Page 1 of Cruel Promise

Chapter

One

AVA

Iwake up inside a cage.

The cold metal presses into my skin, making the temperature of the already cold room even more biting. There’s barely any room to stretch my legs out or sit up straight.

I gasp and look around, but it’s dark, making it impossible for me to see anything. Shapes appear in the darkness, creating monsters that aren’t there.

I grip the metal bars for only a second before letting go. They’re too cold. My hands come back raw and burned.

Why am I in here? What happened?

My heart begins to pound even faster inside my chest to the point that it hurts. It hurts so much I think I might die. I press my palms to my chest to quiet my heart, but it’s no use. I’m scared out of my mind, and nothing will change that.

“Hello?” I whisper into the darkness.

I’m distinctly aware of my dress over my legs, the way the fabric touches my upper thighs. I was at school before—college.Taking classes. Keeping my head down. I always had to keep my head down to keephimfrom finding me.

But he found me anyway.

It’s then I start to remember what happened before waking up in this cage. But I don’t want to go there because it pains me too much. It’s a betrayal so deep it cuts me to the core.

“Hello?” I try again. “Can someone help me?”

A light flicks on. For a moment, I’m blinded until I can make out who entered the room.

It’s a man I don’t know. His hair is slicked back, and he’s wearing a suit that’s a little too big for him. Sleazy. He reminds me of a car dealer.

“You’re awake,” he says. “Good. Time to start the auction.”

The auction?

“Why am I here?” I ask. My voice is barely above a whisper.

“You don’t remember?”

I do, but I need to hear him say it. I need to know for a fact.

“Your father brought you in. He needs the money.”

And there it is—my father kidnapped me.

It all hits me at once, and the power of it makes me slump back against the too-cold cage, and I don’t even care that it’s burning into my skin.

My father kidnapped me so he could sell me for money.

Twenty hours earlier

“The classic story ofBeauty and the Beastsays a lot about love, selflessness, and compassion,” Professor Williams says into the microphone on the podium. The PowerPoint presentationbehind her shows the scary imagery of an ugly beast stalking a beautiful maiden.

I jot down notes as I listen to the lecture. My favorite part of college is the freedom to take whatever classes you want. I chose fairytale literature because it’s always been one of my and my mom’s favorite things to do. She would read fairytales to me before bed every night. I think she still would if I wasn’t too old for it now.

I tug the end of my dress down. The simple white summer dress with small yellow flowers on it is one of my favorites, but it shrunk a little bit in the wash. It still fits; it’s just a little too short for comfort.

The lecture ends, and I collect my books and notepad. Most of the other students use laptops, but I love a good old-fashioned notebook to write in. It makes me feel closer to the material.

---