Enslaved and tortured, she believed darkness had consumed her completely. But then, this man appeared: The Devil, a man shrouded in shadows and mystery. Drawn to his brute strength and dangerous aura, she longed for his protection. However, her love for this dark man dragged her into a deadly game. Can she escape his clutches and find happiness, or will she be trapped forever in his world of shadows?
Here I am, huddled in a cage so small I can barely move, my skin cold against the metal bars that remind me how trapped I am. I'm wearing a threadbare dress, so short and thin that it reveals more than it covers, exposing my vulnerability to these monsters who stare at us as if we were mere objects. Each of their eyes slides over my body like a repulsive caress, as if they already own me, even if they haven't paid the price for it yet. The thought turns my stomach.
In the distance, the raspy voices of men mix with the hum of the fluorescent lights above our heads. They're bidding on us, on the girls trapped in this hell with me. Their numbers are thrown into the air with the same indifference as if they were gambling in a casino, not understanding or perhaps not caring that they are deciding the fate of a human life. Their laughter is like claws tearing at what little remains of my sanity.
I look at the blonde in the cage next to me. She's shaking, though she tries not to show it too much. The way she bites her lips hard, almost to the point of bleeding, tells me she's scared. I don't blame her. Fear is our most faithful companion here. She, like me, has learned to keep quiet. We know that words are of no use in this place, they only make things worse. I spoke up the first few weeks, I screamed and cried, but all I got was punishment. Silence is our only weapon, even if it can barely protect us from the inevitable.
"And here we have the blonde girl," the host announces with a smile that makes my hair stand on end. As if he's showing off the latest model of car at a luxury auction. She shivers more when he points at her, but she remains silent.
The numbers start to go up. "500 thousand," an old man says. I don't recognize his face, but I know who he is. He's always here, buying girls one by one. Another man holds up his sign. "800 thousand." Prices are rising rapidly. I feel a pang in my chest every time someone else bids. It's like they're putting a price on our souls.
Finally, the old man wins the bid with "900 thousand." The blonde will be his. I can't imagine what awaits her, but I know it will be horrible. She knows what's coming, and yet, I watch her struggle to keep her composure. A whisper of hope dies on my lips. There's no hope here, only darkness.
Tomorrow, it will be my turn.
They haven't sold me yet because I'm underage, but that ends tomorrow, when I turn 18. They know that. They're waiting anxiously, like hungry wolves stalking their prey. They have rules here: they don't sell the girls until they're of age, but in the meantime, they rent us out. Over these two years, I've been rented out too many times to count, but they've kept me intact for one reason only. A virgin girl is worth more, much more.
But what they can't take away from me, what they can't sell, is how disgusting I feel inside. Even though I'm still technically a virgin, I feel dirtier than anything else. They've touched me too many times. Their hands have left invisible marks on my skin, scars that will never heal. No matter how much I bathe, no matter how much I scrub, I always feel dirty. Every time I close my eyes, I relive those moments. Disgust consumes me. I'm not me anymore. I'm a shadow of my former self, an empty shell.
"And here's our specialty for today," the host says, pointing at me.
I knew this moment would come. My heart pounds in my chest, but I don't show anything on my face. I've learned not to react, not to let them see how much it affects me. They won't sell me today, not yet, but they will rent me out, as they have so many times before. The room erupts in murmurs. They look at me, they size me up. I'm a trophy to them, an object of desire they long to possess.
"The girl we all love," the host smiles, as if this were some kinds of fun show.
The signs go up once more, the bids fly around the room, and I can only stare at the floor, wishing for this all to end. I feel empty, like my soul has already been ripped from me. I want to disappear, dissolve into thin air, but I can't. I'm trapped, condemned to continue living this hell.
Finally, the host closes the bidding. "A million to Mr. Campbell."
The name sends a chill down my spine. Campbell. That man is a monster, the same one who bought my best friend a year ago. I haven't seen her since. Deep down I know she's dead, but I cling to the illusion that maybe, just maybe, she's still alive. It's a lie I repeat to myself over and over, because the truth would be too painful to accept.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to prepare myself for what's coming. The thought of what Campbell will do to me turns my stomach. I want to vomit. I want to scream. I want to die. But I don't do any of those things. I hold myself still, like a broken doll, waiting to be used and then tossed aside.
Sometimes, I wonder why I keep fighting, why I haven't found a way to end all of this. I've tried, I swear. I've searched for ways to end my life, but I always fail. It's like even to die is a failure. The universe mocks me, denying me even the comfort of death. I feel like a mistake, a mistake that should never have been born. I'm paying for that mistake now.
I expect nothing from this world. Heaven, earth, none have given me reasons to believe in anything but this endless pain. I'm alone. I always have been. And that won't change.
"Is it that hard?" I whisper, even though I know no one is listening.
I don't want to open my eyes ever again. I just want peace, a rest that has been denied me since I entered this place. But that is an impossible wish. This world has no mercy for girls like me.
