My boyfriend, Miles, finally invited me to his family’s Christmas dinner. I passed out on the way there.

Half-conscious, I heard him whisper, “Sorry, Eva. Those thugs said you’re just their boss’s type. Too pretty for your own good, babe. Blame that—not me.”

“Don’t be scared. If you help me pay off the debt… maybe they’ll let me have you back. I’ll make it up to you. For the rest of your life, I swear.”

He wheeled me through the back of a casino.

My family’s casino.

The boss he was selling me to… was my brother.

Ever since our parents died in a crossfire, my brother had taken full responsibility for me.

More than a brother, he’d become a father figure—a protector.

My stupid boyfriend should be scared—he had no idea how fiercely my brother protected me, or how ruthless he could be to anyone who dared hurt me.

Eva’s POV

My boyfriend tried to sell me off to pay his debt—except the mafia Don he picked was my brother. And that idiot had no idea just how protective my brother was… or how brutal he could be to anyone who dared hurt his family.

Whatever was in the car knocked me out the moment I got in. Time passed—I could feel that much—but my body stayed limp, weak. Eventually, I felt my mind clawing its way back. Not fully, but enough to hear.

Miles was on the phone. First call, he was yelling at someone for pushing him to repay a debt. Then the second call, it was a call to his mother, telling her he wouldn’t be making it to Christmas dinner.

The third call was different. Miles’s tone dropped, soft and submissive. “Sir, I know it was generous of you to let me leave and try to gather the money I owe the casino, but I still couldn’t come up with everything. So—like you said—I brought my girlfriend tonight. Maybe we can try that thing you mentioned… you know, handing her over to your Don.”

He hesitated. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to clear my debt.”

A pause. “Of course, I’ll make sure she behaves. I’ll tell her it’s an honor to be chosen by you. I know how much grace you’ve shown me by giving me this chance. See you soon.”

Panic crawled under my skin.

I tried to move, to sit up—but I didn’t have the strength to lift even an inch. Soon, the car jolted to a stop, and Miles leaned over, cupping my cheek. I forced my eyes shut tight.

“Eva, you looked so stunning tonight. I knew you wore that dress because I said I was taking you home to meet my family…” He lowered his voice. “You know my tuition debt’s a mess. I thought maybe I could hit a lucky streak at the casino. I never meant to lose everything… but now I owe money to a thug who threatened to kill me and my family. But luckily, he said you’re just his boss’s type. I owe him twenty grand, Eva. I can’t let him go after me and my mom…”

His voice dropped, almost guilty. “Don’t blame me, Eva. Blame yourself—for being too damn pretty.”

“Just one night. Mr. Snake said it’s only for one night. Then I’ll come get you. I swear, I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life. I’ll take you to meet my mom. I’ll marry you. Please, Eva… don’t hate me.” He sighed, like the weight of it was crushing him. “And most importantly—when we get to that casino, don’t fight back. Please. Things will only get worse if you do.”

I managed to twitch my fingers. They brushed against the hem of the dress I was wearing tonight. Miles was right. I had put it on just because he finally invited me to spend Christmas with his family.

I remembered how I smiled, how hopeful I was, how foolish to think we were actually moving forward. Turns out, he was just selling me off.

Twenty thousand. That’s all I was worth.

Miles could’ve asked me for help and I would’ve given it. But instead, his pride decided betrayal was easier.

My thoughts spun, scrambling for a plan. I remembered the bracelet on my wrist—the one with a hidden alarm. One press, and it would send an SOS to my brother, along with my location.

The problem? I was still too weak to move.

So I decided to wait for now, gathering what little strength I had left.

Whoever this boss Miles was trying to hand me off to—if I had the chance to mention my brother, they wouldn’t dare touch me.

And if that didn’t work? I still had the bracelet.

A few minutes later, the door opened beside me. Rough hands pulled me out of the car.

“I brought her—just like you asked,” Miles said, his voice trembling with fake pride.

