The auction hall's atmosphere had grown heavier, thicker with smoke and anticipation as the night dragged on. Akshat kept playing his role perfectly, too perfectly. His hand never left Manya's body, sliding slowly up and down her waist, occasionally dipping lower to squeeze her hip while he laughed at his own crude jokes.
The golden tiger mask hid most of his face, but the cocky smirk underneath was unmistakable to anyone watching. His erection remained hard and insistent beneath Manya the entire time, pressing against her ass every time she shifted.
The mix of danger and unwanted heat between them kept creating these absurd little moments that almost felt comedic in the worst way possible.
Manya was a mess of emotions—angry at how much he was enjoying the act, secretly flushed because her body kept reacting anyway, and terrified of what might happen next. Every time he licked her cheek or neck in front of the entire VIP section, jealous whispers erupted again.
"Fucking degenerate…"
"Look at him treating that girl like public property."
"Kurana Alexanderia really is a madman."
Akshat just flipped them off with a bright grin and pulled Manya tighter against him, grinding up once on purpose just to sell the image. She pinched his thigh hard in retaliation, but that only made him chuckle darkly against her ear. The sexual tension was ridiculous—deadly mission turned into some twisted public foreplay that had both of them on edge.
Then the auction attendant stepped forward with the next batch.
"Here is the next batch," the man announced smoothly. "All fresh from recent collections. Prime condition, well-trained—"
Akshat's entire body went rigid the moment he saw her. Vanya. She was pushed onto the stage half-naked, covered in ugly bruises that stood out harshly under the bright lights. Her eyes were half-lidded, barely conscious, body swaying slightly as if every movement hurt. The golden tiger mask hid Akshat's expression, but his grip on Manya's waist tightened so hard she could feel the anger rolling off him in waves.
He forced the cocky tone back into his voice, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Oh, that one… damn, she looks like she got fucked by a hundred people at the same time." He let out a loud, arrogant laugh that echoed across the seats. "I'll buy that milf. She'll look good broken in even more."
Manya froze on his lap. She could feel the contradiction in his body—the way his muscles were locked tight with pure rage while he kept up the filthy act. His erection was still there, but it felt different now, almost secondary to the storm inside him. Tears started spilling down Manya's cheeks behind the golden bee mask. She tried to hold them back, but seeing Vanya like that—her best friend reduced to this—broke something in her.
On stage, Vanya could barely process what was happening. Shame burned through her haze of pain. She felt exposed, dirty, completely helpless under the hungry eyes of all those masked bastards. In her half-conscious mind, she cursed Harsh with every weak breath she took. *That bastard… that lying piece of shit.* Memories flashed through her—carefree teen years, laughter with friends, lazy afternoons on campus. And Akshat. She remembered the day he had proposed to her, serious and sincere in a way Harsh never was. What if she had said yes? What if she hadn't fallen for Harsh's charming lies? Would she be here right now, naked and broken in front of strangers?
The regret tasted like ash in her mouth.
Manya's tears fell faster. Her shoulders started shaking. Akshat noticed immediately. Without breaking character, he slid one hand up sensually along her side, cupping her breast through the red dress in a bold, possessive move that drew even more whispers and chuckles from the crowd. At the same time, he leaned in close, his voice dropping to a whisper only she could hear.
"I'm here," he murmured against her ear, thumb stroking her gently. "Do not cry, Manya. I've got her. I've got all of them."
The contrast was almost funny in a fucked-up way—his hand groping her like a shameless pervert for the audience while he comforted her with soft, protective words. Manya didn't know whether to laugh, cry harder, or elbow him again. The sexual tension spiked even higher as his hard length twitched beneath her, but his touch stayed strangely comforting.
Akshat kept bidding like a man possessed. He raised the paddle again and again, voice dripping with arrogant lust. "All of them. The whole remaining AUMC batch too. Don't waste my time with small numbers." He licked a slow stripe up Manya's neck while staring down a rival bidder, then flipped the entire section off with his other hand. "What? Jealous I can afford more toys than you sad fucks?"
The comedy kept building in the background. One older VIP in a lion mask actually choked on his drink. Another group of wolves started openly complaining about "that rich bastard ruining the market." Akshat responded by pulling Manya into a dramatic, possessive kiss on the cheek, licking her skin again just to annoy them more. Manya wanted the ground to swallow her whole, but she stayed in his lap, playing along even as fresh heat pooled between her legs from the constant friction and tension.
By the end of the long, exhausting night, Akshat had bought two hundred and seventeen girls. The maximum any single buyer had taken. Out of the 1077 girls available that night, he walked away with the biggest share. Staff moved around them efficiently, finalizing transfers and preparing discreet transport. No one questioned Kurana Alexanderia. They all assumed the worst—that he was about to throw the most depraved private party imaginable.
Akshat leaned back in the luxurious VVIP seat, Manya still firmly on his lap, his hand resting on her thigh. Behind the tiger mask, his eyes stayed locked on the stage where Vanya was being led away with the others. The anger inside him hadn't cooled even a little.
But for now, they were his. On paper, at least.
The real fight was only beginning once they got out of here.
End of ch 75
To be continue...
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