Chapter 1 - sold

“You can be auctioned tonight at the Nightingale club to earn some money to pay for your late father’s debt, baby girl,” Dario Stephanie, the Italian Mafia Don cooed in Ariana’s ears, she shook from fear, taking a step away, tears streamed down her cheeks. The man had just tortured and killed her father in front of her and now, he wanted her to pay for his debt. Ariana wasn’t stupid. Wiping her tears, she looked him proudly in the eyes.

“No. You already killed your debtor. If my father was alive, I would have done it but you already killed him so his debt should be canceled.”

Dario grimaced and his countenance was deadly, as he gripped her throat. Ariana was out of breath and defenseless but her head remained high, as tears continued to stream down her cheeks. Her eyes were still haughty and she didn’t bat an eyelash. Even if she got away from Dario, she wouldn’t be able to escape from his bodyguards. It was the only reason why she didn’t try to defend herself.

“I can kill you too, find your brother, and do the same. Till I wipe his entire generation, his debt remains unpaid,” Dario spat coldly, looking her in the eyes and choking her harder. Ariana’s best friend Juliet threw herself at Dario’s feet and began to plead on Ariana’s behalf

“Please let her go, let’s talk things through.”

His grip loosened a little but he didn't let her go. Ariana began coughing violently. “Please let her go, we shall find a way to pay you,” Juliet continued pleading tearfully.

Dario’s gaze lowered to her. “Santiago’s daughter. You should find out how your mother died and stay out of this.” Juliet froze but he ignored her and he looked at Ariana sharply. “I want my two million dollars within 24 hours.”

He let go of her throat and took two steps backward. “Boys, clean up and let’s go,” he said and walked out of the blood-soaked mansion. When he reached the door, he turned around and said, “don’t worry. If you make more than two million tonight, you’ll keep the extra. I’m not greedy.”

“You don’t have to do this Ariana,” Juliet rose to her feet, hugged Ariana, and comforted her while Dario’s bodyguards began to wrap her father’s dead body.

“Then show me another way,” Ariana cried, her hands tightening around Juliet, as her father’s body was carried away. “He killed dad. He’ll do the same to my brother and me.”

Juliet recalled that he mentioned her mother. She just had to ask her father about it when she got home. For now, Ariana was her only concern. “But what if you don’t get the money?” She asked Ariana. Ariana thought about her superstar mum but the woman pretended to not know her the last time she went to see her. She was on her own. She spoke with resolve,

“Then I’ll keep trying. I’ll do it again and again till I pay off my father’s debt.”

Since Juliet had no means of coughing out two million, she reluctantly agreed. “Alright. There aren't many people auctioned tonight so we can arrange for you to go last.”

“What difference will it make?” Ariana asked. She knew she was going to lose her dignity but it was better than losing her kid brother in boarding school.

“If you’re auctioned last, then a lot of those stupid billionaires will bid more since there wouldn’t be any more to choose from.”

“Cool,” Ariana agreed. Juliet’s words made sense because if there were varieties, the billionaires wouldn’t want to waste all their money on one. They would also compare and contrast. The worse part, they hated virgins as such, she was already on the losing side. Most virgins were auctioned for not more than two hundred thousand because of their lack of experience.

It would be a miracle for her to get two million tonight but she had a plan. If she survived tonight, she could treat herself and come back to be auctioned again. At that time, she would be able to earn two million or more. Dario should understand if she explained to him.

“You know it’s going to hurt right?” Juliet asked, reminding her that it was going to be her first time. Ariana cherished her virginity a lot and wanted to give it to her boyfriend after marriage but he dumped her upon finding out about her father’s gambling habits, afraid that Ariana would make him a walking money bank.

“Does anything hurt more than what he did to my dad?”

“I understand,” Juliet forced a smile and said. It was easy for her to understand that the pain of losing her first time wouldn’t be as much as the pain she felt for losing her father. He was a scumbag who gambled her life away, forcing her to drop out of college and take on jobs in the club to take care of her brother and pay the mortgage. Nevertheless, she still loved him.

A few hours later, Ariana and Juliet arrived at the club. They were on their way to the changing room when a male voice asked behind them.