A rough voice answered, laced with amusement. “I gotta admit, even in my line of work, I didn’t think you’d actually sell your girlfriend. But…”

A hand grabbed my chin, tilting my face up. “You were right. She’s very pretty.”

“Not just pretty,” Miles added quickly—eager, pathetic. “The prettiest. She was even voted best-looking in our class. But too proud—always had her nose in the air. Took me nearly a year to win her over.”

“And you’re willing to hand her over to me?” The man sneered.

“I cared about her,” Miles said with a sickening laugh, joining Snake’s. “Just not as much as I care about myself. Besides—look at that body. And her fingers? She’s a pianist. Real flexible, too… if you catch my drift. She’ll make your Don more than happy.”

The men around us laughed, crude and revolting.

“If our Don is pleased, your debt’s cleared,” the man said coldly.

“Thank you—thank you so much, Mr. Snake” Miles stammered.

“Don’t thank me yet,” The man snapped. “Let’s just hope he accepts her—our Don’s picky, doesn’t like women handed to him, which is why I told you to bring her to the casino tonight so he can decide for himself; he’s already on his way.”

My chest tightened.

Mr. Snake.

I’d heard the name before—my brother had recently mentioned recruiting someone called “Mr. Snake” to help run our family’s casino.

So Miles hadn’t just sold me to a stranger—he was trying to sell me to that Snake.

And the “Don” Snake kept referring to? He was my brother.

What were the odds?

I forced my eyes open just a sliver—and there it was, clear as day: the sign of my family’s casino.

Miles—and everyone else around me—had no idea I was actually part of one of the most infamous mafia families in town.

Before I left for school, Theo made me promise never to share anything about our family with anyone. He was afraid that if people knew who I really was, they’d try to use me.

So I took my mother’s last name—Quinn—instead of Crowe.

Still, none of this felt like luck—because Mr. Snake had never seen me before. He wasn’t going to save me.

And knowing my brother as well as I did, I started to worry I might not even get the chance to see him tonight.

Snake had it all wrong. My brother didn’t turn women away because he was picky. He turned them away because he was loyal—to the girl he loved, the one who died ten years ago.

Nothing they planned was going to work.

So my only hope now would be the small button on my bracelet. If I pressed it, my brother would know I was at the casino. And if he was as sharp as ever, he’d realize something was off—because I’d never come to the casino on my own.

Eva’s POV

After sharing a smoke, Snake ordered his men to wheel me in.

Rough hands yanked me from the back seat and shoved me into a cart. We rolled through a set of doors and straight into a private suite.

Some man tossed me onto a sofa—the armrest slammed into my waist, knocking the breath from my lungs.

“The Don here yet?” Snake asked.

“Just arrived,” someone answered quietly. “He’s greeting clients downstairs.”

“Then we wait.”

Miles sat beside me, leaning close. “I know you’re awake, Eva,” he whispered. “Please. Don’t make a scene. Just help me this once. I’ll come get you tomorrow, okay?”

“Fuck you,” I murmured.

“What?” He leaned closer.

For the first time, my strength came back enough to carry my voice. “Fuck you. I won’t do it.”

Snake turned, his eyes narrowing. “What’s going on?”

Miles clapped a hand over my mouth. “Nothing,” he said quickly. “Just teaching my girlfriend to appreciate what a good deal this is.”

Snake looked me over. “Good. If she acts like this in front of my Don, we’re all wasting our time.”

He turned away.

Miles snapped. His hand came down hard across my face. “I already told you—once we’re in the casino, don’t try anything,” he hissed. “Do exactly as I say, or things will only get worse from here.”

For a split second, I saw it—something wild and unhinged in Miles’s eyes. I didn’t even recognize him anymore.

My mouth moved before my mind could catch up. “Go ahead. I dare you.”

I knew better than to challenge a desperate man—but I was so angry. I couldn’t believe my own boyfriend was offering me to another man like some kind of dessert.

If this Don wasn’t my brother… then whatever was going to happen to me tonight was unthinkable.

