That night, Ann took her last breath in the cold winter snow, exhausted from a life of sexual slavery and endless debt. But unexpectedly, she woke up a year earlier, faced with a difficult choice: sign a contract or watch her grandmother die. In her desperation, Ann is determined to change her fate, but the destiny that awaits her is far darker than she could ever imagine. Will Ann survive the winter and see the spring?
"Is the video good?"
A deep voice broke the silence, accompanying the steady steps of a man who opened the door without knocking. His black shoes made soft contact with the deep red carpet, the faint sound still echoing in the room, filled with a stifling atmosphere.
The walls and tables were adorned with bright red hues, the fabric serving as a base for chains, handcuffs, and other shiny tools under the cold white light. In the middle of the room, four camera lenses were lined up, pointed at the large bed with tangled sheets-traces of chaos still clung to its surface.
In front of a small screen, a muscular man stood, grinning with satisfaction. The echoes of groans and soft sobs from the video filled the room, the woman in the recording trembling helplessly. Tears stained her cheeks as her eyes radiated an overwhelming despair that seemed to swallow the last remnants of hope.
"Nice, right?" he asked, glancing at the man in the doorway while pointing at the screen. "The masochists will definitely pay a lot for this."
There was no answer. Only a thin smile on the face of the man standing tall in an immaculate black suit. His golden-brown eyes remained fixed on the screen, emanating a frightening calm.
"I don't care about the buyers." His voice was flat, yet firm, as if it slipped through the air like a sharp knife. "If the result is good..." His gaze stayed locked on the screen, following each gasp that cut through the silence. "You can make another video with her."
The muscular man chuckled lightly, his eyes sparkling wildly. "I look forward to it!"
The dark-skinned man stood and walked toward the bathroom, his strong, trained body displaying remarkable contours. "Her cries are beautiful; you'd be missing out if you don't try it," he said before disappearing, the sound of water splashing following shortly after.
When he returned, the room was submerged in silence. The bed in the center of the room still held the traces of the figure lying beneath the thick blanket, unmoving since their brief encounter that night.
The man stepped closer, a cold smile curling on his lips. "Ann," he called softly but with certainty. "You even cried with satisfaction, didn't you? Don't worry; I'll send the video once it's done. So, make sure you remember your beautiful face in this recording."
Without waiting for a response, he began packing up his equipment, leaving the room in darkness. The remaining light vanished, leaving the room enveloped in a red shadow that swallowed every corner.
On the bed, the red blanket swelled, shielding the small body trembling in silence. Her breath was shallow, as if trying to blend with the surrounding stillness.
Her eyelids slowly fluttered open, revealing dark but clear irises, sweeping the room with an empty gaze. Tears flowed quietly down her cheeks, carrying a bittersweet beauty in every drop.
She moved slowly, pain slicing through each step toward the bathroom. As cold water touched her reddened skin, her swollen lips pressed together tightly. Her gaze was vacant, staring at the bathroom ceiling, her voice barely audible among the splashing water.
"I miss Grandma..."
At 5:00 AM, in front of a large mirror, Ann's small reflection gazed back solemnly. The thick black hoodie covered her shoulders, paired with pants hidden beneath a dark green skirt. Her face, once radiant, was now pale and empty-without traces of tears, only a frozen silence.
She took a deep breath, her chest rising slowly as if trying to fill the emptiness inside her. After a few seconds, her trembling hand reached for the strap of her bag lying on the floor. Without a word, Ann stepped out of the hotel room, leaving the quiet space that now held its own dark secrets.
"Look! Room 510!"
"She's out."
"Which one is she?"
"Shhh... Quiet down."
Whispers from the hotel staff traveled softly among them.
"It's her... the one in the black hoodie!"
Curious eyes fixated on Ann as she walked quickly, her face hidden beneath a large brown scarf. Her stride was firm and unwavering, as if the pain she carried couldn't stop her determination.
