Sophia's eyes flickered open as she slowly sat up on the hard, cold floor. Her body ached, and her mind was foggy. She blinked a few times, trying to make sense of her surroundings. The dim light barely illuminated the small, cramped space she was in. As her vision cleared, she realized she was in a cage, and she wasn't alone. Several other girls, all naked like her, huddled together in the corners.
"You're finally awake," a girl beside her said softly. "You've been sleeping for the past twenty-four hours."
"Where... where is this place?" she wondered aloud, as her eyes scanned the dark, damp surroundings.
"I'm not sure, but I think we're in New York City," the girl replied sadly, but Sophia wasn't satisfied with the answer.
"And why are we naked inside a cage?"
"She doesn't seem to know," one of the girls glanced at her pitifully, making Sophia even more worried.
"We've been bought by the Mafia," the first girl explained. "Every night we're taken to the stage and sold to the highest bidder as their sex slave."
"That's absurd," Sophia shook her head frantically. How could she, the daughter of Dante DeLuca, be made to partake in such a degrading exercise? Then, memories of the coronation came flooding back. Yes, she remembered now—her fiancé Marco and her cousin Ariana must have sold her to these people.
Sophia's heart pounded as she tried to process the betrayal and the horror of her situation. She had always been the one in control, but now she was at the mercy of some bastards who saw her as nothing more than a commodity. The realization cut deep, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"We need to find a way out of here," she whispered with a determined nod, but the other girls looked at her with doubt.
"It's impossible," the first girl said. "They keep a close watch on us, and anyone who tries to escape is severely punished…or even killed."
Sophia sighed. "But still, we need to at least try."
Just then, a bulky man with a scar, known as Scarface, walked in with some men. "What ya bitches yapping about? You'd better shut it because it's time for business. Open the cage," he commanded one of his men, who quickly complied.
"So, who are we taking today?" He looked thoughtfully for a moment before he began pointing at the girls. Anyone he pointed at got pulled out of the cage.
Sophia held her breath, praying that she wasn't picked, but unfortunately, the man pointed at her with a wicked grin. "The good ol' DeLuca bitch. She's going to fetch us some fucking huge bucks. Bring her out."
They pulled Sophia out roughly, but she struggled against their hold, which only resulted in Scarface giving her a harsh slap across her cheek. Pain shot through her instantly, but she only glared at him defiantly.
"You're a tough one, ain't you? You'd better behave yourself, bitch. Don't go thinking you're still a princess or something. Now, bring her along," he ordered his men, who pulled her along.
She craned her neck to glance at the girl she had been conversing with. The girl could only offer her a sad nod. Sophia knew she was in for it.
She couldn't believe how drastically her life had changed in such a short time. Just days ago, she was the heiress of the DeLuca family, poised to lead with pride. Now, she was being paraded like livestock, betrayed by the very people she thought she could trust.
They reached a room with a large wooden door. Scarface shoved it open, revealing a makeshift stage surrounded by dim lights, where a handful of men were waiting impatiently.
"Here she is," Scarface announced, pushing Sophia forward to join the other girls. "The fucking DeLuca princess herself. Take a good look, because she's going to make one of you very happy tonight."
Sophia fought the urge to cower, standing tall instead. She refused to let them see her fear. She scanned the room, hoping to find a way out, a weakness she could exploit. But all she saw were hardened men, their hungry eyes roamed her naked body, taking in every detail.
"She's so fucking sexy," one of the men pointed at her. "I want that bitch on her knees, sucking my fucking balls."
"The only thing you're going to be sucking is your dirty toes, you fucking pig," Sophia shouted back at the man. But they all laughed at her, the sound echoing through the room.
"I forgot to mention, she's a feisty one," Scarface announced with a smug grin on face.
"Well, who doesn't love a good challenge?" another man said, and the laughter continued.
Sophia's heart broke, but she refused to show fear. She glared at each of them in turn, with so much hatred. She knew they wanted to break her spirit, to see her submit, but she wouldn't give them the satisfaction.
Scarface grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her closer to the men. "Here she is, boys. The DeLuca princess, ready to be tamed."
The men surged forward, their greedy hands reaching out to touch her perky boobs, Sophia kicked and screamed, fighting them off as best as she could. But there were too many of them, and they were too strong.
One of the men caught her by the hair, yanking her head back painfully. "You think you're still some kind of royalty, don't you? Well, not here. Here, you're nothing but a whore."
Sophia spat in his face, her defiance burning bright even as tears of frustration and fear welled in her eyes. "I am Sophia DeLuca, and I will never be nothing!"
The man wiped her spit from his face, but his expression darkened with anger. "You'll pay for that," he growled, raising his hand to strike her.
But before he could, Scarface intervened. "Enough Thomas! She's valuable, remember? We don't damage the goods."
Thomas hesitated, then lowered his hand. "Fine. But I'll be the one to break her."
Sophia was shoved back into the center of the room. Her body trembled with so much fury.
"Let the bidding begin!" Scarface declared.
The first offer came quickly, followed by another. The numbers climbed higher and higher, each bid a reminder of her lost freedom.
Suddenly, the sound of gunshots reverberated through the air, and everyone panicked, taking cover. A group of men dressed in all black stormed inside, wielding guns and machetes.
"Get down, everyone!" one of them shouted, emphasizing with a gunshot to the air.
They made a path as a tall man, 6'4", muscular and handsome with an intense demeanor, walked inside majestically, instantly drawing whimpers from almost everyone in the room.
"It's Luca Moreno," someone whispered with fear as the man stopped in front of the stage.
Sophia's heart raced as she watched Luca Moreno. He looked so intimidating. The men who had been tormenting her moments ago now cowered in his presence, their bravado evaporating. She wondered who this was that struck so much fear.
Luca's piercing eyes scanned the room, taking in the scene before him. He nodded once, and his men spread out, securing the area and disarming the men who had been bidding on the girls.
"Who is in charge here?" Luca's voice was cold and authoritative.
Scarface, visibly trembling, stepped forward and kneeled in front of him. "I am, Mr. Moreno. We didn't know you were coming."
Luca's gaze shifted to Scarface. "It seems you've forgotten who controls this territory. You don't operate without my fucking permission."
Scarface swallowed hard. "I-I apologize, Mr. Moreno. It won't happen again."
Luca's eyes narrowed. "No, it won't." He turned his attention to the naked girls before looking back at Scarface. He raised his machete and cut off Scarface's head. Fearful whimpers filled the room as he picked up Scarface's head and raised it. "This is what happens to anyone who fucks with me," his eyes dark with no pity. "Kill them all."
As soon as he gave the order, his men carried on, cutting off the heads of the bidders, turning the room into a bloodbath.
Finally, he focused his attention solely on the cowering girls. "You're free to go," he announced coldly. When the fearful girls didn't move, he repeated himself sharply, prompting them to begin to run.
Just as Sophia walked past him, he pulled her back roughly, his curious gaze looking into her gray eyes.
"You fucking bitch," he growled, as his fingers dugged into her delicate skin. "It is really you, the heiress of the DeLuca Mafia." His frown turned into a cruel smile, unsettling Sophia. This man knew her, but she couldn't bring herself to recognize who he was.
"Life has decided to bless me," he was now staring at her with a dark frown that made her tremble violently. "How wonderful. I'll make your life a living hell, I promise you."