“What are you girls doing here? Isn’t it your day off?” Chad, the supervisor of the girls’ gaze, swiped between them, and worry covered his face. “Are you alright Ariana?”

“No, I want to be auctioned tonight,” Ariana said with determination. Chad’s gaze turned ghastly. Ariana was proud and strong. She was a waiter and bartender so how could she want to be auctioned when she could stand up to any and everyone? If she was auctioned like the prostitutes, it would break her.

“What? Why?”

“She needs the money Chad,” Juliet said.

Chad didn’t think it was the right way for her to make money. Most of the girls auctioned used varieties of drugs to help them to go through with it but Ariana was different. “Listen, girls, even the professional prostitutes do not find it easy when auctioned. Some are hospitalized for weeks and some even die. Some of these billionaires are sex maniacs. Don’t even think about this again,” he warned and turned to leave when Ariana grabbed him by the shoulder.

“I said, I want to do it.”

She was so determined that he lost the vocabulary to discourage her. He had done his part. “If you say so but don’t say that I didn’t warn you.” He turned to the corner and called one of the girls in charge of costumes and instructed,

“Get her ready for auction.”

“She wants to go last,” Juliet interrupted, seeing how eager the girl was to get Ariana ready for tonight.

“There is just one person being auctioned tonight. Her,” Chad said bitterly.

Ariana’s stomach boiled from anxiety as she was led to the changing room by the girl. The scanty shiny dress and heavy make up they put on her made her what she never thought she’d be, a whore.

When they were done, she didn’t look like herself anymore. She was nervous while she was led to the cage, where the metals were so cold that her half naked body shivered. The closing sound of the cage sealed her fate, as the cage was pulled with a thick silver chain and hung in the ceiling with bright lights like a chandelier. She could see and hear cheers beneath her that sent her heart racing and shame cruised through her. She closed her eyes to avoid them. After tonight, it will be over.

The cold breeze made her shiver, she curled herself into a ball. The roaring of mindless billionaires sent her mind ablaze, as the lights dimmed. The music was toned down and the MC took the microphone.

The man holding the chain through his Bluetooth, received a call. The caller gave him a deadly warning. “No matter who bids for her, she must fall to her death.”

“Don Dario?” The man asked, baffled. Dario was a ruthless Italian mafia don. When messed with, your whole family would make up for it. In Ariana’s situation, he wasn’t only in for the money but had evil intentions because of his grudge with Ariana’s father.

“Yes. I have already transferred a million into your account,” Dario said coldly.

“Alright,” the man said before the call ended. The MC’s voice and low background music was the only thing heard through the dimmed lights.

“Earlier, we said there was no auction tonight but there’s been a change of plan. We have one commodity of pleasure tonight,” he smirked.

Ariana cried at the MC’s words. She never thought to be addressed that way in her life. The mindless billionaires roared with laughter and began to make fun of her.

“What is the starting price?” One of them said over the cordless microphones installed in their tables at their VIP lounges. Only their voices could be heard. The crowd in the club were both rich and ordinary men but the billionaires had their special lounges.

“For a virgin, Hundred thousand dollars,” the MC said. The crowd in the auditorium frowned and cooed at the word virgin. They didn’t like to see blood and virgins weren’t good in bed. However, the billionaires still bargained.

“One fifty,” one of the billionaires laughed and said. Ariana knew that she was being mocked and felt even more ashamed.

“Two hundred,” another one bidded. Ariana could faintly guess that tonight wasn’t going to be good. Though prepared, she was still afraid.

“Four hundred,” a third billionaire proposed and the auditorium fell silent. It seemed that no one was willing to go further than that and Ariana lost hope.

“Four hundred thousand dollars. Anyone else? Don’t forget that she is the only commodity for tonight,” The MC said, ready to close the bargain.

“Eight hundred thousand dollars,” a fourth billionaire spoke through the cordless microphone. The MC was elated and asked,

“Anyone else wants to raise the bid?” The auditorium was silent and no one bidded anymore. Ariana knew that her fate was sealed, as the MC began to round things up.

"Eight hundred thousand dollars going once, going twice, going thri-“

“Five million dollars,” a domineering robotic voice cut through, echoing through the club. The sound of footsteps was heard and bright lights were turned on.

“The masked man,” everyone began to give way, as they gasped under their breath and shivered.