Bound by Desire to the Enigmatic Heir

“Estelle, I won’t do what you’re asking!” a young woman shouted as she stormed into the office.

A middle-aged woman calmly exhaled a stream of cigarette smoke while finishing a phone call. “Yes, sir. Of course. Thank you. I hope you’ll enjoy her service.”

She ended the call and turned to the girl who had just burst in.

“You don’t have a choice. I’ve already put your name on the list. The clients requested you. This will solve your financial problems. Think of it as repayment for the two years I kept you hidden from your family, Thea,” the older woman said, shuffling the papers scattered across her desk.

“A repayment? I came to you on my own! I’ve worked myself to the bone, even giving up my education to cover our daily expenses and this is what you do to me? Maybe you’re not sending me to be an escort, but you're going to auction me off!” The young woman’s voice rose despite herself.

“You have no choice. If you withdraw now, there’s a penalty. Can you afford it? Because I can’t. So just do what I tell you. I’m drowning in debt, and we have bills to pay. Endure it. Or go ahead, ask your mother for help. Your family has money, don’t they? But you’ll also have to face their fury after running away.”

Theana fell silent. She couldn’t go back. It had been two years since she left home, and she had long accepted that returning was no longer an option. She hadn’t just run away, she had left behind a scandal, a grave mistake that still haunted her. With nowhere else to turn, she clung to the only person who had taken her in: Estelle, who worked at an exclusive club.

Thea let out a slow, heavy sigh. There were so many things she wanted to protest, to fight but she knew it was pointless. She couldn’t ask her mother for help. She knew she wouldn’t be welcomed. And by the time she learned her name was on the auction list for that night, it was already too late. She had no money to pay the penalty even if she refused.

Her hands trembled as hairstylists and makeup artists prepared her. She still couldn’t accept what awaited her.

The women to be auctioned were lined up in a row. Theana felt sick, as if she might cry or vomit at any moment. Never, not even once, had she imagined her life would come to this.

She had grown up privileged, born with every comfort money could buy. Though her parents had indulged her, she had always known there would come a time when she would need to stand on her own.

Her dream of a quiet, uncomplicated life shattered when her twin sister, Alethea Brooke, was suddenly arranged to marry into one of the country’s most prominent families. That was when the turmoil began, unraveling what she had once believed to be a perfect life.

She squeezed her eyes shut, memories crashing over her. She wanted to erase them, to bury everything in oblivion but part of her still wondered what might have happened if she hadn’t run away.

“Thea!”

Her thoughts were cut short when one of the auction organizers called her name. He seized her arm before speaking to her.

“You’re next. Even when you were only working as a waitress, men were already lining up to pay for you. Too bad they couldn’t back then but now… oh boy. I can’t wait to see how high the bidding goes,” he said eagerly. “The highest offer tonight so far is one million.”

While everyone around her buzzed with excitement, Thea felt nothing but despair. She wanted to disappear; to run, to escape, just as she always had when things became too overwhelming. She knew she was good at running away. But then she thought of Estelle. Despite everything, she owed her. For two years, she had depended on her while hiding from her family.

“Are you still a virgin?” a woman asked casually, a lollipop between her lips as she waited for Theana’s reply.

Theana stayed silent.

“Oh my. If you are, they’ll bid a fortune for you. You’re beautiful and if they think you’re untouched, they’ll fight over you.”

In truth, she wasn’t a virgin. She had given that part of herself long ago to a man she had genuinely cared about. And yet, she had still ended up leaving him behind.

Thea said nothing. No amount of money would ever make this feel worth it. Trading her dignity for a price was something she could never truly accept.

They finished preparing her. She was the last to go on stage, the one they claimed everyone had been waiting for. She let out a faint, sarcastic smile; she took no comfort in their sudden praise.

Drawing in a deep breath, Theana swallowed her fear, anger, and humiliation. If she wanted to survive this, she had to shut down her emotions.

When they called her nickname, she stepped forward.

The men in the room looked at her with undisguised interest, as though ready to throw down any amount of money to claim her company for a few days.

She still couldn’t believe she was here, displayed like an object, like property assigned a market value. The disgust churned in her stomach.

Her gaze remained fixed on the floor. She couldn’t even bring herself to look up. The only thing she clearly heard was the auctioneer announcing that the bidding would begin at one million.

