Bought by the Ruthless Pakhan

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Anna

"Get out." The words hit me from behind like a bullet grazing my ear.

Before I could react, someone shoved my lower back, and I tumbled out of the van's rear seat. Lucky for me, I didn't hit the ground. An arm caught me around the waist from behind.

"Easy. Damaged goods don't sell."

The hand slid down, making two deliberate circles around my ass. Even through my jeans, I could feel the heat of his palm.

He squeezed, like he was checking the merchandise.

I looked up. Light stabbed into my eyes.

The Ember Room.

Never heard of it. But I knew damn well why I'd been dumped here.

A few hours ago, I'd just walked out of school when they stuffed me into that goddamn van.

The guy in the passenger seat flashed me a grin, yellow teeth stained with tobacco. "Your father owes us money. He's using that cherry of yours to settle his debt."

When he said "settle," his tongue rolled between his teeth like he was chewing on a piece of fat already in his mouth. His eyes stripped my clothes off. Worse than that—he looked like he could already see me naked, calculating my worth in his head.

Using me as payment? How the hell could they say that shit out loud?

I wanted to scream, to tell him to go to hell, but my throat closed up like someone had their hands around it.

Because I knew he wasn't lying. The man I called father had been rotten to the core since I was four. Drunk. Abusive. After divorcing Mom, he'd gambled away what little he had left.

The passenger held his phone to my ear.

"Anna, just help Dad out one last time. I owe them money—they'll kill me if I don't pay. Just one night, that's all..."

One night. Like sending his daughter off to get fucked was some kind of noble sacrifice.

Before I could say anything, he hung up. Then they dragged me here.

Standing at the club entrance, I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice. "Sir, I'm an adult. My father has no right to sell anything that belongs to me."

I turned to leave. Before I could take a step, cold metal pressed against my lower back.

"Little girl, here's what you need to understand—as long as your name is Anna Bennett, you pay his debts."

The man in the suit leaned down, his nose nearly touching the back of my neck. He inhaled deeply. "Smells good... got me hard already. If you weren't worth more intact, I'd pin you against this wall right now and fuck you till you broke."

My stomach clenched. "This isn't fair!"

"Fair? You're talking to us about fair?"

The gun barrel dug deeper, hard enough to numb my side. "Girl, you've got two choices. Walk in there and let people bid on you like a good little product, or stay out here and let us have our turn. Pick."

He said choice. But I knew there was no choice.

From the moment I was born, I'd never had real options. All I could do was surrender and walk into the hell in front of me.

The cramped room was lit harsh white. A few girls huddled in the corner. Some trembling, some staring at the walls.

But more than that—some had nipple clamps biting into their breasts, metal chains dangling and swaying with every movement. One girl bent over, working a silver plug into her ass, smooth as applying lipstick.

Bile rose in my throat. Were they insane? What the hell were they doing?

Then a woman emerged from the shadows.

She wore nothing but a sheer shawl draped over her shoulders. When she moved, you could see her nipples standing proud beneath it. She looked like a worshipped statue, beautiful enough to make you stare.

For a split second, I thought, if I had enough money, I'd probably pay a fortune for her too. Then I killed that thought.

"You the new treasure?" She stopped in front of me, eyes sliding from my face down to my feet.

I answered quietly. "Yes, ma'am."

She jerked her chin toward the closet in the corner. "Don't waste time. Pick something and put it on. You'll go on stage with them in a minute."

She looked me up and down again, a cold smirk on her lips. "My advice? Get over yourself. You came here to sell. Don't play innocent. Put on some toys—the bosses like that."

I froze, thinking I'd misheard. I didn't understand why this woman, meeting me for the first time, would have so much venom for me.

"I don't know how." The words scraped out through my teeth. Humiliation I'd never felt before flooded my throat like water. I was drowning.

Her smile got sharper. "Virgins aren't precious here. If you don't behave, the boss has plenty of ways to make you bend."

Her eyes stabbed into me like needles. My spine went cold.

