Memories came flooding back.

Back then, I was not an ordinary white-collar worker named Quinn.

I was Sophia Spencer—the old Godfather's most beloved youngest daughter.

In the lawless district we lived in, human lives were worth less than dirt.

I pulled a boy on the verge of starving to death out of a pile of trash.

He had the eyes of a wolf, yet when he looked at me, he was as obedient as a dog.

I named him Jackson Grant.

He became my most loyal bodyguard. He took bullets for me and drank poisoned wine in my place.

Eventually, we fell in love.

It was an absolute taboo within the family.

Everyone said he was scheming, that he seduced the family's princess only to climb the ranks.

I was the only one who knew that he knelt in the mud searching all night just to recover the necklace I had lost on a stormy night.

He was always trying.

He tried so hard to become someone worthy of me.

Just as my father was beginning to relent, disaster struck our family.

Several rival families who had long coveted our wealth joined forces to wipe us out, and a traitor emerged from within.

I knew the collapse was inevitable.

If Jackson stayed by my side, he would die with me.

I had to make sure he lived.

Therefore, I slapped him hard across the face in front of all our men on that rainy night.

"Jackson, can't you take a good look at yourself?

"I'm bored. Do you get it now?

"It makes me sick to think of someone as low as you even touching me."

With the cruelest words and the most contemptuous gaze I could muster, I tore his heart out of his chest.

I could never forget the look in his eyes when he left.

Disbelief.

Heartbreak.

Finally, an overwhelming hatred.

The day our family was destroyed, my parents were brutally killed. I was captured, but I jumped into the sea and escaped in the chaos.

For five years, I hid my identity and lived as an ordinary office worker. I became Quinn.

When Calvin suggested the cruise trip, I was actually afraid to go.

However, I heard that a newly risen power had recently wiped out our former enemies and these waters had changed hands.

I thought it was safe.

I never imagined the master of that new force would be Jackson.

The pain pulled me out of my thoughts.

Calvin's hands were roaming over me again.

"Quinn, your skin is as smooth as silk.

"Godfather Grant is definitely going to be satisfied.

"But…"

Calvin suddenly paused for a moment. An odd smile crept onto his face.

"Sending you over directly would be such a waste.

"And men like the Godfather don't necessarily cherish what's handed to them.

"You'll be the grand finale of the auction tonight."

Auction?

An icy chill crawled up my spine.

As the former Godfather's daughter, I knew all too well what underground auctions were.

They were hell on earth.

Women there were not treated as human beings. They were flesh sold by the pound, toys for men to vent their darkest desires.

"You're going to auction me?"

My voice trembled as I stared at him in disbelief.

"Didn't you say you were giving me to Jackson? Why auction me off?!"

There was something playful in Calvin's gaze as he lifted my powerless chin.

"Quinn, don't be naive.

"Just handing you over? What if the Godfather doesn't like you and sends you back? Who would I beg to then?

"An auction is different.

"The Godfather will be there tonight.

"If he likes you, he'll bid.

"And if he doesn't…"

Calvin gave me a sinister smile.

"Then some other rich man will.

"As long as I get the money, it doesn't matter who you're sold to.

"You just need to lie still, spread your legs, and do what you're meant to do."

I felt like I had fallen into an icy abyss.

I never imagined that my attempt to live an ordinary life would lead me straight into Satan's hell.

If Jackson recognized me, considering the hatred he bore toward me, would he let me die quickly?

No.

He would buy me.

Then, he would make sure I suffered a fate worse than death.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A flash of panic crossed Calvin's face.

In a flurry, he pulled out a small vial of liquid and forced it into my mouth, making me choke and cough violently.

"What is this…"

My throat burned, and it felt as if my vocal cords had been glued shut. I could not form a complete sound.

"Something to shut you up."

He grabbed a black cloak and draped it over me.

Beneath it, I was completely naked.

Then, he produced a silver half-mask and fitted it over my face, leaving only my lips and chin exposed.

It was only after finishing all this that he straightened his rumpled collar, plastered on a sycophantic smile, and went to open the door.

The door swung open.

Two men in black stepped inside, followed by a man in a gray suit.

He had a buzz cut and a scar splitting his left eyebrow.

It was Harris Cress.

He was Jackson's closest brother-in-arms back then, the other bodyguard who had once been fiercely loyal to me.

He was still alive!

If he could recognize me…

If he could take me away…

Even being dragged before Jackson to die would be better than being sold by this animal, Calvin.

I stared at Harris, using every ounce of strength I had to try to climb off the bed.

"Uhrm… Mmph…"

All that came out of my throat was a muffled, indistinct moan that sounded almost like an invitation.

Damn this drug!

Harris's cold gaze swept over the disheveled bed and finally settled on me. His brow furrowed as disgust filled his eyes.

"This is the 'top-tier' one you mentioned?"

Calvin immediately bent forward, nodding eagerly.

"Yes, yes. Harris, look. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and skin as white as snow."

He walked over and viciously squeezed my chest through the cloak, making my body shudder.

"And she hasn't been used much. She's clean. She'll definitely satisfy the Godfather."

Harris stepped closer.

My heart pounded wildly as I tried desperately to give him some kind of signal.

I deliberately let my body tilt and collapse toward the edge of the bed. The hem of the oversized black cloak flipped up.

My pale, slender calf was exposed.

Just above my left ankle, a vivid red spider lily tattoo came into view.

