Prisca was forcefully stripped naked and pushed out from behind the curtain. Her heart seethed with rage, yet she bit down on her lower lip, refraining from crying out. She knew that once aboard this pirate vessel, screaming wouldn't do her any good. Blind resistance would only lead to more torment, like those previously abused women she had seen. She tried her best to cover her body with her hands and long hair, hoping to minimize her exposure. But before she could even gain a stable footing, a powerful light targeted her. The sudden heat from the spotlight caused her cold sweat to evaporate. Reflexively, Prisca raised her hand to block the glaring light, her body trembling uncontrollably. She didn't know what would come next, but she was certain it wouldn't be good news!
"The final item for auction tonight: aged 20, exceptionally beautiful, highly educated, trained in dance; her body possessing great flexibility capable of various performances, still untouched. Height 165CM, weight 46KG, measurements 90, 60, 90. The auction begins now with a starting price of one million," an announcer boomed.
As Prisca listened to the descriptions about herself, she struggled to reconcile with the fact that just yesterday she was the well-admired foster daughter of the Ben family, and today, she was a humiliating item for auction. It was a conspiracy! A plot to slander her good reputation! It was a pity she couldn't escape, standing in full view of a ruthless crowd, surrounded by the auction house's enforcers. Drugged, her body felt weak, and she was powerless to run.
Arnold was seated comfortably on a leather couch, holding a glass of red wine. His indifferent gaze strayed towards the woman on the big screen in his booth. She didn't cry or complain - a rare sight indeed, if it was composure we were talking about.
"Does the Boss have any intention to bid?" His assistant, Jason, asked curiously, looking at the exposed woman on the screen. The list of women who could catch their Boss's attention was not long. The club for the rich was located on a super-luxurious yacht. Whenever it reached international waters, auctions of various types would be held. Arnold was a well-known president of the domestic Junlin Group and a person with a famous reputation in both the legal and illegal circuits. He attended many such events but never had he purchased a woman in such a place. As expected, Arnold only glanced at his assistant with an emotionless look in his eyes.
Jason shrugged his shoulders in disappointment. Their Boss, as per his nature, was always stingy with his words.
"How is the matter I asked you to investigate going?" A deep, chilling voice rang in Jason's ears as he quickly straightened his expression.
"That day, the lady went out alone, so nobody knew the details when the incident happened. I have looked at the city's surveillance systems and found that the car involved in the incident is registered under the name of the Ben family's adopted daughter."
"The adopted daughter of the Ben family?" Arnold's handsome brows furrowed slightly, a menacing chill flashing in his eyes. So, no wonder the hit-and-run had been handled so cleanly, leaving no trace. It actually involved the Ben family! Unfortunately, who the Ben family was didn't matter at all. Whoever hit Arnold's mother would not escape punishment, regardless of who they were.
A commotion came from the screen, and the woman on stage was finally auctioned off at a price of five million. Two minutes later, the door to the box Arnold was in was knocked. Jason went forward to open the door and let the person in charge of Oriental Technology, who had invited his boss over, in.
"CEO Arnold, I've prepared a big gift for you today, please don't be polite with me!" Arnold looked motionlessly at the middle-aged man with a full smile on his face. He wanted to acquire Oriental Technology, and it was expected that this man would try to butter him up.
"Insider information, the last beauty just now is the adopted daughter of the Ben family. CEO Arnold, I've bid for her for you. She has already been sent to your room, enjoy!" The man in charge of Oriental Technology said with a smug expression.
Arnold's eyes grew cold upon hearing this. "Are you sure she is the adopted daughter of the Ben family?"
"Absolutely sure! And you probably don't know this, but this girl is actually the illegitimate daughter of that old geezer Ben Siyuan..."
Before the man could finish his brown-nosing, Arnold was already on his feet. The person in charge watched as he walked out of the room with large strides, a cruel smile creeping onto his lips. He thought Richy was easy to bully? If he wanted his company, let's see how he deals with this!
As for Prisca, affected by the drug she was given early in the morning, there was no strength left in her body. Two women cleaned her up, left her in an incredibly shameful pose on the large bed, and then hastily left the room. What Arnold saw when he entered the bedroom was a sight that stirred up one's desires. The woman was only covered by a thin gauze that amplified rather than concealed her beauty. The light red gauze didn't hide her attractiveness, and instead, with her fair, smooth skin, made her radiate an alluring charm. Prisca, with heavy and troubled breathing, struggled to open her eyelids that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. Through her teary, blurred vision, she watched as a tall figure gradually approached her.
"No…" She wanted to plead, to make one last struggle, but her voice was as faint as a mosquito's. The bouts of dizziness in her brain made her acutely aware that she was utterly helpless to escape her fate.
Arnold quietly watched the woman on the bed whose eyes were glazed over with a hazy look. Her cherry lips were slightly parted, and her delicate eyebrows were knitted together—it was indeed quite enticing.
"Don't what? Don't touch you? You're a gift presented to me, how could I not touch you?" His deep magnetic voice seemed enchanting, and it made the person on the bed shake with a start once again. The man's voice was pleasant, but the tone carried a mocking and chilly undertone that sent a cold shiver down Prisca's spine, miraculously sharpening her increasingly chaotic senses.
Her long, dense eyelashes trembling, she blinked, and two teardrops slipped down her cheeks. Arnold reached out and gently touched her delicate face, wiping away a tear with great tenderness.
"Why cry? You are so beautiful, and crying will mar that beauty, affecting my mood." Prisca finally saw the handsome and unmatched face clearly. The determined lines on his face, matched with his currently devilishly charming smile, left her unsure of whether to despair or to feel relieved. At least, he wasn't some disgusting, lewd, and ugly man that had the potential to make people nauseous at first sight! However, considering the position she was in, she shouldn't allow herself to feel relieved…
Arnold slowly loosened his tie, and calmly began to undo the diamond-studded buttons one by one. A sharp pain struck Prisca's heart, and she could not help but let out a terrified gasp.
"What's the hurry? You've already been given to me, are you afraid I’ll neglect you tonight?" Arnold looked at the woman with rosy cheeks, a hint of mockery in his tone.
Susan was enduring an unbearable heat throughout her body, her eyes gradually turning red.
"Don't touch me... I'll give you money..." She mustered all her strength to whisper these words, pleadingly looking at the man in front of her, his shirt partially unbuttoned.
Arnold chuckled softly. "No, you got it wrong, my darling. When it comes to gifts that interest me, how can money be a substitute?"
Having said that, he leaned down and kissed her cherry-red lips that were struggling to form words. His touch felt slightly cool, carrying the rich aroma of fine red wine, yet his advances were as fierce as a wild beast!
Susan wanted to dodge, wanted to push away the muscular figure pinning her down, but alas, she couldn't manage to do so.