Chapter 3 Bought and sold

"What the hell did you just say?" Ava dropped her fork on the table, eyes wide with a trembling voice.

"You heard me, the company was facing financial problems," Ben said coldly.

"I don't care" She snapped. "I never ate from your money, I begged you - begged you for Mom's treatment but you refused, you should have sold your beloved daughter instead"

A sharp slap shot landed on her face. It was Sara. Her face stung with pain but she hid it in, fighting back the tears - making sure not to give her the desired result.

"Don't mention my daughter in this" Sara warned.

"Your daughter?" Ava chuckled "She is more of a bitch, going about getting in bed with Shane" Ava bellowed.

"Ava, you should stop this, you have no choice" It was the first time in years her dad mentioned her name but he did not mention it how he usually did, she could hear disgust in his tone.

"I do have a choice, you see this, I'm not going to sit here and watch myself being sold out" Ava hissed at him picking up her bag ready to leave the house.

"Take her to her room" Ben instructed and two of his bodyguards came to her holding her on both sides.

"Let go of me, I'm not an item for sale" She struggled but they easily overpowered her, taking her to a room and locking the door.

The room was dark and stuffy and her hands found the light switch, flipping it, bright light flooded the room.

Her heart stopped. It was her childhood room and with it came the memories. The laughter, her mother's smile, her father before he became cold.

She scanned the room, dust clung to the curtains, this place had not been touched for years.

She opened the window and she saw the height of the building, the building was high - dangerously so - but she had to do something, she was not just going to sit there and watch herself being sold.

She opened the wardrobe but could not find anything in there. Her eyes glanced over to the bed and she pulled the bedsheets off tying it around her waist.

Looking out of the window again the building was pretty high but there were pipes that could aid her climbing.

Taking one last glance at the room, she saw a box containing her childhood pictures. Feeling tempted, she walked over to it and opened it, caressing the pictures with her fingers. Tears threatened to fall and then she stood up determined.

Walking over to the window, she looked down placing her legs on one of the pipes as she climbed down, her hands quickly gathered blisters, hands ached but she determinedly climbed down. Looking around she caught sight of her father's guards patrolling the area and she quickly hid.

After making sure the coast was clear she sprinted into the night.

She ran into the night not looking back.

Later that night...

Ava arrived at her apartment, she pushed the door open and quickly packed her necessities in her backpack knowing quite well they would come after her soon.

Martin family house.

"Check the CCTV cameras, she shouldn't have gone far" Ben barked when he discovered Ava had left.

"Sir, we've pulled out the camera feed of her room and here it is, we are still working on the ones on the roadside" His guard said.

Knock knock.

A knock was heard on the door and Ben freezed. Another knock was heard and he signaled his guard to open the door.

Ten men burst through the front door dressed on black and wearing masks.

"Where is the girl?" The leader asked.

"She...She ran away," Ben whispered.

"She did what? How long?" He asked again.

"Not up to an hour," Ben said.

"The boss will get back to you for that" The man warned and they rushed outside the house.

"Find her" He instructed his subordinates and they drove off into the night.

Ava's side...

Her legs burned, lungs screamed but she kept running, the sound of an approaching car made her freeze.

Headlights swept over her.

An SUV skidded to a stop beside her, the back door opened and hands pulled her in. Her head slammed against the roof of the car and she flinched in pain.

Rough hands blindfolded her and the car started again and she could roughly tell the car was entering the city again.

"Where exactly are we taking her to?" One of the men asked, his eyes darting towards the girl slumped beside him.

"Boss mansion" The leader replied.

"What? Boss mansion? Boss had never taken any captured lady there" A man said in surprise.

"Yeah, but that's what I was instructed, to take her there and not to a casino" The leader replied and the car pulled over.

Ava was dragged out the car and pulled into the house, the blindfold was removed from her eyes and the light shot straight into her eyes blinding her eyes for a moment.

As her eyes were still adjusting to the light, she was pulled into a room.

"Here is your room, you will be well taken care of, just don't try escaping because you won't be able to" The leader said and left.

Ava looked around the room which was painted in blue. It had a large bed and seeing the bed she felt sleepy, it has been a long day. Climbing into the bed, she closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

The next morning, she woke with a yawn, her eyes shot wide open when she discovered she was not in that familiar small room but then the memories of last night came flooding.

The heartless Betrayal from her father, her shot at escape and how she was caught and tears flowed down her eyes again - She had been crying in the past week more than she had in her life.

She gathered strength and walked into the bathroom to freshen up. Walking down the stairs, her eyes fell on the fabulous breakfast laid out on the table and her mouth watered.

She sat down at the dining table and ate to her fill, she picked up the plates and walked into the kitchen where she met a middle aged woman.

"Dear, you are the girl brought here last night right?" The woman asked as she took the plates away from her.

"Yes ma" Ava replied.

"Oh, he has never brought a young girl home," The lady said. Ava had heard this from the men who had brought her in and she was quite curious why she was brought here and not to the...casinos.

"You can call me Aunt Zena, what's your name?" Aunt Zena asked.

"I'm Ava" She replied but her mind was not here, it was somewhere else trying to figure out why she was taken here.

Who was he? And why was she....different.