I watched from my seat as the first girl was dragged into the center of the spotlight.
The bright white light fell harshly on her fragile body, making her look even smaller than she already was. She flinched when the host grabbed her arm and spun her around slowly, like he was presenting a rare artifact instead of a human being.
"Beautiful structure," he said casually into the microphone, tilting her chin left and right for the audience to see. "Healthy, obedient and well-trained."
A few low laughs echoed across the hall.
I tightened my Jaws, he made another crude remark about her body and more laughter followed, the kind that came from men who had long forgotten what humanity felt like.
Then he placed two fingers under her jaw commanding her to open her mouth.
The girl hesitated. His smile disappeared.
"I said open."
Slowly, she obeyed. He leaned forward slightly, inspecting her teeth like she was some livestock. "Strong teeth," he announced. "No damage. No decay. She could survive harsh conditions." He chuckled lightly. "Almost like a young wolf."
More laughter erupted from the hall.
My fingers curled slowly against the armrest. He pressed a hand briefly against her shoulder and arm. "Good muscle condition too," he continued. "This one could make an excellent labor asset. Strong enough to work. Trainable enough to obey. An investment that can return profit."
The word profit made something cold move inside my chest. He stepped back and raised his hand. "Starting price…"
He announced the number and Immediately, paddles began to rise.
One. Two. Five.
The movements were calm as casual wealth was being thrown around like spare change.
Some bidders didn't even bother raising paddles. Screens on the side displayed silent digital bids coming from the VVIP rooms above, hidden buyers watching from behind darkened glass where nobody could see their faces. Like predators hunting from the shadows.
"Going once… going twice…" the host spoke quickly, his voice smooth with experience. "Any other offers?"
I lifted my paddle calmly, gesturing a silent signal and the numbers increased. A few heads turned slightly curious in my direction.
Then another paddle was lifted by someone else, increasing the number higher.
We were about to lose her to another bidder. From my seat, I slowly turned my head toward the opposing bidder.
He sat a few rows across, dressed in a long black cloak that fell heavily around his shoulders. A dark hat shadowed the upper part of his face, and a thick black mask concealed the rest of his features. But his posture and body builds, the quiet authority in the way he sat without moving… I already knew who it was.
Almost as if he could feel my stare, he slowly turned his head in my direction. Our eyes met for a brief moment. Even behind the thick mask covering his face, there was something unsettling about his gaze.
For a second, it felt like he could see past my disguise. Past the mask. Past the identity I was wearing tonight. Like he recognized me. A cold chill ran down my spine. I quickly lowered my head, breaking the eye contact before the moment could stretch any further.
My fingers remained steady on the paddle, but inside, my instincts were already on alert. Beside me, Kael leaned slightly closer, his voice tiny and soft "Stay calm," he murmured. "Don't react."
I gave the smallest nod. Across the room, the opposing bidder returned his attention to the stage as the host finalized the transaction for the girl. The sound of the gavel hitting the table echoed softly.
"Sold."
Kael slowly rose from his seat, his movements casual, like a man simply going to stretch his legs. Without drawing attention, he made his way toward the bar area while the next girl was brought forward and the bidding continued.
Another girl was presented. Then another.
Each announcement sounded like another wound being opened inside my chest, but I forced myself to focus. Timing mattered more than emotion right now.
When the next bidding opened, I raised my paddle again. This time I didn't hesitate.
The numbers climbed. A few competitors tried to outbid me, but I pushed higher without showing impatience. Eventually, the room lost interest. "Sold." The gavel fell.
Shortly after, I repeated the same process for another girl. Silent dominance. No unnecessary attention. "Sold."
Two girls secured, two lives closer to freedom.
Minutes later, Kael returned, carrying two glasses of champagne like nothing important had happened. He sat beside me smoothly and handed one glass to me without looking directly at my face.
I accepted it, holding the glass more as a prop than a drink. He leaned slightly toward me as if making a casual comment about the auction. "Everything is set in order," he whispered quietly into my ear. "Our men are ready."
A small smile formed beneath my mask, Right on cue, the lights suddenly went out. As darkness swallowed the hall.
For a brief second there was silence, then panic began. "What the hell..?" "What's happening?" "Security!" Voices rose from every corner as confusion spread across the room. Chairs shifted. Glasses fell. Some men instinctively reached inside their jackets where weapons were likely hidden.
But surprisingly, most remained seated. Dangerous men who were already used to danger, remained calm and unshaken.
Emergency torches flickered on one after another, thin beams of white light cutting through the darkness. Security personnel immediately moved into action, speaking urgently into their earpieces.
"Remain calm, gentlemen," the host's voice echoed through a backup speaker system, though the confidence in his voice had slightly cracked. "It appears to be a minor technical issue. Our team is resolving it immediately. Please remain seated."
A few guards rushed toward the power control room. I remained calm, watching every moment. Inside me, I already knewy men were at work. This was the phase two of our rescue mission, I couldn't possibly buy all the girls without drawing dangerous attention. So we created another way.
Then the fire alarm went off. A loud, piercing sound tore through the building and that was when real chaos began.
"This is not a drill!"
"Evacuate!"
"Move!"
This time the room truly scattered. Even the most composed buyers began moving toward the exits. Security switched priorities instantly.
Protect the assets, the host sounded through the speaker. The girls were quickly unchained and forced off the stage, guards pushing them toward the transport vehicles outside. The auction had collapsed and their instinct was to secure their merchandise before anything else went wrong.
Exactly what we predicted and exactly what we needed.
Kael and I moved quickly but without running, blending into the controlled chaos as we exited the warehouse. The cold night air hit my face as we stepped outside toward the parked vehicles.
Kael held the two girls I had purchased, keeping them close and moving fast toward our SUV. The real rescue mission would happen during transport. Vehicle interception. Route diversion and Extraction. So far everything was going smoothly as planned.
Then...."Eliana." My blood froze.
The sound of my name hit me harder than any gunshot, I stopped walking.
The noise around me faded into nothing.
Kael was no longer beside me. Men were running. Vehicles starting. Orders being shouted. But somehow I stood completely alone near the warehouse entrance.
One thought echoed inside my head, I thought I covered my identity pretty well.
How did he know?
Slowly… I turned and our eyes met again.
This time there was no mask between us.
The Don removed his mask completely, his cold gaze locking onto mine with dangerous certainty. His expression wasn't surprised.
It was satisfied.
I forced myself to remain still. Unshaken. Unafraid. Even with my mask still hiding my face, I lifted my chin slightly, refusing to show weakness. If he wanted fear, he wouldn't get it.
His men began to surround us quietly, forming a circle that cut off every possible escape.
The Don stepped closer. Close enough that only I could hear his next words. And when he spoke, my heart nearly stopped beating.
"Did you really think I wouldn't recognize the girl I personally trained?"