Chapter 10

Vanessa

Nataliya finally goes to the highest bidder, an older, smug-looking man in an expensive suit. The auctioneer's gravel bangs down, sealing her fate. The room erupts in applause, the men congratulating the man as if he's won the lottery.

Bile rises in my throat, but I swallow it back down. It's almost over. It's almost over, I chant to myself, trying to calm my racing heart.

Viktor sits down beside Diego. "Senator Joe Thomas bought her for ten mil. I get to kill the bastard once all of this is over, right?" he murmurs, his voice low and filled with restrained fury.

"A deal is a deal," Diego responds, his tone cold and calculated. His hand remains over mine, reminding me to be patient. Within three months, we'll have the answers we need.

Once the auction is over, the men gather in small groups, the building filled with loud talking and laughing. The man who won Nataliya, approaches us, her following behind him, still naked with a diamond collar and leash around her n