"One million," A man seated at the corner of the room called out, raising his paddle.
My heart pounded louder with each bid. The men sneered, their eyes devouring me like I was a piece of meat. My body trembled as I rubbed my sweaty hands on my clothes.
The bids went higher and higher until there were just two men left. 
"Three million," the chubby man declared, impatient evident in his tone.
There was silence in the room for a moment.
"Five million," A stranger countered, raising his paddle. 
My eyes widened in shock as I tried to figure out who this stranger was. The room was filled with murmurs and no one could counter the stranger. 
The auctioneer's gavel slammed down. 
"Sold!" 
***
Leila Flynn, 19 years old, struggles to keep her ailing brother alive, and her life takes a dark turn when she is suddenly kidnapped into London's underworld auction. During the auction, she is bought for a high price by a mysterious and wealthy stranger, Dominic Anderson. Leila is then taken to a grand mansion in London, where she begins a complex relationship with Dominic.
Dominic, a powerful mafia boss, lives a life shrouded in mystery and danger. Leila gradually discovers that Dominic's concern for her and her younger brother, Michael- who suffers from leukemia- goes beyond mere kindness. Under Dominic's protection, Leila tries to uncover his true intentions while also developing a subtle emotional connection with his brother, Luca.
In this dangerous game of love, betrayal, and revenge, Leila must decide whether to place her trust in Dominic or sever all ties with his perilous world once and for all.

Maid for the Mafia

　　I heard some quality in her voice that would have convinced me of her sincerity. "If you learn anything, anything whatsoever- you report to me, at once. Got that?"


　　"Of course," she gave a nod, steady gaze.


　　I shooed her away, still feeling this sense of unease in my stomach that wouldn't dissipate. There wasn't really anything incriminating in that, I didn't know if she was telling the truth, but she was lying, she was lying through her teeth.


　　I then went ahead and questioned the remaining staff one by one; the same story played out repeatedly. Either they had not been close to the stairs at the time Leila fell or they hadn't seen anything. None of them knew anything, and it angered me.


　　By the time I got through all of them, though, I began to lose patience. I leaned back against the desk, bringing a hand up to rub over my face in frustration. Just under my nose, but still well hidden.


　　"None of you saw a thing?" I repeated, glaring now at the group.


CHAPTER 29 Shadows Of Betrayals