"Alexander, I know what he did was wrong, but you shouldn't have chopped off his fingers," Mr. Harper said, eyeing the pureblood seated before him. Though Alexander appeared tired, he still looked as striking as ever—an untouchable force of power and elegance.
Alexander opened his sharp red eyes and met the older man's gaze. "Some people need to be reminded of their place," he said coolly. "He was lucky to get away with just a few missing fingers. I was being lenient—I should have fed him to the wolves instead. There's nothing I despise more than incompetence."
A shiver ran down Mr. Harper's spine, and he quickly looked away, clearing his throat. "Uhm… Alexander?" he said after a brief silence.
"Hm?"
"You look exhausted. What's wrong? You're even paler than usual." His voice carried genuine concern, knowing how often Alexander pushed himself.
Alexander raised an eyebrow before smirking. "No need to worry, Mr. Harper. One of my maids just overworked me last night."
The implication was clear. Mr. Harper flushed red and chose not to comment further.
But in truth, Alexander didn't feel well at all. Even after calling for another maid, sleep had evaded him. He had smoked through an entire pack of cigarettes, yet nothing had eased the strange tension gnawing at him. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
By the time they arrived at the auction house, Alexander's irritation had only grown. Their seats were reserved at the front, as expected. He sat back, disinterested, barely listening to Mr. Harper's endless chatter.
On the auction platform, Artemis shifted uncomfortably. Her feet ached from standing too long, and she subtly adjusted her weight to ease the discomfort. As her ocean-blue eyes scanned the growing crowd, they landed on a man sitting in the front row.
Her breath caught.
He was breathtaking. His strong, elegant features exuded authority, and his presence felt almost untouchable. Her gaze drifted from his sculpted face to his broad shoulders, then down to the exposed part of his toned chest beneath his black shirt. She swallowed, her face warming.
And then, as if sensing her stare, the man's eyes flickered open—deep, crimson red locking onto hers.
Artemis stiffened, her blood running cold. He had caught her staring. Worse, he smiled.
Her heart stuttered. A deep, unsettling shudder ran through her body as she quickly ducked behind the middle-aged woman beside her, face burning.
Alexander had been bored beyond belief—until he felt someone staring at him. It was an unusual sensation, one that tugged at something deep inside him. He opened his eyes, only to be met with the most striking pair of blue eyes he had ever seen.
There was something strangely familiar about her.
His gaze drifted over her features—her long, silky black hair, her delicate frame, her full lips. Now that he was fully alert, he recognized her. The unconscious girl from last night. His right eye twitched.
The moment she realized he was watching, she went rigid, her face paling before she hid behind the woman next to her. Amused, Alexander let a smirk curve his lips.
And just like that, he could hear it—her heartbeat.
Racing.
The sound struck him oddly, as if it weren't just noise but something calling to him. His eyes darkened slightly. Strange.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the auctioneer's voice rang through the hall, "I welcome you all to today's slave auction. I assure you, these goods will be most… satisfying."
A murmur of excitement rippled through the audience.
Artemis' stomach twisted as her gaze swept over the crowd. Nearly everyone seated had red eyes—some lighter in shade, others darker. A handful of humans were present as well, all of them draped in expensive clothing, their expressions dripping with wealth and cruelty.
Her heart pounded violently.
She was going to be sold to one of them.
The bile rose in her throat, making her feel sick.
Artemis clenched her fists as panic clawed at her chest. Her gaze flickered back to him—the man with the darker red eyes. He was still watching her, unreadable.
And for some reason, that terrified her even more.