Chapter 1 Saved or Sold

Ava

The sound of breaking glass echoed through the house, piercing through the silence. My heart dropped hard in my chest as I stared at the shattered vase on the floor, the one Bryce always said was worth more than me.

No, no, no...

I fell to my knees, hands shaking as I tried to gather the broken pieces, unable to control my panicked breathing.

Bryce would definitely kill me for this. Not literally, of course, but sometimes I wished he would... at least then the fear would be over.

I heard his footsteps thundering down the hallway, and I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut for just a second, trying to brace myself for what was coming.

"What the hell did you do now, Ava?" I heard Bryce say angrily as he approached.

I couldn't look at him, couldn't bear to see the rage on his face. I kept my eyes on the floor, on the mess I'd made.

"I-I'm sorry." I stuttered in a whisper, my voice was barely audible, even to myself.

I tried picking up the broken pieces, and one sharp edge cut into my palm. I sucked in a breath, holding back the cry that threatened to escape from my lips.

Tears only made Bryce angrier.

"Sorry?!" Bryce snapped and I flinched again, hearing his shoes crunch on the broken glass as he moved closer. "You're always sorry, you clumsy bitch! But that doesn't fix anything, does it?"

I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. I was losing that battle against the tears, I could feel it.

"I didn't mean to... I'll clean it up, I promise."

He leaned down, grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me to my feet.

"You think cleaning it up will bring back my money?" His grip was so tight, I could literally feel some strands pulling off their roots. "You're useless!"

"I-I'm sorry," I repeated, the words coming out on autopilot. It was all I knew how to say anymore.

"Get out of my sight," he snarled, shoving me back. I stumbled back, hitting my arm on the edge of the counter and my legs trembled.

That part throbbed, but I nodded, backing away as quickly as I could without turning my back on him.

As soon as I felt the stairs railing, I quickly dashed down the stairs before he could change his mind about letting me off so easily.

My heart was pounding so loudly in my chest that I didn't hear the front door open or see the huge figures walk in, until I bumped head first into one, falling hard on my butt.

My whole body trembled as I slowly looked up. My gaze landed on a pair of polished black shoes first, then traveled up to the tall, imposing figures standing before me. All of them were dressed in dark suits, the kind that gave away their wealthy status.

But it was the man in the middle who drew my attention the most. Unlike the other three, who wore very dark sunglasses that made them look more like shadows than men, he didn't wear any.

His dark brown hair was styled to perfection, but his piercing blue eyes were a whole different story. They were like two sharp blades - so cold, so calculating. I'd never seen anyone with eyes like that before. They were empty, devoid of any emotion. His face was chiseled, ridiculously good-looking, but there was something unsettling about him. He was too perfect, too put-together. It was like he was made of stone or something.

I couldn't look away, even though every instinct screamed at me to lower my eyes, to not draw his attention. When he stepped forward, closing the distance between us, my fear spiked. The fear I felt from Bryce all these years was nothing compared to this. This man was different... dangerous in a way that Bryce could never be.

"What the..." Bryce's voice cut through the tension and I turned to see him at the top of the stairs, his face going from angry to pale in an instant.

"Mr. Morano." Bryce stuttered as he came down the stairs, trying to mask his anxiety with a forced grin.

I'd never seen him like this before.

"I wasn't expecting you... so soon."

Mr. Morano didn't respond immediately, instead his eyes flicked down to me for a brief moment before returning to Bryce. I could feel the weight of his gaze even as he looked away, like I was being measured and found wanting.

Bryce's eyes darted between me and Mr. Morano, his nervousness growing with each second of silence. "She's... she's just my step-sister." Then he said to me through his teeth. "Get up!"

I had completely forgotten I was still on the floor. I got up to my feet slowly, keeping my eyes down.

"Fucking... Go get us some refreshments." Bryce said through his teeth again and I scurried away immediately. I could feel Mr. Morano's gaze on my back as I left, but I didn't dare look up.

I made my way to the kitchen, my hand trembling as I prepared a tray of drinks for them.

When I re-entered the living room, Bryce and Mr. Morano were both seated facing each other with the low coffee table between them. The other three men were standing behind Mr. Morano, stern expressions on their faces.

As I approached the low coffee table to place the tray, my sore arm throbbed, the pain so sudden and sharp that I almost dropped the tray.

I tried to steady myself, but it was too late... the glasses tipped over, onto the floor, and over Bryce's expensive shoes.

I stood frozen, staring at yet another batch of broken glass scattered across the floor.

"You useless idiot!" Bryce snapped, his eyes were a wild mixture of fear and anger. Before I could even think to move, he grabbed my arm so hard, I could feel his fingers digging into the bruises already there.

"It was an accident, I swear..." I tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened.

"You're nothing but a..."

"Let go of her." Mr. Morano's voice cut through the air, silencing Bryce immediately. Bryce froze, his face going pale as he slowly turned to face Mr. Morano as if just realising he was still sitting there.

"You heard me. Let. Go."

Bryce's hand immediately released me, as if he'd been burned. I stumbled back, clutching my throbbing arm, my eyes darting nervously between the two men.

I could feel Mr. Morano's eyes on me, accessing... calculating.

"She's useless to you, isn't she?" Mr. Morano's tone was cold, adding a chill to the tension.

Bryce couldn't even form words, he just nodded.

"I'll take her off your hands." Mr. Morano said, his gaze fixed on me. "And in return, your debt is forgiven."

It felt as if the room spun and those words echoed in my head. He couldn't be serious, right?

I turned to Bryce, seeking my answer. His mouth opened and closed a few times as if he was searching for the right words, but all that came out was a strangled, "Deal."

That was all the answer I was getting. He was very serious, and it was very final.