PROLOGUE

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The room was small, cramped, and smelled of illness. Mia sat by her mother's bedside, her hand clutching the older woman's frail fingers. Her mother's eyes were closed, and her breathing was shallow. Mia knew what it meant. The doctor had given them a week, at most.

"Mom," Mia whispered, her voice choked with tears. "I'll find a way. I'll get the money. You'll be okay."

Her mother's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at her daughter. "Mia, my dear," she said weakly. "Don't do anything foolish. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't, Mom," Mia reassured her. "I'll find a way. I promise."

Her mother's hand trembled in hers. "Mia, you're all I have left. Don't risk your life for me."

"I won't, Mom," Mia repeated, her voice firm. "I'll be back soon. I love you."

With a heavy heart, Mia left the room. She knew what she had to do. She had heard of the bidding bar, where wealthy men paid exorbitant amounts for a night of pleasure. It was a place she had never imagined visiting, but desperation had a way of making people do things they never thought possible.

As she walked through the city streets, her resolve hardened. She would do whatever it took to save her mother, even if it meant sacrificing her own dignity. She entered the bidding bar, and as the auction began, she steeled herself for what was to come.

Little did she know that her life was about to change in ways she could never have imagined.

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