If he left so confidently, there had to be a way to ensure she couldn't escape her fate.
What was the point of wasting her energy?
The room was eerily quiet, save for her faint breathing.
Suddenly, Aurelia caught a familiar scent, faint but unmistakable.
Her sharp sense of smell, honed since childhood, detected it immediately.
But then she shook her head, mocking herself inwardly. What a ridiculous thought.
How could it be him?
He wanted her dead, not… this. He could never do such a thing for her.
"Since you're here, why not speak up?" Aurelia called out boldly, her voice echoing in the still room.
She could sense the presence of someone else, the person who had purchased her virginity was surely in the room now.
"As expected of the eldest daughter of the Prescott family," a deep, mocking voice replied. "You're as meticulous as ever."
Her faint hope shattered in an instant.
That voice, it wasn't his. She had been foolish to imagine otherwise.
The man's breath grew closer, thick and oppressive, sending chills down her spine.
His aura was suffocating, heavy with dominance and power.
A man who could casually spend one hundred million on a whim was no ordinary person.
Aurelia bit her lip, refusing to speak further.
The man towered over her, gazing down at her seated form.
Despite the situation, she held herself with a grace and dignity that only someone like her could muster.
Even now, she looked proud and unyielding, as though she weren't the one being sold.
But it was precisely this noble air of hers that provoked him. It made him want to destroy her, to strip away that pride and leave her broken.
He downed the liquor in his glass with a single gulp before hurling the glass against the wall.
The sharp sound of shattering glass filled the room, making Aurelia flinch.
Before she could process what was happening, a heavy force lunged toward her.
Aurelia froze as a strong masculine presence engulfed her. A cold, calloused palm touched her cheek, sending shivers down her spine.
"Miss Prescott, are you scared?" the man's low voice taunted, his dark gaze boring into her.
She refused to answer, meeting his gaze with silent defiance.
"Sir, the money and the goods are exchanged," she said.
He pulled a check from his pocket, the corners of his lips curling into a cruel smile.
Slowly, deliberately, he pressed the check against her chest, sliding it down her silky skin with mocking leisure.
"Here," he sneered, his tone dripping with contempt. "I've bought you. This is what you're worth."
Aurelia's hands trembled slightly as she took the check, her expression unreadable.
She carefully placed it into the bag beside her before forcing a small, icy smile.
"Thank you, sir," she said, her voice even.
Her calmness only enraged him further. His eyes burned with fury as he reached out, grabbing the delicate lace of her dress.
With one savage motion, he tore it apart, the fabric falling in shreds to the floor.
The cool air stung Aurelia's exposed skin, but she didn't flinch. She clenched her teeth, her body trembling as if she'd been submerged in ice water.
Memories of his cold words replayed in her mind.
"If you're going to sell yourself, do it properly. Don't act like a victim while pretending to be innocent."
The words cut deeper than any physical wound.
She wanted to fight back, to slap this madman across the face and scream.
But her father's broken expression flashed in her mind, extinguishing the fire in her heart.
She had no choice.
So instead, she gave him the same mocking smile he had given her, her voice filled with bitter sarcasm.
"Thank you for the advice, sir."