Chapter 76 Know When to Back Down
She would never be reduced to a body on the auction block, a prize for men to buy and violate.
Death would be kinder than becoming that.
Caroline began struggling harder, the restraints biting into her skin until they broke it. The cold metal chair scraped against the floor with each desperate twist of her body, the sound sharp and grating.
"She's making too much noise." The scarred leader frowned, irritation creeping into his voice. "Gag her. Take the whole chair. And be careful not to damage her any more than she already is—don't want to turn off the buyers. Move her somewhere more secure until we get the right client to inspect the merchandise."
"Got it, boss."
A rag reeking of sweat and mildew was shoved into Caroline's mouth, choking off her already feeble cries.
Two men positioned themselves at either end of the chair and lifted her—chair and all.
Now she was cargo. Naked, strapped to this cold frame, being carried out of that dimly lit room toward some new horror she could not even imagine.
"Mr. Brooks, I appreciate the offer, but tonight really isn't convenient."
In the lab's conference room, Daniel maintained a polite smile as he declined yet another invitation from the portly client beside him—mining magnate Harry Brooks.
"The team just sent back raw data from the latest survey. I need to get back to the hotel to process and verify it. Tomorrow's briefing is critical."
Harry clapped a hand on Daniel's shoulder, pulling him close like an old friend.
"Dr. Cortes, work never ends! You're young—don't waste your life buried in spreadsheets. I'm taking you somewhere tonight that'll blow your mind. Way more interesting than those charts of yours."
Daniel's brow furrowed slightly, but he held firm. "Thank you, but I really—"
"Ah..." Harry drew out the syllable, his smile cooling. "Dr. Cortes, I know your institute's deep-sea mineral project has a significant funding gap. My company is very interested... but investment isn't just about the project. It's about working with people who understand mutual benefit. People who know how to keep investors happy. You understand what I'm saying?"
The institute director, who had been sitting quietly beside them trying to smooth things over, went pale. He kicked Daniel under the table and jumped in with a forced smile.
"Mr. Brooks is absolutely right! Daniel's just too focused on academics, doesn't understand these things. Tonight you'll go! The data can wait." He shot Daniel a meaningful look.
Daniel's fingers curled into fists beneath the table.
Harry's reputation was rotten. Scandal after scandal, women coming and going from his life like flies around rotting fruit.
Every instinct told Daniel to walk away from this man. But the director had worked for months to land this client.
And Harry's words weren't a suggestion. They were a threat.
He thought of years of research, dozens of people counting on this funding, the project hanging by a thread. He closed his eyes briefly, then surrendered.
"All right. I'd be honored."
Late that night, a luxury sedan pulled up in front of a building in a quiet district downtown.
The two-story structure looked worn and unremarkable from the outside, weathered by decades of use.
But the neon lights above the entrance had been deliberately bent into highly suggestive shapes—the curved silhouette of a woman's body, glowing with a sordid promise in the darkness.
Daniel looked up at those twisted lights, his stomach turning with revulsion. He wanted to turn around and leave.
"Mr. Brooks, I—"
Harry was already at the door. He glanced back.
"Dr. Cortes, we're here now. Come on. Don't be a killjoy."
It wasn't a request.
Daniel's throat worked. He said nothing more, following stiffly behind Harry and his bodyguards toward the metal door that required a special access card.
Inside was another world entirely.
Pounding electronic music mixed with overpowering perfume. Lights strobed and shifted. Bodies moved everywhere, the whole place dripping with excess and decay.
Harry clearly knew his way around. He led them through the crowded dance floor straight to a VIP booth right next to the central circular stage.
The view was perfect. You could see everything from here.
"Sit, Dr. Cortes." Harry dropped into the plush seating, snapping his fingers. Immediately a scantily clad server appeared with expensive champagne.
"Tonight I'm opening your eyes. You keep me entertained, and your team can have all the funding it needs. Just say the word! Once you've got money and become a VIP here yourself, you'll know what real pleasure feels like!"
Daniel perched on the edge of the sofa like he might bolt at any second. He forced a smile that felt nothing like one, his body rigid against the soft cushions.
He stared down at the crystal glass in his hand, trying not to see the debauchery happening all around him.
The music shifted suddenly. Spotlights hit the stage.
Several women in sequined bikinis strutted out, moving to the beat with deliberate provocation, blowing kisses at the crowd below.
Cheers and wolf whistles erupted.
Daniel's stomach twisted. He dropped his gaze lower.
"What's wrong, Dr. Cortes? Not your type?" Harry leaned in, breathing alcohol fumes. "Don't worry. This is just the warm-up."
He clapped Daniel hard on the shoulder, forcing him to look up.
The first dance ended. The women left the stage.
The music slowed, became more suggestive.
A line of completely naked young women walked onto the stage. They danced briefly, then descended into the crowd, weaving between men whose eyes gleamed with hunger.
Two of the most beautiful headed straight for their booth.
A blonde smiled seductively at Harry and slid directly into his lap.
Harry laughed and grabbed her without hesitation.
The brunette made for Daniel, trying to straddle his legs.
Heavy, cloying perfume hit him like a wall. Daniel jerked backward, avoiding her touch, his voice tight.
"No... thank you. I don't need—"
The woman pouted and swayed toward the next booth.
Daniel clenched his jaw, wishing he could disappear under the table. He fought down the nausea churning in his stomach, fixing his eyes on the dark red carpet pattern beneath his feet.
Time crawled.
Finally the music stopped. This particular torment ended.
Daniel exhaled quietly, hoping for a moment's peace.