The host takes me by the arm, dragging me out of the cage. My body is tense, fear runs through me from head to toe, but I don't bother to fight anymore. I just hope that this time it will be quick, that this man will use me and leave me alone. But I know that won't be the case.
I look at the floor as I am led to my destination. The murmurs of the room follow me like a dark cloud, and the cold of the hallway's seeps under my skin. My heart beats so fast that it feels like it will explode at any moment, but at the same time, I feel a complete disconnection from my body. As if I am no longer me, as if my soul left this place a long time ago.
Tomorrow will be worse.
Tomorrow, they will sell me.
A party that gets out of control An infidelity that breaks my heart Betrayals, secrets, and truths coming to light They accuse me of a crime I didn't commit, but I will prove my innocence. I don't remember much, just a few gray eyes that became my salvation in more ways than one.
She... a sweet, tender, delicate and insecure woman, expelled from her family. He... a man scarred by battles, strong, confident, strict and known for being cruel A favor that united two people beyond a friendship. They were polar opposites. The attraction was irremediable. 3 months were enough to love each other.
Ares wants revenge and for that alone, he has returned to Olympus, but he will meet a muse who will make him rethink his priorities. Although it may not seem like it to him. War has always been his only love, the only reason for his existence, he enjoys the pleasures that his divinity grants him but everything changes from one moment to another. Can Ares admit that he has a heart? Will he accept that he not only loves war but also loves love? Only a muse can be the reason for his existence and make him know true happiness, but not everything is easy, can the gods of Olympus separate them? Revenge, love, betrayal, and drama ... I invite you to know the other side of the God of war.
A bastard like him shouldn't have her ... A woman like her shouldn't be wasting herself on someone who doesn't know how to treat a lady. She does not interest me what they think, she will be for me. I am the one who will make her enjoy it and worship as the goddess that she is. Go ahead, you can judge me ... but I want and want for myself, my brother's wife. And I won't stop until I get it. My name is Santino and this is the story of how an unusual woman snatched away the calm and peace that she had in my life. Alexa came to me in the simplest way possible and without doing anything to get my attention, but my brother was the trigger that the passion that existed in me focused on his girl, and in his attempt to be better than me, he committed the mistake of unleashing a forbidden love between her and me.
I am not the type of girl who attracts men, my life is not very social and my best friend is my cat Salem. He dedicated me to writing, hanging out with my brother, and sometimes with my few friends. Everything was normal until that Valentine's Day when everything changed for me. Two men burst into my life as if they were earthquakes, their auras indicating danger and they enveloped me in their life as if I had belonged there. My mother always said that men with tattoos were a danger and a problem for girls. But these two Greek gods got me and now I'm part of the mob. This is my story
Lailah Gazth had her whole life planned, but her world falls apart when her best friend Alison dies in a car accident, caused by nothing more and nothing less than the young criminal Azael Grimm or so he calls himself ... Lailah decides to take a risk and report him, getting a trial in which they will debate whether he is guilty or not, but that will be in three months, the same time Azael has to make her fall in love and prevent her from testifying against him and thus not go to jail. Will she get it? What consequences could she bring to her after her?
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
My boyfriend called, "Baby!" as he jumped out of bed and scrambled to pull his pants off the ground. "Please, I can explain my love." Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply and tried not to cry when I realized that my dream of the man not being my boyfriend had been dashed. "What?" I asked, "What do you want to explain?" How did you lie about having a business meeting while you were in bed enjoying yourself with my best friend, even though I told you I was in serious pain, is that it?" I stood there, my heart pounding, and tears streaming down my face...
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but Little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.
Eliana was framed by her best friend and her fiance into sleeping with a boy toy in the club and getting impregnated by him. Five years after she had given birth to twins, she returned home and worked under the Moran Group, where she met the CEO-- Maurice. Maurice was a brilliant businessman who did his job well. But in order to stay under the radar, he lived a double life. One as Maurice, and one as Preston. Fate brought the two together again, roping them in on an exciting love story. It all became more complicated when Eliana faced Preston, the man she had slept with before, once again. Now that she was being pursued by two men, how could she ever choose? When would Eliana uncover the secret of Maurice's identity? When was Maurice going to know that he already had two children of his own? How would Eliana face this man when the truth came to light one day? Come and find out.
Three years ago, Cecilia was left battered and alone by the man she loved most, Alston, yet she bravely completed the wedding ceremony while pregnant. Three years later, although they were married, they grew apart over time. Cecilia focused on her career, no longer foolishly believing in love. But her transformation instantly threw Alston into a panic... And what is the secret from 11 years ago that Cecilia has always been reluctant to reveal? *** "She went to a law firm, met with a lawyer..." A lawyer? Is Cecilia suing someone? Who? Is there any recent litigation against the company? Alston suddenly chuckled coldly, "Who could she sue? I'm the CEO of this company. How come such a matter doesn't come to me first?" The assistant swallowed nervously, speaking softly, "Sir, there's no litigation against the company. She met with... a divorce lawyer."