“Don’t slap her,” Mr. Snake said lazily from the side. “If you ruin her face, what’s my Don supposed to look at?”

“I’m—” I barely got the word out before Miles clamped a hand over my mouth.

“Be quiet,” he warned.

Snake gave me a fleeting glance. “Good. Keep her quiet—and make sure she behaves. I don’t want any unnecessary noise coming from our suite.”

Miles turned at the suggestion. Whatever softness he once had was gone. All I saw now was a stranger—crazy-eyed, calculating how to hurt me without leaving marks.

“I’ll ask you one last time, Eva,” he said quietly. “Will you help me or not?”

He leaned closer. “Think of it like sleeping with me. Just another man. We’re all the same, right? Maybe you’ll even enjoy it.”

I stared at Miles, didn’t give him any response. I was so done with him. It was time to get out of here.

My fingers twitched, searching for the bracelet.

Nothing.

My heart dropped. I must’ve lost it on the way here.

I scanned the room—no sign of it.

“You asked for this, Eva,” Miles snapped. “Don’t blame me.”

He stood, grabbed a bottle, and smashed it down on my ankle.

Pain exploded through me. I cried out despite myself, glass biting deep into my skin. Blood spread fast, hot and sticky.

Mr. Snake chuckled. “Looks like our pretty girl still has some fight.”

Miles took it as encouragement. “I don’t want to do this,” he said, eyes locked on mine. “Just say yes. We can end this.”

I swallowed the scream burning in my throat. “I will never help you, Miles, go to hell.”

“Bitch.” His gaze shifted—from my ankle to my hands. I knew what he was thinking before he moved.

“No—”

He picked up the knife from the table and stepped closer, slow and deliberate.

“If you’re still this stubborn,” he murmured, “how about we take a few fingers? That’ll teach you to behave.”

The blade caught the light.

“Wasn’t your dream to be a pianist, babe?” he asked softly. “Tell me—if you lose a finger or two… can you still play?”

“No,” I said, my voice shaking despite myself. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Becoming a pianist was everything to me. That dream was why I’d left my family behind, why I lived alone in Boston.

Miles wouldn’t do it. He wasn’t that much of a monster.

But I clearly underestimated him. Miles smiled like a sick, twisted bastard as he stepped closer, the knife hovering just above my skin.

“Come on,” Snake drawled. “Don’t make a mess. We still have to show her to my Don. Just break her finger.”

“No!” I screamed. “Don’t touch my hands!”

Miles paused. “I won’t,” he said, “if you promise to help me. Make Mr. Snake’s Don happy.”

This time, I didn’t press. Instead, I asked quietly, “Are you even sure his Don would want me?”

“Not like this of course,” Snake said, tilting his head. He waved his men forward. “Take her to change. And—” his gaze swept over me, “—put her in something prettier. What is she wearing, her grandma’s Christmas special?”

A burly man yanked me up and dragged me toward the bathroom. Miles followed, watching me closely, suspicious of my sudden compliance.

“I can walk,” I said, shaking free and stumbling forward.

Miles lost patience. He grabbed my arm and slammed me against the bathroom door. “Don’t try anything,” he warned. “Play along, and we all walk out of here. Otherwise—”

He dragged a finger across his throat.

I opened the door and limped inside, my ankle screaming with every step.

The mirror stopped me cold.

The makeup I’d done so carefully—just for Miles, for his family—was ruined. Tears streaked down my face. Several red slap marks stood out against my skin.

When I didn’t move, Miles shoved me forward, forcing my head down into the sink. He turned on the faucet, letting cold water rushing over my face. I struggled, choking, but he was stronger. When he finally let go, I was gasping, shaking.

My face was bare now. But the slap mark still showed.

Miles pulled a dress from the bag and tossed it at me.

“Put this on,” he said. “Mr. Snake says his Don likes this kind of thing.”

I held it up. It wasn’t a dress—it was a strip of fabric pretending to be one, barely covered the front, nothing on the back. I would never wear something like this. It was humiliating.