Five years ago, Jackson held my foot and etched it there, prick by prick.

He said the spider lily flower bloomed along the road to the underworld and that with this flower, even if I died, he would find me in Hell.

Harris had to recognize it!

Sure enough, his gaze was caught by that flash of red.

He stared at the tattoo, and for the first time, something shifted in his otherwise indifferent eyes.

In that instant, my heart nearly burst from my chest.

'Recognize me. Please, recognize me!'

I lifted my head with all my strength, trying to speak through my eyes. Even behind the mask, I hoped he could see the desperation and pleading in them.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly.

I held my breath, tears pooling in my eyes.

Was I saved?

The next second, Harris let out a short, mocking chuckle.

He turned to Calvin with contempt written all over his face.

"You even bothered with the tiny details.

"Impressive.

"The Godfather does have a particular obsession with this kind of tattoo.

"But I'm not sure whether it'll work or not."

What?

He thought it was fake?

Did he simply not care whether it was real?

I was utterly consumed by despair.

Harris turned away and flicked his hand.

"Take her."

The two bodyguards stepped forward and hauled me up like a dead dog.

Calvin followed behind them. Greed was crawling all over his face.

A handkerchief was pressed tightly over my mouth and nose.

In the final second before my consciousness slipped away, I heard Calvin's nauseating flattery.

"Harris, she's just a nobody. She's got no power, no backing. She's perfect as a stand-in for an old flame, something for him to vent his frustration with.

"There's no need to treat her like a person. As long as the Godfather's satisfied, even if he screws her to death tonight, that's fine too. As long as my debt is cleared!"

A bucket of cold water mixed with chunks of ice was splashed straight at my face.

I jolted awake, gasping for air and coughing violently.

A spotlight blazed down on me. It was so harsh that I could not open my eyes.

All around me were raucous voices, mixed with whistles and lewd laughter.

I forced myself to adjust to the light and finally saw where I was.

It was a massive circular auction hall, lavishly decorated in gold and splendor.

I was bound to a huge cross, locked inside an enormous golden cage at the center of the stage.

Below, hundreds of men sat wearing all kinds of masks.

Their gazes were like slick, venomous snakes, slithering through the bars of the cage and crawling over my soaked body.

The icy water plastered the black cloak tightly against me, outlining every curve. It was more maddening than nakedness itself.

The humiliation was so overwhelming that I wished I could kill myself right then.

However, I did not even have the strength to clench my jaw. I could only hang limply from the cross.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

The host's shrill voice echoed through the hall via the microphone.

"Tonight's final lot is called 'The Fallen Angel'!

"Look at this natural blonde hair! Look at this flawless skin!

"The starting bid is $3 million!"

"$3 million!”

"$5 million!”

"$8 million!”

The moment the starting price was announced, the numbers on the giant screen jumped wildly.

Calvin rushed onto the stage, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Gentlemen! This is premium quality!

"What's the point of just looking? Let me help you inspect the goods!"

He stepped into the cage.

I stared at him as tears streamed down my face, shaking my head desperately.

We had been together for three years.

Just last night, he knelt before me, professing his love, promising to take care of me for the rest of his life.

Now he stood in front of hundreds of men, about to display me like livestock.

Calvin stopped in front of me, lowered his voice, and hooked a finger into the fabric at my neckline.

"Quinn, just endure it. What's a little sacrifice from you for my future?"

I struggled wildly, trying to dodge his hand. The ropes cut into my wrists until my flesh was torn and bloody.

Rip!

The soaked upper half of the cloak was torn apart brutally.

Cold air hit my chest.

Two full, fair curves burst free immediately, exposed beneath the gaze of hundreds of eyes.

The shock of the ice water, combined with my sheer terror, had made their delicate tips stiff beyond my control.

They rose and fell violently with my ragged breathing, trembling as they swayed.

The crowd exploded.

Gasps, the sound of swallowing, and frenzied applause all blended together.

Countless gazes glued themselves to my chest. The humiliation made it feel as if ice were running through my veins.

"Mhm… Mhm…"

I let out a broken, despairing whimper, trying to curl in on myself. I desperately attempted to draw my arms together to cover myself.

However, my futile struggle only made my curves sway even more obscenely.

"Everyone, look!"

Calvin pointed at my trembling chest, shouting excitedly.

"Look at that reaction! Look at that color! So sensitive! Absolute top-tier!"

He flicked it hard with his fingers.

My entire body shuddered as an uncontrollable sound spilled from my throat.

The men below went insane.

"Tear it all off!"

"Show us below! I bet it's just as tender!"

The jeers grew louder and louder.

The smile on Calvin's face became more and more twisted.

He pulled a small bottle from his pocket, grabbed my chin, and forced the liquid down my throat.

"Cough… Cough…"

A strange, unbearable heat surged up from my lower abdomen.

"Since everyone's so interested, let's give them the full show!"

He tossed the empty bottle aside and moved behind me.

Cold fingers slid down my spine, grabbing the last remaining scrap of fabric hanging at my waist.

He leaned in close to my ear, his voice dripping with malice.

"Quinn, don't blame me. Blame yourself for being too seductive. Everyone wants to take a look at it."

I struggled like I had lost my mind, trying to kick him away, but my weakness only made it look like flirtation.

"Can't wait any longer?"

Calvin sneered, suddenly tightening his grip.

Rip!