One of them lifts a hand lazily. “How much are we starting at?”
The room erupts in murmurs—numbers, currencies, offers.
I freeze, the world tilting around me.
They’re bargaining.For me.
One of the men stands, smooth and deliberate, a grin splitting his face. He’s tall, pale, his suit sharp enough to slice through the tension. I recognize him—an arms dealer from one of my father’s parties. His name sits on the edge of my memory like a bad taste.
He walks toward me, holding a small velvet box. My stomach knots.
“This,” he says, flicking it open to reveal a diamond ring, “will be yours. Before sunrise, you’ll be my bride.”
His voice is oily, smug, and I can smell his cologne. It’s rich and suffocating.
My entire body goes cold. Bride?
Before I can stop myself, I spit—hard—right in his face.
Gasps ripple through the room.
He freezes, then wipes his cheek slowly, eyes narrowing with something dark and cruel. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
The slap comes fast and sharp. My head snaps to the side, the sting radiating through my jaw, my vision blurring.
“Enough,” my father’s voice booms from across the room. He doesn’t even look at me. “Take her back inside. Let her learn her lesson.”
Hands grab me again, rough and unrelenting. As they drag me away, I lock eyes with my father one last time—searching, begging for something human. But all I see is greed.
The door slams shut behind me, and the echo feels like a verdict.
Chapter 24 – Roman
I sit in my office, the faint hum of the monitors filling the space, my jaw tight, my fists clenching and unclenching. Every piece of intel Luka feeds me tightens the knot in my chest.
“She’s not just been kidnapped,” I mutter to no one in particular. “She’s being used as currency.”
Luka leans over the table, his eyes grim. “David never intended to keep her. He’s auctioning her off to the highest bidder. Foreign buyers are already on site—her security detail has been beefed up by them as well. They’re all there for the same reason: She’s the prize.”
I close my eyes, letting the weight of it hit me fully. Every plan, every strategy I laid out—it all boils down to one thing: getting her back, alive, unharmed. My mind races, breaking down entry points, security layers, potential escape routes.
“And where is she now?” I ask, my voice low and lethal. “Has Dimitri given us any intel yet?”
Luka taps at his tablet. “His guess is that she’s been moved to a fortified estate on the outskirts of the city. Walls, cameras, armed guards, mercenaries loyal to Chang, and the buyers’ private armies. It’s a fortress, Roman. He says she’s not going to be easy to reach. He’s trying to confirm how legit the intel is.”
I rise, pacing. The air in the room feels heavy, thick with tension, as if even the walls are aware of my fury. Every thought, every instinct screams: get her back.
“Fuck,” I growl. “I don’t care how many layers they throw up. I’ll burn it down if I have to. I’ll rip every man who touches her to pieces. David Chang will pay.”
“He will.”
The door slams open, and Lev, Niko, and Adrian fill the doorway. Lev’s jaw is tight. Niko’s hands are already in his pockets, pretending casual; Adrian’s eyes are the hard kind that weigh risk like a ledger.
“You have news?” I cut straight to it.
“No.” Lev shakes his head. “Nothing new. Why would he show his hand so fast?”
“Dimitri’s on the auctions—black market chatter, private buyers. He’s digging.” I keep my voice level because if I let it spike, I’ll lose them. “As soon as he pins down the buyer network, we hit the location. Quick. Clean. Extraction only.”
