"Cut! Cut! Cut!" The director's loud voice pierced through the set. "Let's all take 10 minutes."
Lana let out a sigh as she slumped into a seat. For an extra, she really does a lot… with little pay to show for it.
The pay was so little that she couldn't even sort the huge debt her father had accumulated in just a few months. And that was one of her biggest regrets—not landing a lead role in any movie she's been in.
If she had, she wouldn't be in this mess.
She tried to focus on her role, but her mind kept drifting back to the black market auction days ago.
The memory clung to her like a shadow she couldn't shake off.
That night, her life had changed.
She had been sold to pay off her father's crushing debt. It was a choice between her and her father's survival.
Her father had gambled them both into ruin and flee, and now she was the one paying the price.
Her eyes flickered to her phone to check the time, the bright screen glaring up at her.
Three missed calls.
She knew who they were from, but she couldn't bring herself to listen to the voicemails.
'There's no way I'm giving myself to that beast,' she thought, her heart pounding in her chest. 'He's going to regret ever buying me.'
She was about to tuck her phone away when the door to the studio suddenly burst open. The noise startled everyone, cutting through the usual quiet hum of the set like a gunshot. Lana's breath caught in her throat.
Standing in the doorway was the last person she wanted to see: Nicholas Anderson.
Nico towered over everyone, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the floor. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, and his cold, piercing blue eyes scanned the room like a hawk searching for prey.
His sharp jawline was set, and his lips formed a thin line. Clad in a tailored suit that only emphasized his intimidating presence, Nicholas was the kind of man who commanded attention the moment he walked into a room.
Everyone on set froze, stunned by his sudden appearance. There was a collective gasp as they realized who he was—a powerful businessman with connections that ran deep.
There were rumors surrounding him, but no one dared to find out if they were true or not… at least those still alive after all those who had died trying.
What was he doing here? That was the question on everyone's mind.
Before anyone could fully recover from the shock, Nico began walking, and his eyes were locked in one person.
Lana.
She felt her blood run cold. There was no escape. He crossed the distance between them in seconds, and before she could react, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.
"Lana," he growled.
It wasn't a greeting. It was a statement of fact, like he had already decided her fate.
Lana tried to pull her hand free, her heart racing, but his grip tightened, the strength in his hand making her wince. "Let go," she hissed through clenched teeth, glaring up at him.
"Not a chance," Nico said calmly, almost amused. "You're coming with me."
Without another word, he pulled her, dragging her toward the nearest door. Lana struggled against him, her feet stumbling as she tried to break free, but it was like fighting against a wall of steel.
Nico didn't even look back as he marched forward, keeping his grip tight.
"Stop! You can't just—" she began, but her words were cut short as they reached a restroom.
Nico shoved the door open with a single push, and before she knew it, they were inside. He slammed the door behind them, the sound echoing in the small space, cutting off the rest of the world.
Lana barely had time to catch her breath before Nico pushed her back against the cold, tiled wall. The sudden impact knocked the air from her lungs, and she stared up at him, her chest heaving.
"Why are you doing this?" she demanded, her voice shaking with a mix of anger and fear.
Nico's eyes darkened, his face inches from hers that she could smell the faint scent of his expensive cologne. "Why?" He repeated the word as if it were the most ridiculous question he'd ever heard. "Because I own you now."
Lana flinched, the words hitting her like a slap. She tried to shove him away, but his body pinned her to the wall. "You don't own me. You never will."
His lips curled into a dangerous smile. "That's where you're wrong."
He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear. "Your father's debt—your debt—has been paid. By me. Which means you belong to me until I say otherwise."
Lana felt a surge of defiance rise up inside her, her hands balling into fists. "I'm not some property you can just take. I'm a person."
Nico pulled back slightly, his eyes studying her for a long moment.
Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, he placed his hand against the wall beside her head, trapping her in place. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "If I wanted a debate, I would've brought a lawyer. But I didn't. I brought me. And I don't lose."
Lana's pulse thundered in her ears. Her mind raced, trying to think of a way out, a way to escape the suffocating presence of this man. "You can't just force me into this."
"Watch me."
And without warning, he crashed his lips on hers in a rough, demanding and possessive kiss, claiming her in a searing kiss that burned through her body like wildfire.
For a moment, Lana was frozen. Her mind went blank in shock and terror. Then like a switch being flipped, she came to life, trying to struggle against his grasp.
"Noo… let me go!" She cried in desperation.
Nico's grip tightened, his fingers digging into her skin. "You're mine," he hissed. "And I'll never let you go."