auctioning something.

I didn't think much of it at the time. But now, it all made sense to me. He had set this up. He had sent thugs to drug me and brought me here. He was going to sell me to the highest bidder. I felt a wave of despair wash over me.

“Going!”

“Once, twice,” the auctioneer called out. “Sold for $750,000.”

“Not yet, let's rewind a bit.”

The auctioneer was stunned when a new bidder called out. I looked around, and my eyes fell on a tall man sitting at the back of the audience. He had dark hair and a scar on his cheek, and his eyes were piercing and cold. The auctioneer cleared his throat. “We have a new bidder, starting at $800,000. Do I hear $900,000?” he asked.

A man in the back stood up. “$1,000,000,” he said, his voice deep and confident. A murmur went through the crowd. The auctioneer nodded. “Do I hear $1,000,000?” he asked, his eyes scanning the room.

A second man stood up. He was shorter than the first, but his eyes were just as cold and calculating.

“$1,200,000,” he said, his voice sharp and clear. The auctioneer looked back and forth between the two men. “$1,200,000?” he asked.

The bidding continued, higher and higher. The two men were locked in a fierce competition, determined to outbid each other. Finally, the first man threw up.

His fist clenched in frustration. “$10,000,000!” he yelled. The room went silent and all eyes darted in his direction, including myself. Did I hear wrong? Ten Million dollars? The second man narrowed his eyes looking at me, his lips pressed together, forming a thin line.

Finally, he shook his head. “I concede,” he said, his voice bitter with disappointment.

The auctioneer banged his gavel. “Sold!” he exclaimed. “The young lady belongs to bidder number one.”

The man sent a man forward who walked up to the podium to get me, he threw a cruel smile at me that sent a shiver down my spine. “Come with me,” he declared.

My mind was racing as he dragged me up to my feet after untying me.

Where is he taking me? What does the man plan to do with me? These thoughts troubled my mind, and for the first time in years, I saw how calculative I was for my life. I was too scared to speak and too terrified to even breathe.

As the man led me out and pushed me into the car, I thought about escaping, but I knew it would be no use.

I will not be able to make it far before getting caught. As the car started to move, I was given a bottle of water to drink. After drinking the water, an uneasy feeling washed over me, and I became dizzy and disoriented.

The man must have put something in the water. I closed my eyes, trying to fight the overwhelming feeling of fright and apprehension.

As the car made its way through the dark streets, I could feel a panic rising within me. Suddenly, the car came to a stop, and the man forcefully yanked me out of the vehicle like I was some piece of rag.

“What are you doing?” I questioned, my voice weak and shaky. The man said nothing, only gesturing to an associate of his, who stepped out of the car.

He put a gloved hand over my mouth, and I felt a needle in my arm. A sharp pain spread through my body, and my vision swamped.

What the fuck are they putting in me? I frowned, staring at their faces. "What are you doing to me?" I asked, but they kept doing what they were doing without saying a word to me.

I felt my eyes closing and I struggled to stay conscious.

“Please don't do this to me, please,” I begged feeling frightened.

I didn't know what they would be doing to me or where they were taking me.

I tried my best to stay conscious but I couldn't fight it and everything went black.