At ten o'clock in the evening, Graves and Maria, the young woman he had just rescued, found themselves in the opulent but eerie corridors of World's Resort Manila. The plush carpets underfoot contrasted sharply with the stern atmosphere. An armed escort led the way, his boots thudding softly against the floor, echoing ominously through the silent hallways.
Maria was quiet, the evening's traumatic events still casting a long shadow over her delicate features. Graves, meanwhile, remained vigilant, his senses heightened and attuned to every movement and sound around them.
Three hours earlier, Graves had cleared Maria's debts and, in the ruthless logic of this new world order, 'bought' her. But in his eyes, Maria was no property. She was a person - a human being to be treated with dignity and respect.
