‘’Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the most awaited section of tonight’s event. You would want to hear this,’’ the auctioneer’s voice echoed through the quiet hall, his eyes sweeping through the dimly lit space.
‘’Up next is the virgin #27, the last item on sale for tonight.’’ He paused, admiring the temporary hold he had on these powerful people that surrounded him, and cleared his throat before continuing, ‘’As we all know, the best is always saved for the last. What makes this one the best, you may be wondering. Now, let's—" ‘’Just get to the point, Reynold, will you?! We've not got all night to waste in this place,’’ he was cut off by the sound of someone yelling from the crowd, making him adjust his posture. "Aye, Aye," he began, "First of all, she fits the pre-ordered description many of you dropped before tonight. What do i mean? She’s a redhead, soft hair you can yank back when you uh…’’ he chuckled, and similar sounds accompanied his from around the hall. ‘’You know what i mean. She not only possesses beauty, the sexiest body, and an unscarred pair of long legs that could rival that of a first class model; but she’s also unbranded at the moment. You can brand her however way you want after you get her into your possession.’’ ‘’Surely there is more, isn’t there?’’ a feminine voice asked, from the front row seats of the hall. Reynolds nodded, his eyes sparkling in anusement. ‘’Apart from all I have said, she’s also a fiery little bitch that whoever gets lucky enough to buy her would have fun taming. She has the accent of a high class lady gained from years of scamming people on the streets, so she can double as a handbag to public events. Last but not least, she’s an orphan without friends, relatives, or guardians, so rest assured that no one would be coming to find or claim her from you.’’ Lowering his voice for dramatic effects, he asked, ‘’Should I bring out the product so you can see by yourselves if she’s worth the hype?’’ ‘’Do you still need to ask that?’’ A drunken, masculine voice came from the rows nearing the back. Reynolds shook his head, a smug smirk curling on his face as he turned to the dark curtains behind him. ‘’I present to you eighteen year old Genevieve Armani, fresh from our store,’’ he announced. ~ On the other side of the curtains, Genevieve sucked in a puff of breath and wiped her sweaty palms against the skimpy red dress she was wearing. ‘’You have to do this, Eve,’’ she murmured beneath her breath. ‘’For Mom, for Dad, and for Vince.’’ With another deep inhale, she pulled the curtains aside and stepped out into the light. This was it. Her revenge started now. Whoever she ended up with at the end of tonight, she must make sure to make the best use of the resources she would be offered. ‘’What are you doing?’’ The displeasure in the tone made Genevieve look up at the bald headed man, the host of today’s auction, as his scathing voice filtered through her ears. ‘’Sir…?’’ she said tentatively. ‘’Get over here, bitch! How do the VIP’s see you from all over there?’’ he hissed. Blinking rapidly with the fear that curled at the base of her spine, Genevieve forced herself to remain on that spot. Not because she wanted to, but because it was part of the script. She had heard the auctioneer describe her as a stubborn bitch to the spectators earlier, so she had to act the part even though she didn’t want to. She knew she did the right thing when he flashed her a somehow genuine smile before closing the distance between them and yanking her forward with her hair. '’Look at that,’’ he laughed, ‘’Wouldn’t it be fun to tame a girl like this? Bidding starts at two hundred thousand dollars…’’ The words had barely left his lips when an excited voice yelled, ‘’Two hundred and ten thousand dollars.’’ ‘’Three hundred thousand dollars,’’ another voice, this one much more authoritative than the first called. ‘’Four hundred,’’ a feminine voice countered. Several minutes later, the bid hadn’t ended, with each increase causing the grin on Reynold’s face to widen, to the extent that the corners of his lips were almost reaching his ears. On the other hand, Genevieve was now chanting a prayer within her mind for it to be over as soon as possible. She wasn’t dumb. This was the underworld. The more money a person has, the deeper his or her roots is in this place. And the deeper an individual is rooted in the underworld, the crueler and more dangerous they are. The amount of money these people were willing to spend on purchasing her reflected how much more they had in their possessions. And now that most of the starting bidders had dropped out, she knew she could only end up with the stinking rich one. ‘’Let me at least get someone good looking,’’ she prayed, knowing within herself that a kind person was out of the question at this point. ‘’Stop dreaming, Pretty,’’ Reynolds scoffed beside her, ‘’I knew I made a good decision when I decided to buy you for a meagre sum from that director.’’ Lowering his voice into a whisper, he added, ‘’After we settle on a buyer for you, you’ll be coming with me to have a good time in my office before your lucky owner whisks you away, alright?’’ Genevieve met his greedy brown gaze with her own confused blue ones. ‘’Aren’t you selling me as a virgin? If I… have a good time with you, won’t that lower my sale value?’’ ‘’That’s for you to worry about,’’ Reynold replied, shrugging slightly to convey his indifference. ‘’I will extricate myself by saying you lied to me. They know there’s no way I could have confirmed what you told me." "But—" "I’ve been in this business since I was in my thirties, and guess what? I have never once been tempted to claim a lady like I have been since you came, so I have our client's trust that I don't touch the goods..." Suddenly, an icy cold voice pierced through the crowd silencing both Reynolds on the podium, the noisy bidders, and the murmuring audience, all at the same time. ‘’Ten million dollars.’’ The silence stretched through the crowd, and no one dared to breathe. Not because they were shocked at the sudden hike in bidding price, but because each and every one of them knew who the owner of the voice was. Hell! Even if this man had lowered the bid back to a dollar, none of them would have dared to argue the price with him. Adrian Viktor Visconti; underboss, second-in-command, and the psychotic only son of the notorious Don Roberto who led the Visconti Crime House. His reputation preceded his presence, making it such that even presidents of countries would never dare to cross him for fear of kissing the earth goodbye on the same day. The same man stepped out of the dim light onto the small flight of stairs that led up the podium, taking it one step at a time as he gradually revealed himself. Genevieve took in as much of him as she could without drooling, her teeth digging into her lower lip. Raven black hair, perfectly symmetrical face, mysterious hazel eyes, and… ‘’Principessa?’’ Genevieve blinked in shock, opening her mouth and closing them with no words forthcoming except, ‘’Uh?’’ The ethereally handsome man in front of her didn’t seem to mind though, as all he did was smirk mischievously and order, ‘’Close your eyes.’’ Genevieve obeyed immediately. No questions asked. Not like she could find it in herself to form the words to create the question though; but her body instinctively reacted of their own accord to this man’s words. A second passed, followed by the thud sound of something… or someone, falling, prompting her eyelids to flutter open. And there, holding a gun that had an attached silencer, was Adrian. Genevieve followed the point of the muzzle to the body now lying on the ground. The body of the bald auctioneer. ‘’What…’’ she gasped, the horror of the situation helping her find her voice. ‘’What did you do?’’ ‘’I killed him.’’ "What?! Why?!" "Uh... there's a lot I could say. But let's start with, he breathed the same air as the future Mrs Visconti." (A/N: Principessa means Princess)Genevieve's face blanched at the words she just heard. She blinked rapidly and convinced herself her brain must be having issues comprehending what the words meant.Then she shut her eyes tightly for the next several seconds waiting, in vain, for the voice of the bald auctioneer to call her ‘bitch’ and command her to open her eyes. That she had been bought and she had to come with him to his office!Why not? This... scene playing before her had to be a dream. There was no other reason someone who was alive and standing beside her one second would end up dead in the very next second. Her doubt, however, wasn’t because this was her first time losing someone in the twinkling of an eye—she had experienced more than a normal human fair share of that, even at her young age—but because this was her first time seeing it happen for the stupidiest reason ever.‘’Open your eyes, Principessa,’’ a cold voice, which she now recognised as that of the handsome man, echoed in her ears. ‘’I’m done. U
Genevieve didn't bother trying to decrypt the two word reply she got. "So you are Adrian Viktor Visconti, and you called me Mrs Visconti. Does that mean I am... your wife?""No, it means that you are now his mom. And you are my wife."Genevieve's heart sank, and a wave of disappointment washed over her from head to toe. Because the reply to her question didn't come from the breathtakingly gorgeous man in front of her, but from behind her. She turned to see who it was.And there, standing just a few metres away from her, was an old man with shrewd eyes and a head of completely gray hair, who, though he looked like he was well on his way to the grave, also bore an uncanny resemblance in physique and facial structure to Adrian Viktor Viskonti.Here, she was standing between her new husband and stepson. Both of them much older than she was."I'm dead," she breathed. Not only was she bought by a terrifying man who came from a formidable family she would find it hard to carry out her plan
