EVERYTHING TO LOSE

ADELINE'S POV

Colton knocks before walking into my room and I'm grateful for it but he's not supposed to be in my room today. Today is our day off which is pretty surprising because Veronica said we were going to train and work extremely hard until we met all the expectations that she has set for us.

It made me wonder what exactly she could have been so busy about that it made her give us a day off. It made me think about the auction. She's probably putting her last-minute plans into action. She keeps telling us that she wants everything to be perfect but in reality what that means is that she wants us to be perfect.

 "How's your cut?" Colton asks as soon as he walks in, folding his arms across his chest as he walks into my room.

"I'm fine. What are you doing here?" I ask him.

"Veronica asked me to bring you to her." He says with a deep and emotionless voice. I know he's just putting up and act for the cameras but as he gazes at me he gives me a look of confusion that tells me that he doesn't know what is going on.

"Let's go." He says and in one swift motion, he turns his back to me and walks wit me out of my room. My heart beat thunders in my chest as I think of all the possible reasons that Veronica might want to see me and I can't think of anything pleasant. If she's asking to see me then it just has to be for something dreadful and wicked just like her black heart.

I stay next to Colton as he leads me up the stairs and into the room that Della, Silver and I hid in the day we were playing hide and seek with the guards. The memory of Della sends a pang of hurt straight to my heart and I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself if I'm not able to save her. if I cannot get her out of this place.

Colton knocks on Veronica's door and she says a low command for us to come in. As soon as I walk into the room I feel that familiar darkness. The way her room had to light o brightness to it. The way she has massive windows but doesn't let light or fresh air come in through it. I guess the devil really does like the dark.

Veronica smirks when she spots me. She stands and walks towards Colton and I and then slowly closes her door shut. She doesn't dismiss Colton and that makes my heart beat in a different kind of way that indicates fear. Does she know about me and Colton working together? Did she call me up here to bust us and out bullets through our heads?

No. Veronica wouldn't be so calm if she found out Colton and I were betraying her. My eyes scan the room and she stands in front of me and my eyes widen when I notice a cage in the corner and probably the reason why she called me in here. She called me in here to taunt me.

"Oh my God, Naomi!" I scream, pushing past Veronica as I head over to the cage at the side of Veronica's room. Naomi lays on a light mattress in the cage. She looks so tired and she looks passed out or maybe even drugged.

"Naomi. Naomi, please wake up!" I scream and shove my hand through one of the holes of the cage but it doesn't go all the way through and I can't touch her. She looks like an animal. Locked up in a cage in such a degrading way.

"What did you do to her?" I say stomping towards Veronica with tears streaming down my cheeks but before I can get to her Colton stands behind me and holds me in place to stop me from doing anything stupid.

"Not that I have any obligation to answer you but I put her to sleep." She says with a coy smile on her face. I hate her so much. I hate this bitch standing in front of me so much that I can't breathe.

"She doesn't deserve to be here!" I scream.

"None of you are supposed to be here darling. That's the entire point of this place silly!" She says blatantly to me, laughing at the top of her lungs like she were the funniest person on earth.

"Why did you bring me here?" I say as I feel hot tears start to stain my cheeks and I'm nit crying because I'm cared of Veronica or anything. I'm crying because of the state Naomi is in. I can't imagine what she has gone through. I can't even imagine that nay of this is happening and I still pray to God every breaking day that this is all a bad dream and 'll wake up soon. This cannot be my life. This cannot be Naomi's life and this cannot be Liam's life.

"I brought you here so I could give you a head's up Angel." She says pushing a strand of hair away from my face. I hate it when she calls me by that stupid stage name she gives me.

"I know girls who have tried to sabotage erotica on auction day. Girls who were just waiting for auction day to embarrass me and all our investors. Girls who had nothing to lose. I see that same fire in your eyes Adeline. I see it every time you look at me, I'm not stupid. You're one of those ones who have fight in you. You're one of those ones who still have hope right up till the dying minute. But the only difference is you have everything to lose darling. I can kill Naomi. I can kill Dante and I can kill Liam. I can even kill your parents despite the fact that they don't really give a shit about you."

I widen my eyes at her and she laughs. "Oh don't look so surprised." Veronica taunts me.

"We keep tabs on all the girls here. We know everything there is to know about all of you. I will kill everyone you know and make you watch."

She speaks to coldly, like the words coming out of her mouth were so meaningless. Like human lives were so meaningless to her and I hate her for it. How can she talk about people like that? As if they held no value.

My parents and I don't get along, that much is sure but that doesn't mean I want them to die and Veronica is right. I do have everything to lose. That is why I do not make stupid decisions in here. That is why I adhere to her every ule in this godforsaken place except for the fact that Colton and I have a plan.

I have been nothing but obedient because all I am waiting for is auction day. Auction day is everything I am putting my hope in and if everything goes wrong on that day, then I know for sure that all hope will be list. Then I know for sure that I will be sent somewhere so dark and deep where I will never be able to get out.

If I screw auction day, I screw everything and not only for me. For Della, for Silver, for Naomi. Dante and Liam have to think this plan over and over again and they have to do it perfectly there can be absolutely no mistakes.

"If I were you, I would give up on the tiniest sliver of hope that you might still have because only one person can be the winner in your situation and it's not you Angel. Like I said you have everything to lose." She repeats.

"Colton can explain it best to you." Veronica gives Colton a sinister look. "He knows everything about having so much to lose. It's why he's so…obedient. Maybe you can take some lessons from him."

I can feel Colton tense behind me as he hands his hand on me but he doesn't give out any emotion. He stands rigid and firm behind me like a statue and when Veronica is finally bored with us she orders for us to exit the room. Veronica doesn't know that I know about Colton or his sister. I could see how visibly bothered he was with the threat that he just received and I felt sorry for him.

I don't know what is happening but every single morning that I wake up, I hate Colton a little bit less. I know that if it weren't for the fact that Dante is helping him with his sister, he would have never dreamed of helping me but every day, I put myself in his shoes. If Liam were ever in danger, I know I would do any and everything to help and protect him, and every time I thin about that fact, I judge Colton less and less every day.

As Colton leads me towards my room, two guards stop in front of us and all the blood drains from my body at how they stare at me. They watch Colton and I but Colton doesn't falter. He doesn't give the satisfaction of stopping in is tracks. He grabs my arm and pulls me away from the vision of the two men until I'm in safety in my room.

"I'll stay outside your room the rest of the day." He says and I know he's referring to the two guards we just saw. With the way they were looking at me, it's clear they're up to no good.

I can't stop thinking about Naomi. I feel so helpless but at least she's not dead. That means Veronica still plans on using her for God knows what. Maybe she suspects that Liam and Dante are planning something and she wants to use her in a sort of hostage situation.

Colton looks at me like he wants to say something to me but he stops himself. I wipe the tears from my eyes and give him a look that says I'm okay before he turns around and walks out of my room. I hug my knees to my chest and cry. I know he can hear me from the other side of the door but I do not care. I can't take this anymore.