Chapter 1 EBC 01

"Where are you taking me, Lukas?! Let me go!" Valerie screamed.

"SHUT UP! Just do as I say. Your mother is gone, so you need to be useful to me!" hissed Lukas, Valerie's stepfather. A week after the death of Valerie's biological mother, Lukas cruelly planned to use Valerie as a tool to pay off his debt by selling her.

Both of Valerie's hands were tied as Lukas dragged her by force to a nightclub. Valerie was terrified because she didn't know what would happen inside. Lukas still hid his true intentions from her, letting her find out only when she met the man who would buy her.

Lukas gripped Valerie's face as they were about to enter the nightclub, his gaze sharp. "Behave, so you can make a lot of money for me!"

"What are you going to do to me? Let go, I don't want this!" Vale growled in fear as Lukas continued dragging her into the nightclub. Valerie kept resisting, which only made Lukas angrier.

Slap! Lukas struck Valerie.

"SHUT UP! I already told you to be quiet, Vale! Or you'll get more than just a slap. Listen, even though I'm your stepfather, you still have to obey what I want! If you want to blame someone, blame your mother!" Lukas hissed, a sinister smile curling on his lips.

"I don't want this... Father? You don't deserve to be called a father-not even a stepfather! You're more suited to be called a bastard!" Vale shouted back fiercely, her eyes filled with hatred toward Lukas-her stepfather. "Let me go! You have no right over me!"

Valerie was truly furious. She regretted going to that house. She never imagined Lukas would do something so cruel to her. No wonder her mother had never allowed her to visit. Valerie had lived separately from her mother, in a small apartment on the outskirts of the city.

After calming herself and accepting her mother's death, Vale grew suspicious of her biological mother's sudden passing. But she knew she couldn't accuse anyone without proof. So Vale decided to search for evidence in the house where her mother-Louisa-and Lukas once lived. But instead of finding evidence, Valerie was greeted by Lukas's sly smile.

And now Vale found herself in a nightclub, dragged into a VIP room where several men in black welcomed them. Lukas looked pleased; the transaction he planned would likely proceed smoothly.

But Valerie felt the opposite-more alert, more afraid-wondering what Lukas was really planning.

In the VIP room, a man sat casually with his legs crossed, smoking a cigarette as smoke curled around him. Several expensive bottles of alcohol were neatly arranged on the table.

Valerie immediately realized one thing: this man was someone highly respected. So many guards, and Lukas showing him such respect.

The man smiled when Lukas brought a beautiful woman. Lukas had fulfilled his promise. As if he knew exactly what the man-James-liked.

"Sir, I brought you a woman I'm sure you'll like," Lukas said politely.

"You really did keep your promise, Lukas." The man's voice was cold, his gaze flat as he stared at Vale with a smirk that sent fear through her.

Who is this man? Vale whispered to herself.

"So, does that mean my debt is paid off, Mr. James?" Lukas asked cautiously.

"Debt?" Vale hissed, and Lukas only smiled at her.

James continued staring at Valerie with a gaze full of desire, as if he wanted to touch her immediately.

"You used me as payment for your debt, Lukas? For what reason would I allow that?!" Vale snapped. Lukas didn't answer-he only smiled, satisfied that his massive debt would disappear. "You bastard, filthy bastard! I refuse! I won't do it! Let me go! Sir, I have no connection to him. Please, let me go!" Vale struggled, refusing to become a tool for Lukas to clear his debt.

"Stop resisting, Vale! Behave!" Lukas growled as Vale tried to run.

"I sent the money to your account as a bonus, and this woman belongs to me entirely," James said, making Valerie's eyes widen.

"Thank you, Mr. James. You're truly understanding. However, Vale will resist-you'll need to watch her closely. Make sure she's tied up so she can't escape. And don't worry, my stepdaughter is still a virgin, and of course, Vale is entirely yours," Lukas said before leaving the VIP room, ignoring Valerie's desperate struggles to free herself from Lukas's mess and the transaction that ruined her.

"Miss Valerie... You're truly beautiful, but you still need a bit of polish to look better, so you can satisfy me," James said with a sly smile. "Prepare her. I want to enjoy her body tonight," he ordered his right-hand subordinate.

Valerie's body trembled-she was terrified. She didn't want to end up in the hands of the cruel man before her. Vale kept resisting, screaming for help, begging to be freed from James's clutches, but it was all useless.

"Be quiet, Miss, unless you want us to hit you. You don't want your body covered in bruises, do you? If that happens, Mr. James will only make it worse. He hates seeing his women bruised before he uses them." A woman assigned to prepare Valerie approached with a cold stare. She warned Valerie not to anger James further, or the consequences would be severe.

"I don't care. I'd rather die than become a toy for that bastard!" Vale growled.

The woman smirked, annoyed yet amused that a woman dared to resist this much. "Miss, you're making this difficult. This process will take too long, and I don't want to make Mr. James wait any longer. So I'll have to do this to you! Bring her. And remember, not a single scratch on her body. If she resists, inject her with the sedative!"

A syringe was plunged into Valerie's arm. Her consciousness slowly faded.

"Lukas, you bastard..." Valerie cursed silently as darkness consumed her.