☆☆☆Sixteen-year-old Genevieve knelt in the center of a lavish, princess-like room draped in soft pinks and delicate silks, her trembling hands clutching the satin hem of her dress. Tears blurred her vision as she stared at her mother's almost lifeless body sprawled across the polished marble floor, a crimson pool spreading beneath her like a dark, wilting rose.‘’Go, Eve! Your aunt will be waiting for you at the back entrance. Leave now... before it's too late."Genevieve shook her head vehemently. ‘’No, Mum," she refused. "You are hurt. You have been shot. I can't leave you alone here until the doctor arrives.'’‘’No…’’ A splutter of coughs rented the air, followed by the racking sound of Genevieve's sobs, which seemed to be increasing as the seconds passed.‘’Don’t say anything, Mummy. It's only making matters worse…’’The sound of multiple gunshots rented the air, and the words died on Genevieve’s lips. Still numb with shock, she was pushed into the nearest open door, and could o
Genevieve froze, her brows furrowing in displeasure at the blatant disrespect, but when she reminded herself of the unfamiliar territory she was in and how she had no idea how things worked here, she decided to relax and simply follow instructions, even if it came from someone who seemed to hate her for no reason.She rose to her feet and looked at the two doors that were positioned side by side in one part of the room, far from the one that looked like it led out of the room.‘’Which of them is the bath—’’ she started to ask, but was cut off almost immediately. ‘’The one on the right,’’ Penelope stated. She pointed at a pile of clothes on one corner of the queen sized bed and said, ‘’Wear that when you are done in the bathroom. I will be waiting here for you.’’Half an hour later, Genevieve stood in front of the mirror, her head tilted sligtly as she studied herself in the mirror. Pale skin from incessant scrubbing for the past half hour, messy red hair pulled into a ponytail, blue
Few Minutes earlier, Adrian stepped into the dining area, pretending to be oblivious to the furtive glances from the maids and butlers setting the breakfast table, as they scurried away from him. His uninterested gaze made a quick sweep around the area and when he didn’t catch sight of a particular ginger haired troublemaker that he came here for, he turned to the man already seated at the head of the table, eyes glued to a stack of papers. His father. ‘’Where is Annika?’’ ‘’Unusually late to breakfast, as you can see. Good morning to you too by the way.’’ Roberto replied without sparing his son a glance. Ignoring the sarcasm in the older man's words, Adrian turned to one of the maids lingering near the door and instructed, ‘’Get my sister.’’ ‘’Yes—’ the maid had just started replying when two young women sauntered into the room, heading straight for their designated chairs on either sides of Roberto, totally oblivious to Adrian's presence. However, three seconds had bar
‘’From what, Roberto?’’ a voice came from the foot of the stairs, as a noble looking woman stepped into the dining area. Her dark hair and similar colored eyes mirrored Roberto’s own, and anyone who saw both of them together at first sight would be able to tell that these two were siblings. Draped in an expensive silk fabric and adorned with gold jewellery, she waded across the room like the majestic being her physical outlook presented her to be. Easing herself into the chair Annika vacated several seconds earlier, she continued, "Remember the promise you made the day the tradition of eating breakfast together in this family started? This area is supposed to be a free space where there’s no authority or orders.’’Roberto glared at his sister, but the woman seemed completely unfazed as she continued to maintain eye contact with him. ‘’So…’’ she continued, ‘’I don’t want to know what Adrian or anyone on this table did, forget it here and now. At least, until we are done with breakfas
Back To Present...Genevieve stopped dead in her tracks at the heavy anger she sensed in the tone the person who asked the question, even though she was yet to see who owned the feminine voice.She looked down at her body, and back up at the faces of the people in the dining area with her. At least, the faces of those seated at the table right now and were staring back at her. All five pairs of eyes.She recognized Roberto from the previous night, sitting at the head of the table. Her new husband, staring at her like he wasn’t seeing her but someone else.To his left sat an identical looking woman, eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror, and on his right sat a brunette whom Genevieve had an inkling would either be her age or just older by a few years. This one also looked shocked, but there also seemed to be a hint of fear in her emerald eyes.As if he could not bear her ignoring him any longer, Adrian cleared his throat and Genevieve felt her gaze pulled to the other side of t
