CHAPTER 7: BREEDING AUCTION
They weren't here to see her skin. were here to see who she'd break first,body or ego
The rumor spread faster than the water.
Within a night after the meeting, the entire underground elite of Blackhaven had spread the word that the two empires had decided to "show off" the cause of peace.
Not with a press conference or a trade agreement. But with a private auction only for those who were alowed to live normally at the level of knowing too much.
The location was the Subterranea Room, 4th floor, South Basement. There was no sign of this place, and no camera. No emergency exit, faster way.
The door could only be opened by Viktor and Diego's simultaneous fingerprints. The two men stood side by side, not looking, but placing their hands on the board together.
The door opened. Cold air poured out from the room, like it was in the arctic.
Evelyn entered after them, still wearing a silver collar around her neck, but today there was no chain.
No need anymore because the valuable thing will not run away on its own.
The room is large, in the middle is a stage illuminated by half-dark, half-bright red lights. The surrounding audience is not a row of seats, but leather armchairs with enough distance so that the person sitting there cannot see the expression of the person next to them.
The faces appear one by one, the thin-lipped person who once sold children at the border, There is also a former congressman who lost his position because of bribery and tax evasion, and the casino owner who once paid assassins to kill a few people, the rest are people with no names, only reputations.
Some people have no names, only reputations
They did not come to see Evelyn as a woman, They came to see the product that made the two factions of the territory peaceful with each other.
Viktor stepped forward, empty-handed without a microphone. With just one sentence, the hall fell silent:
"This is the reason why the war between the two sides stopped, if itt dies, everything will be in vain."
The light shone down on Evelyn.
There was no music or drums, instead all eyes were focused on her.
Just eyes.
And for the people in this room, eyes were sharper than knives.
Diego stepped up behind her, placing his hand on her spine, not squeezing.
A light touch, but enough to convey the message:
You belong to two people, not one
A man leaned back in his chair, curling his lips: "Is this the girl who stopped you guys firing missiles? I thought she was at least a genetically modified assassin, or a CIA hostage."
Evelyn looked straight at him, her voice unwavering:
"I'm not the reason the war stopped. You just needed an excuse!"
The room burst into laughter, not loudly, but in unison as if they all understood the same thing:
The truth doesn't matter, only the story being told is worth telling.
Viktor watched her tilt his head, as if assessing whether she should keep quiet or bite back.
Diego smiled a razorthin smile:
"Do you think I have any other choice?"
She replied immediately: "My only choice is the way I am standing in this cage."
"No," Viktor said, his voice low. "Your only choice is to stand or lie down."
The room fell silent for heartbeat.
Not because it was dirty, because it was true.
A man raised his hand: "What's the starting price?"
Evelyn spun around, her eyes cold as ice:
"I'm not for sale."
He laughed, but his laugh wasn't cruel, it was sincere:
"You're wrong. No one here sells you."
He pointted to the two men standing behind her.
"They sell the right to see it with you."
Another asked: "Then what's the price?"
Diego shrugged, reaching into the strap behind her shoulder, but only lifted it up and let it down, not undoing it, just suggesting.
"A night watching Blackhaven reminds me who's at the center," he said. "No possession or touching, lo. Just looking."
A silver-haired man spoke slowly. "Just looking is dangerous. If you look too long, people will want to own it."
Viktor answered for her: "Then let's see if your body or our guns are faster?"
Evelyn took a deep breath. Not because of shame.
Because she realized she was not a prize.
She was a contract to…
Existence to keep others within the boundaries.
The ceiling lights gradually dimmed. A transparent glass curtain rose around the stage.
Not to hide Evelyn from the gaze. But to hide the audience from themselves, like a church placing a statue of a saint behind a silk curtain.
Viktor pressed close behind her, his hand on her lower abdomen, holding her steady.
Not rough or urgent, Just holding her hand still. As if if he let go, she would fall out of this world.
Diego stepped forward, leaning so the light fell on her collarbone, his voice echoing throughout the room:
"Tonight's auction isn't about touching the body." He curled his fingerrs under her chin, forcing her to look up.
"Tonight's about understanding."
A breath caught in the air.
"Understanding that peace is built on a body that hasn't broken."
Some bowed their heads, others sneered.
But no one denied it.
---
A man at the back of the room asked, "What if she betrays you two?"
Viktor didn't look at him. He looked at Evelyn.
"If you betray us," he said, slowly, word by word, "the city will explode into pieces."
Diego added, "But if you're loyal…" He brushed his finger across her jaw, very lightly.
"…then the world will be at your feet."
Evelyn closed her eyes for a moment.
Not for pleasure, not for submission.
Because she realized she was being thrust into a role thatno one else in the world was capable of carrying.
A role with no lines, only consequences
.
Tonight, Evelyn was on diisplay. Tomorrow, they would test whether she could swallow power, or only know how to swallow something else.