But Miles didn’t wait.

He lunged for the dress I was already wearing and started tearing it apart.

“What are you doing?!”

“Helping you get dressed, of course,” he said, voice flat as his hands ripped the seams. “You’re taking too long, Eva.”

“No! Don’t touch me!” I fought back, but Miles only slapped me again, hard.

“Oh, Eva, don’t act all noble now. Everyone knows you’re a whore—just too damn proud to admit it.” He reached out to flip a stray of my hair behind my ear, “Why else would I chase you? Because of your fancy dreams? Your pretty little piano playing?”

Eva’s POV

He leaned in, his breath warm against my cheek. “From day one, I planned to use that pretty face of yours to get something for myself.”

“At first, it was the looks—the way other men stared, wondering how a guy like me landed someone like you.”

“And now? You get to help pay off my debt.” Miles smirked, studying me. “Consider it an honor, Eva. It’s not like you were useful for anything else.”

His words hit like another slap across my face.

I remembered when I first met Miles. He wasn’t like the other chasers. He was quiet.

He brought me flowers after my shows, picked me up from school, told me not to give up—no matter how many doors slammed in my face.

I thought Miles was different. That he loved me for who I was—not for what I had, not for a pretty face or a powerful family.

But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Up until now, I still wanted to believe money had driven Miles crazy. That this wasn’t who he really was.

But the truth is—I never knew the real Miles.

And the real Miles? He was trash from the very beginning.

“Eva, I warned you. Once I brought you out, you don’t get to act up in front of me,” Miles snapped. “Mr. Snake—and whoever his Don is—we can’t afford to mess with them.”

I almost laughed. “So you knew you couldn’t mess with them… and still, you brought me here.”

I didn’t bother saying the part I really wanted to because whatever happened to Miles wasn’t my concern anymore.

I just needed to find my bracelet and get out of here.

“Bitch, what I do—or don’t do—is none of your business. Shut up and put the damn dress on.” Miles shoved me against the wall, hands everywhere, and just as he tried to force himself on me again— a knock cut through the air.

“Our Don’s coming,” someone said from the other side of the door. “If she’s clean, bring her out.”

Miles cursed under his breath and shoved me forward. “You heard him. Move.”

I walked ahead, limping. Miles and the other man trailed behind me like guards.

Snake was still lounging on the sofa. His eyes lit up when he saw me. “Truly a beauty,” he said. “Tell you what—if my Don doesn’t want you, I’ll take you myself.”

He grinned, eyes crawling over me. “In fact… maybe I should get a taste before handing you off. Odds are, he won’t like you anyway. You’ll end up mine.”

He reached for me, fingers grazing my waist. I shoved his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

His smile vanished. The slap came hard and fast.

I hit the carpet, vision spinning.

“Don’t touch you?” Snake crouched beside me, face close, breath sour. “You’ve already been sold, sweetheart. You think you still get choices?”

“You should be lucky your boyfriend sold you to me,” he sneered. “Anyone else, and you’d already be on your back, entertaining guests.”

I pushed myself up, blood in my mouth, and looked him in the eyes.

“Theo Crowe,” I said, steady. “He’s your boss, right?”

Snake stilled.

“I’m his sister. Touch me again, and you’ll be dead before you hit the ground.”

For a second, everything was silent.

Snake barked out a laugh. “My Don’s sister?”

He laughed so hard his cigarette nearly slipped from his fingers. “If you’re his sister, why are you with trash like Miles? And why didn’t you say so the moment we brought you in?”

I didn’t answer.

The reason I hadn’t said anything earlier was simple—Miles hadn’t given me the chance. From the moment we got here, he’d been busy covering my mouth, making sure I couldn’t make a sound.

And I hadn’t thought he’d take things this far. I’d underestimated just how fast everything could turn ugly.

Snake’s laughter cut off. His smile vanished, eyes turning cold. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“No.”

The slap came hard. “Then why are you telling me a joke like that?”