Chapter 1

I looked around the crowded auction house with growing unease. I couldn't believe I was here, dressed up in a tight-fitting red dress and high heels, waiting to be sold to the highest bidder like a piece of property.

It was all my father's fault, of course. He'd gotten himself into some kind of financial trouble, and the only way he could think to get out of it was to sell me to the highest bidder. I had no say in the matter. I was just a pawn in his game. My dad not considering my career, and thinking he was doing me a huge favor as i was on the brim of ending my artistic career.

As I waited nervously for the auction to begin, I noticed a man staring at me intently from across the room. He was tall and muscular, with short dark hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a black suit that looked like it was tailored to fit him perfectly. There was something about him that made me feel both nervous and intrigued at the same time.

As the auctioneer began calling out the lots, my heart pounded in my chest. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I was just a struggling artist trying to make my way in the world, and now I was being sold to the highest bidder like a piece of meat.

The bidding started low, but it quickly escalated as the auctioneer extolled my supposed virtues. "Gentlemen, we have here a beautiful and talented young lady, with a heart of gold and a spirit that cannot be tamed. Who will start the bidding at five thousand dollars?"

I watched as the numbers climbed higher and higher, feeling sick to my stomach with each passing moment. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to be sold to some random stranger who would do who-knows-what with me.

And then I saw him bidding. The man with piercing blue eyes. He was bidding against my father, his eyes never leaving mine. I couldn't help but feel drawn to him, even as I tried to push the feeling away. He was just another bidder, just another stranger who wanted to buy me.

But something about him felt different. Something about the way he looked at me like he could see right through me, made me feel both nervous and excited at the same time.

The bidding war continued, with my father who was the bidder dropping out when the price got too high. And then it was just the man with the piercing blue eyes, bidding against himself as he tried to outdo his previous bids.

Finally, he won. The auctioneer called out his name – Ethan Black – and I was handed over to him like a piece of merchandise. I tried to keep my emotions in check as he led me out of the auction house and into the waiting car.

As we drove away, I couldn't help but steal glances at him. He was so different from anyone I'd ever met before. He was confident and self-assured, but there was a vulnerability there too like he was hiding something.

We arrived at a luxurious mansion on the outskirts of town, and Ethan led me inside. The place was opulent, with marble floors and crystal chandeliers. It was clear that Ethan was a man of wealth and power.

But despite his wealth, Ethan was kind to me. He showed me to a guest room where I could stay, and he promised that he wouldn't do anything I didn't want him to do. He said he had bought me because he saw something in me, something that he wanted to get to know better.

As Ethan led me into the luxurious guest room, I couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed. The room was beautiful, with a plush king-sized bed and a balcony that overlooked the garden. Ethan told me that I could stay here for as long as I wanted and that he would respect my boundaries and never do anything that I didn't feel comfortable with.

I couldn't believe that someone like him, with all his wealth and power, could be so kind and gentle. It was like he saw past my appearance and saw something deeper inside of me.

As I settled into the soft sheets of the bed, Ethan leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "You know, Ava, I didn't buy you just because I saw potential in you. I bought you because I couldn't bear the thought of someone else having you."

My heart skipped a beat as his warm breath brushed against my ear. I turned to face him, and he gently brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

"I know this is all so unconventional, but I promise you, Ava, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're happy here with me."

I couldn't help but feel a spark of attraction to him. There was something about the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the world that mattered. I felt safe and protected with him, and I knew that I could trust him with my heart.

Over the next few weeks, we spent countless hours together, talking and laughing and exploring the beautiful mansion. Ethan showed me his favorite spots in the garden and taught me how to play the piano in the grand music room.

As we grew closer, I began to realize that I was falling in love with him. I knew that it was crazy, considering how we had met, but there was no denying the way my heart fluttered whenever he was near.

Over the next few months, Ethan and I spent every moment together, getting to know each other better. We talked about everything under the sun, from our past experiences to our wildest dreams. I was amazed at how easy it was to open up to him.

Even though he had bought me, there was something different about Ethan. He was kind, caring, and gentle. He never made me feel like I was just a possession to him. He promised me that he wouldn't do anything I wasn't comfortable with.

As our relationship grew stronger, I found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with him. And it seemed like he felt the same way. He would always find ways to surprise me, like taking me out on a romantic boat ride on the lake behind his mansion while I felt shy and nervous around him, and not for once have I talked to nor asked him for anything before and so to impress me he took me on this romantic boat ride I found myself and with that, I was finally able to say speak out “Thanks Ethan I enjoyed….the boat ride.”

 He then looked at me and smiled saying “Finally you eventually have something to say to me. You know I’ve been asking myself if I was that ruthless.” And before he could continue I quickly hijacked and said “No, I was just…. I mean, I was just scared.” 

And with that, he turned to me drawing me closer to him with our breaths rhyming and him looking straight into my eyes as if searching for something and he said, “I always think about you every night before I go to bed even though you were at my reach, I wondered how a lady could be so flawless and beautiful?” and before I could say a word he kissed them off my lips and I was so scared and I had to withdraw panting and looking so innocent, but deep down I wanted more.

 He replied and said “I was too fast I’m sorry, I just couldn’t control myself, Ava. My heart burns for you. If only you know, let’s stay over and leave in the morning.” Before I could even give my opinion he took me off the boat and went to make a reservation for a place to stay over the night. Many things kept going through my mind as I know it was not going to end there, we had never shared a room, not even at his place, but tonight is going to be the first.