She nearly scoffed. She had heard that bids usually started low and climbed gradually. For her, it opened at an absurdly high figure. Perhaps they were that obsessed with virgins, or perhaps they simply assumed she was still untouched.

A numbered paddle lifted.

Thea briefly glanced up and her expression tightened when she recognized a sitting senator among the bidders.

Her makeup was heavy enough to conceal her identity. Even if someone from her past were present, she doubted they would recognize her.

“One and a half million,” the man called out.

The offers kept rising. Thea stopped listening. She no longer cared who won. She simply waited for the ordeal to end.

“Going once, going twice—sold! Number 100!” the auctioneer announced.

By that point, the highest bid for Thea had reached ten million. An elderly businessman was leading, and the way he looked at her sent a chill down her spine. She silently prayed she wouldn’t end up in his hands.

“Fifty million!”

Thea’s eyes flew open at the sudden declaration. She turned toward the man who had spoken. He was dressed in a suit, though he didn’t look like the head of some major corporation.

“Sold!”

From that moment until the auction ended, everything felt unreal. She couldn’t comprehend how anyone would spend fifty million just to have her for a few days.

Estelle was ecstatic. She showered Thea with advice, speaking as though Theana had already resigned herself to this fate. Thea studied her quietly, resentment still simmering beneath her calm exterior.

After a few documents were finalized, the man who had won the bid was allowed to take her.

She was escorted into a luxury car, which appeared to be heading toward a high-end hotel.

She stole occasional glances at the man beside her. He remained silent, absorbed in a phone conversation. He didn’t seem remotely interested in her, which made her wonder why he had spent such an enormous amount.

When they arrived at a well-known hotel, she was swiftly guided into a private elevator. They ascended to the top floor.

Her escorts stopped outside a suite. Expecting to follow him in, she looked at the man but after the door was opened for her, he made no move to enter.

“Aren’t you coming in?” she asked hesitantly.

“No, Miss,” he replied promptly. “I was only instructed to attend the auction. I’m not the one who purchased you. My employer is waiting inside. Please, go ahead.”

And so she did.

Theana stepped into the suite and walked toward the living area. For a moment, she almost admired the elegance of the space but then she remembered the reason she was there.

Her thoughts spiraled, wondering what kind of person would pay that much for her.

When she reached the living room, she saw a man standing by the large window. One hand rested in his pocket; the other held a glass of liquor. She cleared her throat softly to announce her presence.

The man turned slowly.

Theana’s breath caught, her eyes widening in shock.

It was him.

The man she had been avoiding. The man to whom she had given her innocence. The man she had insisted she didn’t love though deep down, she truly did.

“A-Arcel!” she breathed, panic flooding her voice.

Arcel drained his glass in one smooth motion before setting it aside and walking toward her. Theana instinctively stepped back, but he caught her wrist.

“Running away again?” he said coldly.

Under his piercing gaze, Theana felt small. His eyes were sharp, unreadable, and impossibly intense.

“Let go of me, Arcel! What are you doing here?” Theana demanded, still unable to process that he was standing right in front of her.

One of his eyebrows arched slightly, but he didn’t respond.

“What the hell is this? Why would you spend fifty million on me? I know you’re rich, but throwing money around like that, it’s like you’re just picking it up off—”

Her words were cut short when Arcel suddenly pulled her closer by the waist.

His jaw clenched as he stared down at her, his gaze sharp and unyielding.

“I’m claiming what’s mine, Thea,” he said in a low, steady voice. “I’m here to take back my runaway bride.”

THEANA BRYNN

I had just gotten home when I saw my twin sister, Brooke, and my mother chatting happily in the living room. I had no idea what they were discussing. They always left me out of their conversations anyway.

My full name is Theana Brynn, while my twin sister is named Alethea Brooke.

“Which of the two sons, Mama?” Brooke asked eagerly.

“The eldest, dear—Taddeo Locatelli!”

Even with the names, I still couldn’t piece together what they were talking about.

“Oh, Ma! Either of Aunt Adelaide’s sons is fine with me. But am I really the one they want to marry?”

I froze mid-step at Ale’s words.

Marriage?

“Yes, of course I would mention you! Otherwise—” Mama cut herself off, likely noticing that I was already home.

Alethea glanced at me, one eyebrow lifting slightly. She gave me her usual condescending look. I fought