Chapter 7

On the day Vanessa was discharged from the hospital, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Alexander. "There's a charity auction at the Grand Ballroom tonight at 8:00 pm. Be there on time." She stared at the screen for a long time. Then, she finally replied with one word. "Okay." The auction venue was magnificent and opulent. Vanessa arrived dressed in a simple white blouse and black slacks, standing quietly in the corner. Her injury hadn't fully healed yet, and standing for long periods caused a dull ache. However, she kept her back straight, like a tree that refused to bend, even in the harshest storm. Suddenly, Lucille's sweet voice rang out. She wrapped her arm around Alexander's and said, "I've decided what I want for the 100th task. I want you to auction her off." Vanessa's head jerked up, her eyes locking with Lucille's smug gaze. Alexander frowned, tapping his fingers slowly against the armrest. "Lucille, that's going too far." Lucille pouted. "You said you'd do anything for me. And didn't you say she's been clinging to you for years? This is the perfect way to get rid of her. If you agree to this, I'll finally be yours." Alexander stayed silent for a long time before turning to Vanessa. Then, in a hoarse voice, he ordered, "Vanessa, get on stage." Her fingers trembled, color draining from her face. Even so, she nodded. "Yes, Mr. Hawke." Alexander's eyes widened in shock, and his heart suddenly ached with a sharp pain. He thought she'd resist, cry, or beg, but she just obeyed. Her eyes were empty and hollow, as if her soul had already gone cold. What kind of love could drive a woman to treat his every word as gospel and to follow him this far without question? On stage, the auctioneer smiled with thinly veiled innuendo. "Our next item is a little different. We have Ms. Vanessa York, who is 25 years old and five feet six inches tall. She's fluent in six languages, and skilled in—" Bids erupted from the crowd. "Five million!" "Eight million!" "12 million!" The numbers soared higher and higher, and Alexander stared at the stage as his chest tightened unbearably. When the bid hit 20 million, he suddenly stood up. Lucille grabbed his sleeve. "Alexander?" Alexander froze in place. In that moment of hesitation, the gavel fell. "Sold!" In the end, Jorge Stone, a fat, middle-aged man, won the bid for her at 20 million dollars. Alexander sat in the VIP section, veins slightly bulging on his forehead. ... Inside the hotel suite, Jorge pushed Vanessa down on the bed. "Don't be scared, sweetheart. I'll treat you real good…" Vanessa didn't fight. She just stared at the ceiling, completely still. However, the moment his hand yanked open her collar, she grabbed the crystal ashtray from the nightstand and slammed it into his head. Jorge screamed, blood gushing out from his forehead. Vanessa shoved him aside and bolted for the door. She staggered from the pain in her injured leg, but she dared not stop. Meanwhile, Jorge's furious screams echoed behind her, along with heavy footsteps. She slammed the elevator button with shaking hands and barely slipped in as the doors closed. Once inside, she collapsed to the floor, her whole body trembling. ... Vanessa returned to her apartment and slumped to the ground. The cold tiles pressed against her skin, and the chill seeped into her bones. She sat there in her soaked clothes and looked up at the ceiling, suddenly remembering that rainy night years ago. Matthias had waited for her at the school gate with an umbrella. Seeing that her hair was wet, he immediately took off his jacket to wrap it around her. He sounded distressed and helpless as he asked, "Why didn't you use an umbrella? What if you catch a cold?" Vanessa mumbled, "Matthias, without you here, I can't even take proper care of myself!" Suddenly, the front door flung open with a violent kick.