‘’Genevieve?’’For the umpteenth time that morning, Genevieve felt her heart leap into her throat at the sound of her name from Roberto's lips. The man had been engaging her in a one-sided conversation ever since she took the seat beside him a few minutes ago. He had asked the brunette, whom he had introduced to her as his niece Aurora, to vacate her seat for ‘his wife’, and proceeded to tell Genevieve that it would be her seating position during breakfast from that day on.Genevieve had agreed immediately. Not only did she know she had no choice in the matter, but she had also been too distracted at the time to refuse. Distracted by Adrian who had held her gaze and refused to let it go. His artic eyes had reeled her in, making her unable to pay attention to what the others in the room were saying or doing.He probably would have held her attention for the rest of breakfast if he hadn’t received a call and left when she had barely taken a spoonful of food. He also hadn’t bothered to
The neon-lit banner loomed over Genevieve, casting a provocative glow against the evening. A large V and A were emblazoned at its base, while the overhead lights illuminated a striking image of an intertwined man and woman, masked but otherwise not wearing anything, leaving no secrecy about the nature of the establishment. The six-story building stood like a bold declaration of indulgence and secrecy. "So, Missus," Alejandro’s voice carried a teasing edge as he stepped beside her. "What do you think of our sex club?" Genevieve’s head snapped toward him, her eyes narrowing into a glare. She knew she was to blame for not making sure of where they were bringing her to, but still... "You didn’t tell me it was this kind of place. This is even worse than The Vault." "Better than The Vault, you mean?" Adrian's smooth, familiar voice came from her other side, as he walked over to stand beside her. At the sight of his bandaged arm suspended by his side, her annoyance wavered, replac
‘’We can’t," Adrian replied almost immediately. Genevieve’s face fell.‘’What do you mean we can’t? I wan’t to go there, and you are obligated to—’’"To take you wherever you want, yes," he replied. "But The Vault is on the outskirts of town. Tell me what exactly you want to see there that we can’t find anywhere else in the city, and I’ll believe the hour and a half journey is worth it."Genevieve harrumphed. Did he have to be such a killjoy? If only she could just drop this whole plan, let Adrian be, and not feel guilty about him needing rest…But she did feel guilty. And it would only increase if she let it go.So she sighed, quickly racking her brain for a believable excuse. The real reason she chose The Vault was simple; if they went there, she could get him to stay in his office with her, making sure he rested in a familiar space. But there was no way she could tell him that. He’d never agree.So she went with the next most plausible reason. One that, unfortunately, sent heat ru
"So these men were all eliminated, and the restaurant management didn’t send reinforcements the entire time?"Genevieve lifted her gaze from the book resting in her lap, turning to Alejandro who had asked the question. He was staring into the rearview mirror, watching Adrian and the doctor who had arrived with him—both seated in the back. Unlike earlier, when she had been completely absorbed in her book, she now found it impossible to immerse herself in the fictional world.The worry pressing against her chest was too heavy for an erotica novel to distract her. Not that she had managed to read beyond three lines since they got into the car.Back in the alley, Adrian had ordered Alejandro to get her a spare T-shirt, refusing to let either of them near him until she had changed. Only after she had done so did he allow the doctor to approach and help.Once inside the car, she had taken the front passenger seat while Alejandro slid behind the wheel. Adrian and the doctor had settled in th
The smile dropped from Adrian’s face, his expression suddenly turning serious."Exactly, Principessa. The keyword is 'some.' There are honest officials out there, just as there are dishonest ones. Would you want us to risk spending years in prison when we could just wait here for my men to arrive?"Genevieve’s face fell. Of course, he was right. He was smarter than she was and had been in this life much much longer than she was, so he knew what he should and should not do in situations like this.If it was really safe to go to the hospital, he wouldn't be here, leaning against this dirty wall and risking death by excessive blood loss... right?"So... what do you say?"She looked up, frowning at the smug expression that had taken over Adrian’s face. But as her eyes caught sight of the blood still seeping from his arm, a wave of unease washed over her again.She couldn’t just stand there and watch him bleed without doing something about it. Acting on instinct, her hands dropped to the h
