The billionaire's game

A shove between my shoulders sent me stumbling forward. The spotlight was blinding.

‎"Lot Forty-Seven! Step right up! Let's see our mystery prize!" The auctioneer's voice was a slick, oily thing that slid over the crowd.

‎I clutched the edges of my cheap black dress. Don't faint Lys. Breathe. For Elara.

‎"And what a mystery she is! Gentlemen, ladies, we offer one exclusive evening. The nature of this evening?" He paused, letting the silence get heavy, letting them all imagine whatever they wanted. "That is for the winning bidder to decide. Do I hear fifty thousand to start?"

‎My heart was a frantic drum against my ribs. Fifty thousand. That’s the first payment. Just say fifty. Please.

‎A grunt came from the back. "Fifty!"

‎"Sixty!" a sharper voice snapped.

‎"Seventy-five!"

‎The numbers started to climb. Each one was a shot of adrenaline, a shot of pure terror. It’s working. It’s actually working.

‎"One hundred twenty thousand!" the auctioneer crowed. "Do I hear one-thirty? One-thirty for a night you won't forget?"

‎I squeezed my eyes shut behind the mask. Elara, hold on. I’m doing it. I’m really doing it.

‎Then a voice cut through the noise. It wasn't loud. It was cold. Absolute. It froze the very air in the room.

‎"One million."

‎The silence was immediate. Total. My eyes flew open. I didn't need to search for the source. Everyone was already looking at him. Cassian Vale. Unmasked. Of course he doesn't need one, he's The Cassian Vale. The founder and face of Vale global media, one of the biggest entertainment empire. His eyes, the colour of a winter storm, were locked on me. Only me.

‎The auctioneer sputtered. "M-Mr. Vale! A… a magnificent offer! Do we have one million one hundred?"

‎Cassian didn't even glance his way. "For the entirety of the terms," he said, each word a chip of ice. "Unnegotiated."

‎"The… the entirety sir? But the terms are for the—"

‎"Un. Negotiated."

‎The finality in his voice left no room for argument. This wasn't a bid. It was a seizure.

‎"Right! Of course! Unnegotiated terms! One million dollars! Going once… Going twice—"

‎"Bullshit!" A drunk in a lion mask lurched out of the crowd, his words slurred. "Vale hoardin' the only interesting thing here? Let's see what he's payin' for!"

‎I tried to back away. "Don't—"

‎His hand shot out, grabbing the edge of my mask. I heard the elastic snap, a sound as small and final as a neck breaking. The mask clattered to the floor.

‎The spotlight hit my full face. I felt naked. Exposed. My hair fell loose around my shoulders. A wave of gasps rolled over me. I saw their eyes widen, their hungry stares devour me. The hidden thing my life depended on was gone.

‎The drunk grinned, reaching a sweaty hand toward my cheek. "Well, helloooo—"

‎Crack.

‎One moment he was leering. The next, he was on his knees, screaming, his wrist bent at a sickening angle. Cassian stood between us, his expression utterly calm. He hadn't even seemed to move.

‎He didn't look at the man writhing at his feet. His eyes were still on me. When he spoke, his voice was low, a private threat for everyone to hear.

‎"Touch what's mine again," he said, so softly I almost didn't catch it. "And you lose the hand."

‎He released the man. Then he turned to me and held out his hand. Palm up. A command.

‎"Come."

‎I stared at it. One million dollars. Elara is safe. The debt is gone. The math was simple. The cost was everything.

‎My own hand trembled as I lifted it. When my fingers touched his, his grip was like iron. Cold. Unyielding. He didn't pull me; he simply turned, and I had no choice but to follow or be dragged. The crowd parted for him without a sound.

‎The heavy doors to the main hall shut behind us, sealing off the noise. The sudden quiet in the private elevator was deafening. I pressed myself against the wall.

‎"Why me?" The words were a ragged whisper. "Why would you pay that?"

‎ His gaze was a physical weight on my body. "Because I wanted to."

‎"A million dollars… for what?"

‎"I bought you," he said, his voice flat. "The terms are unnegotiated. That means all of them."

‎The elevator doors opened to a private garage. A silent driver held the door of a black car. Cassian guided me in with a hand on my back. Not in a gentle way. Proprietary.

‎The car moved silently through the night. I watched the city lights blur.

‎"Where are you taking me?"

‎"Home."

‎"Your home?"

‎"Yes."

‎"My sister… her treatment…"

‎"It's done."

‎The rest of the ride passed in a silence so thick I could taste it. We finally stopped underground. He led me to a private elevator that opened directly into a foyer. The place was vast, all cold marble and sharp edges. It felt like no one lived here. It felt like a museum.

‎He stopped in front of a set of double doors.

‎"This is your place from now on," he said.

‎"I… my things. I have a bag—"

‎"You don't need it." His grey eyes held mine, stripping me bare more effectively than the spotlight had. "You'll stay for six months, you must be available. You can't leave. You won't contact anyone and your sister's life will be taken care of. Do you understand the transaction?"

‎"Available for what?" I hated the shake in my voice.

‎"Whatever I decide." He placed a hand on the door handle. "Test me, Lysandra, and the consequences will be disastrous. For you, and for her."

‎He pushed the door open. The room beyond was huge, impersonal, dominated by a bed that looked like it had never been slept in.

‎He didn't say another word. He just waited.

‎I took a breath that felt like it might be my last. Elara, forgive me. I walked past him into the room.

‎The door clicked shut behind me. The sound was so soft, so final.

‎I was all alone. I sank to the floor, the cold marble seeping through my dress. I wrapped my arms around my knees, making myself small.

‎Outside, I heard his footsteps walk away. Each one was a tick of a clock, counting down the seconds of my old life. I’d sold my freedom to save my sister. I just prayed the price wouldn't destroy us both.

‎