"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

　　The garden was supposed to be calming, but today its flowers seemed too bright, yellow bright, and the breeze seemed only to upset the cyclone building inside. My steps quickened, my mind reeled, but when I came around the corner, there was Mia, at the fountain. She had her back to me. And my heart started to sink right down into my gut.


　　The words finally looped and replayed in my brain- the words I had heard her say the other day, seemingly looped. So the words seared through me until all tensions and confusion boiled over.


　　"Mia," I called her, and my voice edged close to being sharp involuntarily.


　　She shifted, turning to me: her face passed from surprise to something else that I couldn't place. "Leila," she answered in cool, almost distant terms.


　　There were unsaid words hanging thickly in the air between us. I have rehearsed this confrontation in my mind a hundred times, but standing here in front of her, there really was no way or place to begin.


CHAPTER 31 A Shattered Trust