Chapter 3: The Sale

Juan could not get his mind off Arya.

Even as he was on a drive back to his den with his girlfriend, she was almost invisible. Her unnecessary chatter was boring him to death so he zoned out and thought of the beautiful blonde girl at the bar.

He wondered what her life was really like at home. If Diego has been telling the truth about her being his daughter, then he couldn't help but conclude that her life was hell at home. With her job at the bar, there was no way she could afford to survive and her father was surely a burden to her.

"What are you thinking of Juan? I've been talking to you but you haven't responded."

"I'm sorry," Juan sighed. "My mind is preoccupied. What were you saying."

He wanted to tell his girlfriend to shut up but he was not ready for a round of nagging from her about how he constantly neglected her so he had to dance to her tunes sometimes. In truth, they were not really dating. Juan had never asked her to be his girlfriend, rather she had assumed it and he did not bother to correct her.

They had sex multiple times and she made him go on dates with her then for some reason, clung to him often. He did not mind her forced romance as there was not really anyone he could keep around due to his dangerous lifestyle. Belle had grown up in the Mafia so it was a life she was used to. Before her father died, he was Juan's father's right-hand man.

Belle, as her name implied was beautiful no doubt, and also very good in bed and that was the main reason he kept her around. However, her attitude was questionable a lot of times. She threw tantrums and did not respect anyone other than him.

"Well, I was talking about the dinner tonight," she muttered.

"Oh." Once again, Juan zoned out.

"You keep ignoring me," Bella pouted. "Why is that?"

"I'm not ignoring you," Juan muttered, yawning slightly.

"But your mind is not here either. Are you not interested in what I have to say?"

"I've had a long day Belle, I'm not interested in this conversation. Let me be," he sighed.

*+*+*+*+*+*

Diego had a grin on his face as he sat in front of Dominic, another powerful Mafia Lord. He felt like a king as he looked at the platter of food in his presence, something that Juan had never done for him.

"I hear you have something my enemy wants." Dominic's voice was cool. He knew that the dirty-looking man relished the attention and he was willing to give it. As long as it meant having something his arch-enemy wanted, he was happy. "I do not grant everyone this audience, I hope you know."

"Of course!" Diego grinned, rushing his food as though it were going to run away from him. He wiped his hand on a towel and brought out his phone. "But you will have to make me a promise first. You pay me first before I give it to you."

"Why would I do that?" Dominic's voice turned cold as he leaned forward into the table. His dark grey eyes pierced that of Diego like a sword. "How sure am I this is not a scam?"

"You may not trust me," Diego replied, munching happily. "But I do not trust you either. I might tell you what it is and you will obtain it without me. I know you will get it very illegally and then I am stuck. I will be doomed by Juan."

"So what do you propose I do?" Dominic hissed. "Hand you a heavy sum and hope it isn't something stupid."

"We draw up a blood contract now. That if it is worth your while, you will pay immediately."

Dominic shrugged and then gave a sick smile. "You have learnt well, that I play dirty most times. I don't like a fair game."

The contract was handwritten by one of Dominic's men and a knife at the table was used to draw blood from both men's thumbs. They placed it at the bottom of the two papers as a signature.

"So?" Dominic prodded.

Diego pulled out his phone, revealing a picture of Arya where she was smiling at the beach. She had been unaware he was taking a picture of her and it made the image more beautiful.

"She is beautiful," Dominic commented. "But Juan would only want to sleep with her and then that's all. That does not matter to me."

"Of course," Diego smiled, then he began to play a recording of his conversation that night starting from where he told Juan he could give out his daughter to pay off his debt.

"You fail to see the bigger picture!" Diego sighed, rubbing his beer belly. "She is the kind that Juan pays heftily to serve his VIP guests. And he is low on such staff because of confidentiality. If he buys her, there is no need for a confidentiality contract because he owns her. He can choose where she goes, what she does and things like that."

"Hmm." Dominic appeared deep in thought.

"You are also low on such staff yourself. From what I saw tonight, he really wants her. I hung around the bar to watch what he would do. Juan to talk to her, he even shut his girlfriend up because of her. If you have her, more clients will show up for you and it's not something Juan will want. Let me give her to you instead."

"Your daughter huh?" Dominic laughed. "You don't have dignity."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"But she is a grown woman."

"She hasn't been able to escape my roof for how long and she is naive. I can hand her right over to you if I please. She is someone you can easily abduct as well."

"I see," Dominic murmured. "I'll take your offer. Name your price."