One Billion for One Night

“200 million for one night!” a woman’s voice rang out loudly.

The woman firmly stated the amount of money a man would have to pay for her daughter’s services for one night.

Financial hardship had driven Marissa, a widow with two children, to the point of losing her sanity, so much so that she was willing to sacrifice one of her daughters as a means of exchange for money.

“No problem. However, I’ll give you the money only after I’ve verified for myself that the girl is indeed still a virgin!”

The man was a wealthy, elderly man. His face was intimidating, his body was obese, and his head was covered in gray hair. Marissa guessed that the man was much older than she was.

“That won’t do! What if you lie to me and just walk away afterward?”

In any case, Marissa had to remain vigilant even though the man in front of her seemed very powerful and wealthy.

“You should know that 200 million is just pocket change to me. Never mind 200 million. I’d even give you a billion. But if it turns out you’re lying and that girl isn’t what I want, don’t expect me to give you a single cent!”

Marissa’s dark eyes widened at the staggering figure. A billion? Not even in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined having that much money.

“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to belittle you. In that case, all right. I agree!”

Actually, Marissa had two daughters, Alena and Selena. However, she chose to sell Alena even though Selena was much prettier.

The main reason was that Alena was her stepdaughter. Besides, Alena didn’t have a bright future ahead of her.

She only worked at a catering business owned by their neighbor for a meager salary. Meanwhile, Selena was currently starting her career at a large company as a secretary and had only been working there for a month.

Given all these considerations, Marissa would certainly never be willing to sacrifice Selena, her own biological daughter, especially to an old man like Mr. Al.

For a moment, the old man’s attention turned to a young woman, about 20 years old, who was sobbing in the corner of the room. She looked terrified. Several times she tried to break free and run away, but she was no match for the two bodyguards holding her arms.

“Take that girl to the car!” he ordered the two bodyguards.

“Yes, Boss!”

The man walked out of the room first. Meanwhile, his two bodyguards were about to drag the girl out. However, she struggled again and cried her heart out, begging for mercy from her stepmother, who simply stared at her without a trace of guilt.

“Mom, please don’t do this. We can make money other ways without having to compromise our dignity!”

“Be quiet, Alena! This is the only way to pay off all our debts! Now you have to go with that man and keep him company tonight!”

“Mom’s right, Alena. Besides, you’re only keeping him company tonight, not forever!” added Selena, who was standing beside her mother.

Alena shook her head vigorously as she struggled against the grip of the two bodyguards. “I’ll work harder to pay off our debts, Mom! But please don’t sell me! I don’t want to!”

“Work? How much do you even make? Get real, Alena. Even if you worked your whole life, you wouldn’t be able to pay off the debts I incurred raising you!”

Tears welled up in Alena’s eyes. She had never imagined that her mother and stepsister would be capable of doing all this.

“Enough, Alena. Come on, hurry up and go with that man or he’ll get angry!”

The two bodyguards immediately grabbed Alena by the arms and dragged her out of the house. Two cars were already parked out front. The man got into one of the cars, while Alena was herded into the other. Alena didn’t even know where those people were taking her.

Before long, they arrived at a luxury apartment building. The car stopped in the basement, which was a private parking area. Alena was forcibly pulled out of the car and led to a private elevator that would take them to the top floor of the luxurious building.

Alena kept struggling, screaming, and shouting for help. But no one heard her.

“Come on in and do your job as best you can. Our boss will be here soon!” said the guard.

Alena was still trying to plead for mercy, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. “Please let me go, sir. I’m not that kind of woman. It was my stepmother who sold me off on a whim.”

“That’s none of our business. Remember, tonight you belong to our boss because he’s paid for you. So don’t you dare resist. Our boss could easily get rid of you if you make him angry!”

Alena was roughly shoved into a spacious, luxurious room equipped with various amenities. Her body nearly crashed to the floor. Luckily, she still had good balance and was able to quickly grab hold of a table in the corner of the room.

“Welcome, Boss!” said one of the bodyguards to the man who had just arrived.

“Hmm.”

“This is the girl who’ll be keeping you company tonight.”

The man simply stared at the girl standing with her back to him.

"Do you need anything else?” asked the bodyguard.

“No. You can go. But remember, keep this a secret!”

"Yes, Boss.”

The door finally closed, leaving just the two of them. The man who had just arrived looked the girl in front of him over once more, from head to toe.

She was petite, with long, black, shiny hair.

“Hey, you!”

Alena jumped. Her eyebrows knitted together. For some reason, she felt the man’s voice sounded a little different now. The man who had picked her up earlier had a hoarse, deep voice, whereas this man’s voice sounded slightly clearer and softer. Curious, but Alena didn’t dare turn around at all.

“Please don’t come near me! I-I’m scared!”

“Go take a shower first and clean yourself as thoroughly as possible. I don’t want you to be dirty!”

The man unbuttoned his jacket and tossed it right next to Alena.

The woman just stood there silently, hugging herself.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up!” he snapped so loudly that Alena jumped. “Cut your nails, too. I don’t want you to scratch me!”

Alena couldn’t resist because her life and death were in that man’s hands.

Without daring to look back, she walked toward the bathroom. A full set of toiletries was already laid out there. Alena spent quite a long time washing herself. She cut her fingernails until they were no longer long enough to scratch with. The entire time she was washing, Alena cried unceasingly, lamenting her miserable life.

Ever since she was a child, she had lived under constant pressure. Not only was she treated like a servant by her stepmother at home, but she was also sometimes beaten for even the slightest mistake. Worse still, Alena had to hand over her entire monthly salary to her stepmother. Sometimes, she was left with only a small amount for her own needs.

Suddenly, a voice was heard from outside.

“Why are you taking so long in there?”

Alena’s reverie was shattered. She jumped at the sound of the call, accompanied by a rather loud knock on the door. Hurriedly, she wiped away her tears and finished her bath. Then, she stepped out of the bathroom after wrapping herself in a bathrobe.

“I’m sorry. You said my body had to be completely clean.”

“But I didn’t ask you to shower for hours on end, did I? Every second of my time is precious, and now I’ve wasted it just waiting for a woman like you to finish showering.”

“I’m sorry… I’m truly sorry!”

For the first time, Alena mustered the courage to lift her head and look at the old man. However, her eyes widened instantly. How could they not? The man standing before her now was not the decrepit old man who had come to pick her up earlier, but a young, handsome, and nearly perfect man. He had a straight nose, thick eyebrows, and a sharp gaze. His tall, athletic frame seemed to blend perfectly with his fair, flawless skin.

“Wasn’t the man who bought me earlier very old, fat, and scary?”

To Be Continued...