Page 21 of Auctioned to the Titan

“I’m sorry, Alice. About everything. The debt, the auction. Mr. Kirk didn’t give me a choice.”

“You always have a choice, Dad.” My eyes tear up as I look at the man who was supposed to protect me, “I always knew you resented me after Mom left. I just never knew you hated me.”

“Alice, that’s not true.”

“It is. And you know it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t havesold me!”

He looks around again. I do the same, wariness creeping in. He focuses on me again, wringing his hands in front of him, “I’ll come for you, Alice. I’ll make things right.”

I stand there, speechless, staring at him. But as I look at him, I start to feel a strange sense of peace. I realize that I’m notangry anymore. His stupid and selfish decision is the only reason I met Damon, and I’m too happy about that to be angry at him.

I shrug. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

His eyes widen, as if he wasn’t expecting that. “It doesn’t?”

“I’m better off now. I met someone that makes me extremely happy and makes me feel safe. Which is way more than you’ve ever offered.”

He stares at me for a long moment, then nods, his shoulders sagging as he sighs, “I’m sorry, Alice. I’m really sorry.”

And with that, he turns and walks away.

But as I watch him walk away, the more confident I get in what I said. Idon’tneed him to come for me. I have Damon. And for the first time, I feel truly free.

That’s when it hits me, like a soft whisper in the back of my mind.

I love him. I love Damon.

I always want to be with him.

I don’t know how or when it started but-

I don’t get to finish that thought before the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I glance over my shoulder, and that’s when I see a shadow move too quickly, too close. Before I can scream, something sharp presses against my neck, and a rough hand grabs me from behind. My vision starts to blur, and a wave of dizziness washes over me.

“Damon…” I try to say, but my voice comes out garbled before everything goes black.

When I wake up, my head feels like it’s filled with cement. I try to blink, but my eyelids are heavy and my mind feels foggy, like I’m trapped in a dream I can’t escape from. Slowly, my senses start to come back. My wrists are tied to something cold,and the smell of stale air fills my nostrils. I’m slumped against a rough, hard surface.

I force my eyes open. It takes a second to adjust, but when I finally focus, the first thing I see makes my blood run cold.

My father is standing in front of me.

Talking to Kirk.

“You said you’d give me more time to convince her to come with me.”

“I told you, Thomas,” Kirk replies smoothly, his tone too calm, for a man who just kidnapped someone. “I don’t have more time. Fucking Damon is trying to screw me over by backing out of our deal.”

“She was just supposed to cover the debt,” my father murmurs.

Kirk chuckles darkly. “This is bigger than that now. Damon thinks he can walk in here, buy whatever the fuck he wants, and then humiliate me by cutting our partnership?”

He steps closer to my father. “This isn’t about a debt anymore. This is revenge.” He laughs darkly. “Let’s see how much he wants her after someone else has her. Don’t worry, you can have a cut of what she makes.”

My father is silent for a moment then weakly says, “She’s my daughter. I didn’t sign up for this.”

Kirk’s voice turns menacing like he no longer cares about convincing my father. “You signed up for whatever I say, Thomas. People like Damon think they’re better than people like us, people who have to work hard every damn day.”

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