Page 4 of Sold to the Investor

I swear I will find a way to end this.

The two girls that follow after her don’t do so well. They look terrified through the whole ordeal. I’m very well aware that I can’t save every damsel in distress. But I can’t help the anger that rises within me as I watch this sick spectacle. I grew up in foster care, so I know what it means to feel hopeless.

I never knew my parents. All I remember is passing through the foster care system for most of my childhood and adolescence. I was an angry kid, mad at everyone and at the world. I had nothing, and got into fights often. Then I realized how futile it was to stay angry, so I channeled that anger into something better—making it out of the slums. I was determined to make it at all costs. And over the years, I have managed to claw my way to the top, the most successful property tycoon in the city.

I wonder what Connor’s up to. So far he hasn’t made any bid. His silence might mean that he isn’t interested in the bidding at all. Could he be at the auction only to ensure the sale of the woman he mentioned?

After the third girl, I’m seriously considering leaving the auction when number four is called in. I feel an instant shift as she walks through the curtain onto the stage.

“Gentlemen! Here’s another delight for you,” the auctioneer announces in a loud voice.

I stare in disbelief at the stage. It’s the girl from the parking lot. She’s dressed differently, in a short black dress and heels that seem to make her legs go on forever. She’s so damn gorgeous, and If I’d thought what I felt earlier was just my protective instincts, then I was wrong. It’s definitely something more. Something that I don’t have time to explore right here and now.

Unlike the other girls who looked resigned or downright terrified, she seems utterly confused. Ruffled, like a fish caught on dry land.

How is she here? She obviously doesn’t belong in a place like this. None of these women do, but something is different about this one. I’m suddenly overwhelmed by a strong urge to protect her from the perverts in this room. The feeling is strange and shocking. What is it about her that shakes my very core?

“Isn’t she sublime?” the auctioneer says, his voice cutting sharply through my thoughts. “This one is the highlight of the night, an untouched gem. Number four is avirgin, and so the bidding starts at ten thousand dollars!”

My whole body goes cold at the announcement and the excited murmurs that follow. None of these bastards are getting their paws on my girl. I will make sure of that.

“Fifty thousand dollars!” someone calls out from the audience.

“One hundred,” another counters almost immediately.

“Two hundred!” another voice calls from another corner of the room.

A blind rage fills me as I listen to the bids flying around, but I keep my cool. I’ve been in business long enough to know that emotions don’t play a part in making deals. So I wait, watching the shit show with an air of indifference because I know I’m going to win anyway.

By the time the bid rises up to five hundred thousand dollars, many of the patrons have backed out.

“Five hundred thousand dollars going once, going twice…” the auctioneer drawls, definitely biding his time.

I press my buzzer. “One million,” I say, pleased by the shocked murmur that ripples through the crowd.

Then the most surprising thing happens.

Connor presses his buzzer. “One and a half million dollars,” he calls out, his voice cocky and assured. I can almost feel an arrogant stare from him, as if he’s daring me to go higher.

What the fuck? Is he just bidding because he doesn’t want me to win? I shouldn’t be fighting this so hard, but I’m way beyond reasoning now. It’s as if a switch has suddenly been turned on in my brain and my thought process has been altered. I can only think about how I must protect her.

The thought of her leaving here with Connor is inconceivable. I’ve heard the stories of how he treats the women he dates—how much worse will he treat a woman he’s purchased at an auction?

If it means losing billions of dollars just to save her from these monsters, so be it.

“Two million dollars,” I call out, pressing my buzzer again.

“Three million,” Connor says forcefully, his tone belligerent.

“Ten million,” I counter.

The hall is dead silent now, yet there’s an undertone of excitement layered beneath the silence.

“Twelve million,” Connor says forcefully. I can hear the hesitation in his voice now. He’s a wealthy man, but he’s also a shrewd businessman. He’s reaching his limit. I can feel it.

“Twenty million,” I say firmly, reveling in the heavy silence that settles in the room.

None of them dares to challenge me now, and even if anyone dares, I’m ready to increase my stake. She’s mine.

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