Jaws clenched against the pain, Adrian watched through blurry vision as Genevieve rushed toward him. She caught hold of his injured hand, lifting it gently, likely to examine the wound. Under normal circumstances, he would have welcomed her touch—her initiative to reach out to him—but the sharp, searing pain that shot through his arm at the movement nearly made him grit his teeth harder."Did I offend you?" he asked, his voice strained but laced with a hint of dry humor, trying to mask the agony her action had caused.Genevieve kept her eyes fixed on his injured arm, her worry evident as she replied, "No, why would I be offended?" She couldn't stop tears from welling up in her eyes as she noticed the blood soaking through the sleeve of his t-shirt, the fabric beginning to cling to his skin. "Oh my God, we need to get you to the hospital. Now.""One," Adrian began, his voice calm but firm, "If I didn’t offend you, then let go of my hand before I pass out from what you’re doing." He pa
Genevieve sat huddled inside the cabinet, her legs pulled tightly to her chest, and her arms wrapped around herself in a desperate attempt to hold herself together. "I killed them... I killed them... I did... I—I killed them," she whispered in a low, trembling chant, her voice barely audible over the chaos outside. "I’ll be killed too. It—it’s my f—fault though. I deserve it."Though the air outside was rented with the sound of gunfire and angry shouts in Italian, to her, it all faded into a distant hum. All she could hear was the sound of her own shaky voice, and all she could see, even in the darkness of the cabinet, was the inside of her closet back in her parents’ mansion.The memory was vivid: the luxurious dresses, shoes, watches, jewelry, bags, and costumes that had surrounded her as she waited for her aunt in that dark room.The scene replayed in her mind like a nightmare; her father collapsing, his final words urging her to take care of her mother. Her mother, despite being
Fuck! He’d been shot.It wasn’t that Adrian hadn’t expected it. In fact, just like everything else in his life, except for Genevieve and anything that had to do with her, he had anticipated.But that didn’t make what just happened any less infuriating.Gritting his teeth, Adrian forced himself to dull the excruciating pain in his arm, reducing it to nothing more than a sting. It took only a few seconds—a few seconds in which he didn’t stop shooting.Several of the men were already down, and the hostages they had intended to use as shields were now screaming, crawling across the floor, and ducking beneath tables and chairs. With the entrance still blocked by the intruders, it made sense why they hadn’t tried escaping through the door.So he continued firing, his movements precise, his mind calculating every step the attackers took.Meanwhile, behind him, Genevieve stood frozen, her wide eyes locked onto the blood streaming from his right arm. Her breath had caught in her throat and her
Adrian tilted his head slightly, his mind racing. If his reasoning was correct, it explained why the backup that was supposed to have arrived hadn’t shown up yet. It meant they knew—or at least believed, considering the three dead bodies now sprawled on the floor—that no one would be harmed here tonight.That also suggested whoever had sent these inexperienced, bumbling mercenaries had contacted the restaurant in advance. And the only person capable of giving orders to the restaurant’s management would have to be someone from his own family.A smirk tugged at his lips, as he murmured beneath his breath, "I’ll have fun figuring out which idiot thought this was a good idea later."For now, he sighed, realizing he’d been overthinking things today. Normally, he’d act on instinct, confident that whatever consequences arose would be within his control—even if he took the wrong step. Not that that happened often.But today was different. Today, he had someone with him; Genevieve. Her presenc
The intruders exchanged quick glances, their eyes silently communicating a message that each of them—and Adrian, judging by the expression on his face—seemed to grasp."Did you hear that?" whispered the man with a scar beneath his eye, his voice low but still loud enough for Adrian to hear.Their leader shook his head, a nervous laugh escaping him. "Impossible," he muttered, though his tone betrayed his unease."You think so?" Adrian spoke up, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he noted the mix of fear and confusion flickering across their faces. He tilted his head slightly, his voice steady but laced with mockery. "You’ve been standing here for minutes now, doing nothing but tossing around empty threats and waving those guns like toys. Not a single shot fired. So, let me ask again... what are you really here for?""Shut your mouth if you know what’s good for you!" the scarred man snapped, though the tremor in his voice betrayed his fear. His gaze darted away from Adrian’s, landing