Elena POV
The air outside was colder than I expected. It hit my skin, sharp and real, cutting through the haze just enough to make me aware again.
"Move." The voice beside me was sharp and impatient. A hand pressing against my back, urging me forward. My legs were weak, though they trembled with every step.
The drug was still heavy in my veins, making everything heavy and distant. I lifted my head slightly, forcing my eyes to focus, and then I saw him. He was standing a few feet away. Not pacing but waiting like a man who never waited for anything in his life.
He was taller than everyone around him; his presence filled the atmosphere without effort. Broad shoulders, dark suit, and posture straight.
Behind him was a car, and it wasn't just any car. It was a statement. A Tesla Model 3, sleek, black, and expensive. Everything about him felt so routined and disciplined. Like, this wasn't their first time, and I couldn't imagine how many girls had come before me. The thought made my chest tighten. The way he carried himself suggested he was used to getting what he wanted. My heart raced as I tried to gauge his intentions, wondering if I was just another name on his list. A part of me wanted to believe I could be different, but doubts crept in. I was guided into the car, the leather seat cool beneath me.
The door shut with a soft clock that felt louder in my mind. He entered from the other side a moment later.
I felt trapped by his presence. The space felt smaller and not because of his size but because of him. He didn't say anything; he just sat there. His posture was relaxed but controlled, his presence overwhelming even in silence.
The car started moving. I watched the city lights blur past the window. My reflection is barely showing in the glass. My hair was loose, falling around my shoulders in soft waves that someone had styled carefully. My skin looked pale under the dim light. My eyes looked empty, and my body felt weak, like I had already disappeared.
"Drink." The word cut through my thoughts.
I blinked, looking startled. He was holding a bottle of water. For a second, I just stared at the bottle. My mind lagged, trying to catch up.
Was it safe? Was it another test? As if everything felt like a test now.
"Drink," he repeated, his tone unchanged. Not kind. Not impatient either.
Trying to trust myself, my hands moved slowly, almost hesitantly, before taking the bottle from him. My fingers brushed his hands for a second. His skin was warm and mine felt freezing. I twisted the cap open and took a small sip. Surprisingly, the water helped more than I expected. It cleared my dry throat.
"Thank you," I whispered; the word even came out before I could stop it. I regretted them immediately. The silence that came after stretched too long. I felt his gaze on me again before taking his eyes off me.
"Do you think all men buy you? He paused. The question hit harder than it should have. My head snapped up, panic flooding through me.
"No, I wanted..."
"Relax," he cuts me off, not allowing me to finish my statement.
"I don't care what you wanted to say," he said.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay quiet.
Everything was dangerous, and speaking felt dangerous. The drive felt endless, or maybe time was just slower than usual. I couldn't tell. Every now and then, I glanced at him. I couldn't help it.
He hadn't said a word; he hadn't moved much. Just stay there, watching the road ahead. It was hard to tell that there was something unsettling about his stillness. Like a predator conserving energy.
When the car finally stopped, I looked up. I saw a tall black imposing gate. They opened without hesitation, showing a long driveway that stretched toward something massive in the distance. A house, I assumed at first, but it wasn't a house; it was an estate. It didn't look like him; it looked like a fortress. My stomach tightened.
"This is where I am going to live." The thought made me shiver.
Suddenly, the car stopped. He stepped out first. Everything about him suggested principles.
"Bring her," someone said.
"No," he ordered, calm but final.
"I became confused. Why shouldn't they help me?" I asked myself.
My door opened, letting the night air in, making me colder. I stared at the ground for a moment before forcing my legs to move. I wasn't going to be carried or touched. My body tilted forward as my heel caught slightly on the edge of the pavement. For a second, I thought I was going to fall, but luckily I caught myself. I straightened quickly, trying to control my dizziness. And when I looked up, he was watching me with no concern on his face but something I couldn't understand.
Stepping inside the mansion, everything was quiet. People moved around us, but no one spoke. The room was filled with a silence that hung heavily in the air. It was a silence that felt more like a weight, pressing down on everyone present. Conversations had ceased, leaving only the sound of shallow breaths. Tension swirled around like a thick fog, making it difficult to think clearly. Eyes darted nervously, avoiding contact as unspoken words lingered. Each moment stretched out. It was a silence that demanded to be broken yet felt impossible to shatter. No one looked at me; they were all focusing on whatever they had to do. Like I wasn't supposed to be here.
"Prepare a room," he said.
A woman nodded. "The guest wing?" The woman asked.
"Yes," he answered back.
...........................
Moments later, the stairs felt endless. As I climbed with every step, it took more effort than it should have. My body was still fighting the drugs, still trying to regain control. I clenched onto the railing lightly, focusing on not collapsing.
"Stay conscious," his voice came from just behind me.
"I'm trying," I murmured. It was the truth.
When we finally reached the room, I stepped inside slowly and stopped. It was magnificent. The room was so beautiful. A large bed, the chandelier hanging at the top of the room, and clean and elegant furniture. The perfume scent smelled so nice. Everything was calm and perfect, but a cage didn't stop being a cage just because it was pretty.
"Is this room mine?" I asked quietly.
"For now," he responded.
The answer didn't comfort me. It made me uncomfortable.
"What happens now? What am I expected to do? I turned to face him fully.
He stepped closer and closer, not touching, but I could feel his breath touch my skin. Just close enough to remind me how much space he occupied. I am small, nothing compared to him, as his height outweighs me.
"Now," he said, his voice low, "you listen carefully."
My body became alert.
"I didn't buy you for pleasure," he continued.
Confusion flickered through me.
"I bought you for something far different," he said, sounding cold.
The words hit like a shock. He watched me closely, observing my reaction.
"You're going to marry me," he stated without hesitation.
I froze for some time, trying to figure out if I heard him right. "Marry him?" The word baffled me. Nothing about this made sense to me.
"And in return," he said, "you live." Silence filled the room.
"And if you refuse," he added calmly, "I will return you to the auction."
My heart skipped at the mention of hearing what he said. My mind raced. My mind flashed back to the stage. The voices, the eyes. My memory immediately remembered the second-highest bidder. The way he had looked at me.
My stomach twisted violently.
"Please…" I whispered. "Don't."
His voice cut through mine instantly. "I don't respond to begging."
I closed my mouth and swallowed hard, forcing myself to think.
"I need to survive, survive, and I think that's all that matters. I can't go back to that place," I thought to myself. After thinking through it, I muttered out.
"I'll do it," I said quietly.
The words felt like chains wrapping around me.
But I didn't hesitate; I couldn't afford to.
He studied me for a long moment. Like he was trying to see something beneath the surface.
Something I didn't even know was there. Then he turned.
"Get some rest," he said as his back faces me. "Tomorrow, we begin."
"Begin what?" I asked softly.
He paused at the door.
Then looked back at me. "Our arrangement." The door closed behind him.
And just like that I was alone. I stood there for a long time, not moving, just numb as I began to think about my condition. Then slowly, I looked around the room; I spotted the bathroom as I forced my leg to move towards the bathroom. Later on, I got myself changed as I stepped out of the bathroom.
I sank onto the bed, my hands gripping the sheets tightly.I lay down slowly, staring at the ceiling.
Tears burned behind my eyes; I couldn't hold them. I felt like something had been taken away from me. I felt so shattered. Everything felt too big and too fast, but one thought crossed my mind: why did he choose me?