"Haa... she must be living luxuriously with many men," muttered one of them.
"Disgusting!"
"Quiet! The hotel owner can hear you," snapped a stern-faced woman with a sharp gaze.
Just like that, their whispers ceased. The staff left with their heads bowed, but one word continued to echo in Ann's mind.
Disgusting.
Her once steady steps began to slow as she entered a narrow, dark alley. Morning snow fell gently, dancing under the dim streetlights, creating soft shadows around her feet. The sound of her footsteps, muffled by the snow, felt soothing, gradually easing the anxiety that consumed her thoughts.
At the end of the hidden alley stood a large trash can, standing firm as the only shield from the outside world. Ann curled behind its shadow, her small body tightly folded in her arms and legs. The cold air pierced her skin, but the warmth of her own body was enough to stave off the chill. In this corner-though dirty and silent-she felt safe, far from the judging eyes of people.
"Dad... Grandma..." she whispered weakly, burying her face in the scarf that shielded her from the freezing air. Her empty eyes stared at the snow stuck to her boots.
It all started a year ago when her grandmother fell ill. The hospital bills slowly suffocated her family. Without a word or complaint, Ann dropped out of school-her decision kept a secret from her grandmother. Every night, she left small notes full of lies.
"I'm going out to play with friends."
In reality, Ann struggled with part-time jobs to help her father.
Though exhausted, she always smiled during each shift, working hard to earn a little better wages and tips. But everything collapsed when her father suddenly passed away due to a brain aneurysm. The delayed medical response cost her the last person who had been her anchor in life.
The unending debt forced Ann to sign a contract with Jake, a heartless man from the Thorpe family-a wealthy family that had dominated for generations.
Now, Ann fought alone, taking care of her grandmother, still lying in the hospital.
Footsteps sounded behind her. Unhurried, unhesitant-just the steady rhythm, unaffected by the cold snow. Two meters from where Ann sat, the steps stopped.
A pair of long legs in shiny black shoes stood there, silent, without a greeting. Ann didn't turn. She simply took a quiet breath, letting the cold air bite at her lungs. She pulled her scarf tighter, hiding her face from the world-including from him. But somehow, his presence brought an odd sense of security.
No gaze met hers, and no words were spoken. The silence between them wasn't emptiness but a story left untold.
Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...
The vibration of Ann's old phone flickered the light from its cracked screen. She took a deep breath, then stood tall despite the cold seeping into her bones. "It's time."
"Who is she?" I asked, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "He met her at the Alpha training camp," he said. "She is a perfect suitor for him. It snowed last night, indicating that his wolf is happy with his choice." My heart sank, and tears made their way down my cheeks. Alexander took my innocence last night, and now he is taking that thing in his office as his Luna. **** Emily never shifted on her 18th birthday and became the laughingstock of the pack. When her old crush, Alexander Black, returns from Alpha Training, she never expected him to be her mate. After a night of passionate love, Emily finds out that young Alpha Alexander has taken a chosen mate. Heartbroken and humiliated, Emily runs off and disappears from the pack. Now, five years later, Emily is a high-ranking warrior in King Alpha's army, specializing in sensitive matters. When her best friend invites her to a night of music and laughter, she never expects to run into her mate, Alexander. Will Alexander figure out it is Emily? Will he chase after her, and most of all, will Emily be able to keep her secrets safe?
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
"Miss Brown, I am the butler here at your service," the butler replied. "My master wants to buy the baby in your belly." "What?!" Does that mean the abortion didn't take place? Did they kidnap her from the operating table just to buy the baby? But why her? "You..." Alice was about to ask a question, but the man in front of her calmly continued, as if he had expected her question, "You're pregnant with his child, and he needs a child. That's all I can tell you." Alice was forced to sign a surrogacy contract and eight months later gave birth to two healthy babies. Fortunately, the man was unaware of her daughter's existence. It wasn't until five years later that fate brought them together again...
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"