Page 47 of Ruthless Reign

One voice can be heard above all others—it’s deep, gruff, and achingly familiar.

“She’s mine for half a million dollars,” he declares over the hushed crowd. “Anyone want to challenge me?”

There’s not a peep from the audience.

“Going once, going twice… This auction is fucking over.”

My blood goes ice cold.

No, just no. Even for that wild amount of money, I can’t.

The room falls into a stunned silence, the echo of his declaration hanging heavy in the air. The auctioneer stands frozen, his eyes darting to Paulina for guidance.

The expression on her face is pure triumph. “We have a winner,” she declares. “For half a million dollars.”

She thinks we’ve won, that we’ve hit the jackpot.

How very wrong she is.

Paulina is overflowing with excitement as she escorts me off stage.

“Liza, this is unreal,” she squeals. “That’s the highest winning bid we’ve ever had.”

“You don’t understand.” My heart thuds like a hammer against my chest. “This isn’t good. I know the man who won me.”

Paulina gives me a confused look, but she has no idea who Roman is and what he’s capable of.

Kira has always said that Roman is an angel unless provoked—then, he's a complete psycho. Tonight was proof. I smelled the heavy scent of blood in the air and heard the chilling gurgle that followed. That was Roman’s handiwork.

Paulina huffs out a breath. “Well… is that a bad thing?”

It is if it's your fiancé’s business partner and a dangerous gangster.

“Yes.” A fresh wave of anxiety rolls through me. “You need to void the contract. He’s— He’s dangerous.”

“Sweetie.” She grabs my shoulders like I’m a child having a tantrum. “That man, whoever he is, is paying half a million dollars for one night with you. That’s life-changing money. Think of what you could do with it.”

Right now, I’m not thinking of the money. I’m thinking about facing Roman’s wrath.

I lied to him, snuck out of the suite, and worst of all, he knows my secret. That I’m hopeless enough to sell my virginity.

Embarrassment coats my skin at imagining what he’ll do with this information. Will he hold it over me? Threaten to tell Anatoly?

Roman has no reason to protect me. Not after I lied to him this morning, claiming there’s nothing between us … that I’m looking forward to marrying Anatoly.

Another thought causes my breath to catch in my throat. Will he take my virginity for himself?

Blood thrums in my ears. Oh God, I’m in way too deep.

Gripping Paulina’s arm, I force her to stop and listen to me. “I can’t go through with it.”

Her mouth flattens into a hard line. “You don’t have a choice.”

My knees threaten to buckle, and I have to hold the wall to steady myself. “You said I always have a choice.”

She sighs and rubs at her temple. “Okay, calm down. I’ll talk to him and figure out what’s going on.” She leads me to a room, with a red door with the number five on it. “Wait in here. I’ll be back.”

I blow out a heavy breath. “Thank you.” She gives me a final look that I can’t interpret before she shuts the door behind her.

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