There were no good people in this club.

I gave up and picked out a dress that barely covered what needed covering. Changed into it, defeated.

"She's wearing that?"

"God, she has no clue. Coming here and still playing innocent."

Mockery crashed over me from all sides like waves trying to pull me under. My face burned, but I couldn't argue back. Even though I'd been forced, I was still standing here. I'd still put on this dress.

Outside, a bell rang. Like a slaughterhouse clock. The arrogant woman led the way, head held high like a peacock spreading its feathers. Her voice was electric with excitement. "Remember, keep your mouths shut down there. All you need to do is present your tits and your cunts."

Present. Like we were coats. Tablecloths.

The crowd pushed me forward, herding me up the steps covered in dark velvet.

The steps were soft, feet sinking in like cotton. Wall sconces glowed amber. The air was thick with perfume, alcohol, and the choking smell of makeup. This filthy flesh trade dressed up like a goddamn gala.

Below the stage, the room was packed with men in suits. Smoke curled up from their fingers, hazy and thick, like steam rising from a cage of beasts. Eyes glinted through the smoke, bright and hungry as wolves.

Some whistled. Some muttered crude remarks and threw out bids. Vulgar words floated up through the smoke and stuck in my ears.

I clenched my fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms until I tasted blood. Only then could I stop my legs from shaking.

"30 thousand."

"50 thousand."

"Oh, very nice! Our Lily just went for 50!"

I watched the girl in front of me wiggle her bunny tail as she walked toward a thick-necked thug. She was even smiling, like she was on a runway.

But the man didn't even look at her. Just reached over and yanked the tail out—

Her red, gaping hole on display for everyone. Clenching and releasing.

The room erupted in low, guttural laughter.

My stomach turned.

Cheers and applause pounded against my eardrums. Someone behind me shoved me forward.

Next up. Me.

"Next, we have a lily from small-town California. Pure, sexy, and most importantly—"

She paused for effect.

"She's a first-timer."

"Starting bid, 50 thousand."

Cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. My feet felt nailed to the velvet carpet.

Numbers climbed in my ears. Fifty, eighty, a hundred thousand. Each one like a hammer to my chest. I couldn't breathe.

These astronomical figures—they were pricing my body, buying me to do whatever the hell they wanted.

I bit down on my tongue and forced myself to look up. Even as the numbers kept rising, I couldn't feel happy. If this money wasn't enough to pay off Gary's debt, how many more times would I have to stand on this stage?

No! I couldn't just wait for this!

I sucked in a breath and found strength from somewhere. Stepped forward and grabbed the microphone out of the woman's hand.

"600 thousand!"

The spotlight hit my face, blinding white, but I didn't flinch. Said it again. "600 thousand!"

The room went silent for a full second. Then exploded in roaring laughter.

"Jesus Christ, God gave you a pretty face, but that doesn't mean your pussy's lined with diamonds!"

"Bitch thinks she can charge that? How many times you sell that cherry already?"

The lead woman completely panicked. No more arrogance in her eyes. She hissed under her breath, voice tight. "Are you insane? You'll ruin the entire club!"

I ignored her. Gripped the mic tight. Wouldn't back down.

Six hundred thousand was astronomical. It would never sell.

If it didn't sell, I'd have a chance to renegotiate with the creditors.

I wouldn't be a commodity. I could do this myself. I could pay back the debt.

Then—

A bid card rose slowly in the darkness below.

The woman's voice trembled with excitement, every word vibrating in her chest. "S-six hundred thousand. Sold!"

I stared, dazed. My eyes cut through the dim light to that single glow.

The man's thin lips curved slightly. His jawline sharp as a blade.

Smoke curled between his fingers. He didn't even stand up. Just raised his hand casually, like he was buying something trivial.

But those eyes. Even through the darkness, through the smoke, through the whole room full of laughter—I could feel it.

He was looking at me.

Like he was examining something he'd already bought.

He was...

My buyer.