Chapter 35 Bloody Negotiations
Anna's POV
His lips brushed near my ear. “Put on a smile, Anna,” he whispered. “You’re more lovely when you act like you’re not afraid.”
My body stiffened. Of course. He could see through me. "I'm not afraid," I denied smoothly.
I forced a smile. It felt unnatural, but I did it anyway.
Then he turned to the crowd. “Without wasting our time, how many of you are interested in her?”
Silence followed, an eerie one, I was about to sigh in relief, nobody was interested in me.
Then, I saw one hand went up, then another, then more, until all hands in the hall went up. Every single one.
My heart started racing violently.
Xavier smiled, amused and satisfied. Then he whispered in my ear," I knew you are going to bring in alot of profit for me."
I didn't respond, didn't know what to say.
He turned away from me, towards the crowd and was about to speak when suddenly, the doors opened.
The sound echoed through the room.
Everyone turned towards the door as though they felt danger just walked in.
A figure stepped in. Two men behind him.
I didn’t know who he was at first, But Xavier did. Because his face darkened instantly.
The man smiled. “My name is Zack,” he said. A pause. Then— “Zack Arrow. I'm sure you all must have heard about me."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
My breath caught. My heart pounded wildly in my chest.
Who would have thought Zack Arrow would walk into Xavier’s private auction like he owned the place?
I swallowed, my pulse hammering hard against my ribs as my mind began racing, calculating, assessing, searching for an opening.
Zack’s gaze shifted. And then it landed on me.
It felt like he wasn’t just looking at me, he was reading me, peeling through layers I had carefully built.
For a second, I thought— Does he know?
But then Xavier’s voice cut through the tension.
“Zack,” he said smoothly, a smile spreading across his face like they weren’t enemies… like this wasn’t a battlefield disguised as an auction. “We weren’t expecting you… but you’re welcome nonetheless.”
The room stayed silent.
“If you would do us the honour of sitting,” Xavier added.
Zack didn’t respond immediately. He held Xavier’s gaze. The kind of stare that carried weight, calculation, pride, danger.
Like he was deciding whether to sit… or start a war right there.
My fingers twitched slightly. Fight… or strategy?
Then— “Of course,” Zack said calmly. And sat down.
But the tension didn’t ease. It thickened.
Because now, it wasn’t a question of if something would happen. It was when.
Xavier turned back to the room like nothing had happened.
“I wasn’t expecting everyone to be interested in Anna,” he said lightly. “But it’s good.”
His eyes flicked toward me briefly. “Let the bidding begin.”
My heart pounded harder.
Voices rose, numbers followed. The bidding resumed.
The price climbed higher and higher, and slowly… the number of bidders began to drop. One by one. Until— Only three remained.
I exhaled slowly, my eyes narrowing slightly.
One of them has to be Lucas’ man. It had to be.
Then— A chair scraped.
Zack stood, “I’m sorry for being late,” he said, his voice calm but carrying across the entire room. “But I don’t believe it’s ever too late… when it concerns me.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Xavier’s smile faded. “Go on,” he said. This time, his voice was cold.
The tension in the hall became suffocating.
I could feel it pressing against my chest, tightening my lungs.
My mind spun again. Think, Anna. Think. There had to be a way to kill him. But not here.
Not like this.
Zack cleared his throat. Then he pointed at me.
“I want her,” he said simply.
My breath hitched.
“But,” he added, “I’ll pay less than the current bidding price.”
My heart skipped violently.
The room went still.
Xavier blinked once. Then he said “No, I forbid you from participating in the bid." He turned to the remaining three Dons. “Continue gentlemen."
But the men exchanged glances. And then one of them spoke. “With all due respect… we don’t want to be involved in anything concerning both of you.”
The others nodded quickly. They backed out.
My stomach dropped.
Xavier exhaled slowly, but Zack he was smiling. “So,” he said casually, “will you give her to me now?”
My heart pounded so loud I could hear it in my ears.
Then, a voice cut through the silence. “I’m not backing out.”
Everyone turned. Even Zack.
The man stood calmly. And then he called a figure. A number so high, it sent a ripple through the entire room.
My breath caught. That must be Lucas' man.
It had to be. Hope flickered inside me.
Xavier smiled. “Good,” he said. “Is there anyone else who would offer more?”
Silence.
Even Zack looked surprised.
For a brief moment, I thought— This might actually work. Xavier was about to finalize the deal.
And then— A gunshot rang through the air