“Fuck it,” I muttered to myself. I couldn’t let a snake win this. I would rather punish Alessia in other ways than let Leonid have her.
Without waiting for Matvet’s return, I strode back toward the auction hall, my steps quick and purposeful. The doors swung open with a resounding crash, and the chaos inside stilled for a moment as all eyes turned to me.
The air was thick with tension. Leonid directed his glare at me. He wanted her, and even though I already knew she had no connections to my enemies, I would rather keep her than letLeonid win her.
Matvet stood a few feet away as he bid against Leonid.
The room erupted in shouts and jeers, the two men locked in a battle of egos and wealth. Other bidders had long since given up, their interest fading as the stakes rose impossibly high.
I could feel their eyes on me as I made my way to my seat. They were probably confused about the change of plans. My gaze swept the stage, landing on Alessia. She coiled in on herself, trembling like a leaf in a storm.
Her wide eyes darted around the room, maybe wondering what the fuck this was. I hated her at that moment, for causing this mess, and for making me feel anything at all. She was a liability, a weakness I couldn’t afford to have. But the thought of Leonid claiming her sent a wave of rage crashing over me.
“Nine hundred thousand,” Leonid called.
Gasps echoed through the room.
I didn’t hesitate. I raised my bidding paddle, my voice cutting through the tension like a blade. “Five million.”
The room fell silent, the weight of my words sinking in. Leonid’s smile faltered, his composure slipping for the briefest of moments before he recovered. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze locked on mine, a silent challenge burning in his eyes. I didn’t look away. I stared at him, with a promise of violence should he dare defy me.
“Going once,” the auctioneer began, her voice trembling.
Leonid didn’t move. No one did.
“Going twice.”
Leonid’s jaw clenched.
“Sold!”
The gavel struck, sealing the deal. The tension in the room dissipated, replaced by hushed whispers and stolen glances. I could feel Dmitri’s eyes of disbelief on me, but I never looked at him.
On my feet, my gaze locked on Leonid as I stepped outside. I had broken the auction rules. The auction rules didn’t allow owners to bid on their property. If they did, they had to compensate the second-highest bidder to retain it. But in California, I had a reputation for bending the damn rules.
The ride back to the territory was silent. My jaw clenched, and my mind spiraled into a storm of fury. Matvet drove with Alessia in another car ahead of me. I didn’t need to look at her to feel the fear radiating off her.
She should be afraid. She had no idea what awaited her, but I did. The auction had been a failure—a damn disaster that humiliated me. Who does that? I wanted her gone, yet instead of selling her away, I bought her.
The leather seat squeaked as I shifted, trying to ease the inferno blazing inside me. I should have relished the fact that Leonid walked away empty-handed, but my mind churned with the cost of tonight. She ruined my carefully orchestrated plan for the auction. Alessia was now a thorn in my side. She dared to stab Renat and now stood as both an inconvenience and a liability.
My SUV pulled into the compound, the gates shutting behind me with a metallic clang. My men were outside, stationed around the courtyard, their eyes alternating between the car and me as if they sensed the storm brewing. They were right to be cautious. Tonight had soured me in ways I couldn’t even put into words.
Matvet stepped out first, dragging Alessia by the arm. She staggered, her feet catching on the uneven ground. She still wore the white lace dress from the auction. It clung to her like a ghost, a reminder of her fragile, pathetic existence. Her disheveled hair fell over her face like a curtain.
I stepped out of my car and walked toward the entrance. Before I reached the door, I stopped. Matvet halted immediately, hisgrip on Alessia loosening as he looked at me.
Alessia stumbled, and this time she didn’t catch herself. She dropped to her knees, the lace of her dress pooling around her like a broken halo. In a second, she got up and fixed herself. Her head remained bowed, her face obscured by the tangle of her hair. I pulled a cigar from my pocket, biting off the tip with a sharp snap of my teeth.
The act steadied me, gave me something to focus on other than the rage clawing at my insides. I lit the cigar, taking a slow drag. The smoke curled around me, the scent mixing with the cold night air. My men were watching, their eyes flickering between Alessia and me. They were waiting for a show, for an example to be made. And I wouldn’t disappoint them.
“Leave,” I instructed Matvet.
He hesitated for a fraction of a second before stepping back. He knew better than to question me when I was in this state. Alessia stayed where she was. I exhaled a cloud of smoke, and the ember of the cigar glowed brightly in the darkness.
“Look at me,” I commanded.
She didn’t move.