Page 92 of The Cute Psycho

Mauro is back on stage, introducing the event as multiple people come to bring different props.

"The moment you've all been waiting for is here." He pauses, looking around to increase anticipation. "No doubt, most of you have submitted requests and are eagerly awaiting to get your hands on the prize. But just like every time, your request will be publicly shared, and everyone will have a chance to bid. The more unusual, the more money you'll have to spend." He chuckles, and the crowd seems incensed.

Still, a few smug people nod their heads, no doubt sure they will be able to secure their order.

"So what is it? Just people?" I lean in to ask Vlad.

He'd given me a rundown of the club, but he hadn't told me any details.

"You heard him. Unusual people," he replies, his gaze intent on the stage.

Mauro introduces the first person up for auction—a virgin Kumari. A young girl dressed in ostentatious clothes and with her face painted in a combination of red and black is ushered in. Four people are carrying her in on a throne, settling her in the middle of the stage.

"Kumari?"

Vlad's jaw is ticking as he looks upon the ongoing auction.

"Kumari is a Nepalese tradition that uses young girls to embody a living goddess. They can only fulfill the role, though, until they reach puberty," he explains and my eyes widen with horror.

"You mean..."

"Yes. Some people probably think they will get some divine powers if they fuck a child." He shakes his head in disgust.

"Can't we do something?" I whisper, looking between him and the stage.

The girl looks dazed as she keeps herself unmoving on the throne, showing absolutely no fear for what will no doubt happen to her.

"We can," Vlad replies, and I breathe in, relieved. "But we won't."

I frown at him. "What do you mean we won't?"

"Sisi," he starts, his eyes still glued on the stage. "There will be moregirls like her. More people that need help. We can't possibly save everyone."

"But we can try," I say weakly.

"Hell Girl." He turns to me, the back of his hand tracing my cheek. "I didn't realize you had a heart," he comments ironically, no doubt trying to take my mind off what's happening.

"And I didn't realize you had none," I retort, my gaze accusatory.

"A little too late for that realization." He tsks at me, coming closer to whisper in my ear. "I told you once, Sisi. Don't make me into something I'm not. I'm not kind, nor gentle, and I'mdefinitelynot a good guy."

"But Seth..."

"Nothing I do is without a purpose," he interrupts me. "Don't ever misconstrue my actions for kindness. It will only get you hurt," he says, and it's like I don't recognize him anymore.

"Then what about me? What's my purpose?" I ask, suddenly afraid of the change in him. It's funny how he never scares me when he's at his most violent, but when I sense this apathy coming from him, I get the urge to run as far away as I can.

His eyes are emotionless as he studies me, almost put off by my question.

"You're mine," he replies. "That's it."

He promptly ends the conversation as he turns his attention toward the stage where a winning bid had been chosen.

A few more rounds of people with disabilities, or people with a certain rare blood type, and I'm already dreading everything about this.

I know what it's like to be stripped of your freedom. But I can't imagine what these people must be going through, knowing there's simply no way out. Just pain... and abuse.

Vlad explained that a lot of the time, these people are used for organ transplants if they are a match, and most often medical files are hacked and people hunted for this particular reason. It's simply a black market for humans.

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