Sold To A Billionaire

###Chapter 1 In The Club ZOE is a graduating college student from Manhattan. She’s a scholar of a well-known company that deals with cars. She lives in four corners of a small apartment with her mother, Iris. Iris works every night at the nearby club as a pole dancer and a court for the upper-class—billionaires, politicians, and the like. People address her as an ultimate ‘courtesan’ because she’s been targeting high profiles. Zoe even gets bullied because of her mother’s job. Despite this, she mastered ignoring everything. Her mother may not have a decent job, she still loves her, and no one can change that. “Zoe…” her mom called her name, and she stopped doing her homework. Since their apartment costs cheap, she could easily hear voices outside her room. She then walked towards the door and opened it. She looked at her mom from head to toe, and she dressed seductively for her work again. “Have you finished your homework already?” her mom asked. She shook her head. “Not yet.” Her mother’s lips formed an ‘O’. “Why?” “I’m gonna ask if you want to go to the club and chill since it’s Friday,” her mom asserted and fixed her dress, especially in the bust area, where the cleavage of her boobies was flaunted. “I’ll just continue it then tomorrow,” she replied. “Give me five minutes,” she added, making her mom smile and nod. “Hmm…” She frowned slightly and looked into her mom’s eyes. It seems like her mom wants to add something or say something. “Ma?” she snapped out. “Ah…” her mom cleared her throat, “—w-wear something sexy, okay,” she stuttered. Zoe arched her brow. “Why?” Her mom flashed a smile on her face again. “Just.” Zoe then heaved a deep sigh and nodded. “Wait for me,” she said before closing the door. She heaved a deep sigh as she walked toward her small wooden cabinet. She opened it and roamed her eyes inside. “Wear something sexy?” she whispered, “—but I don’t have any sexy dress,” she added. She laughs. Most of her clothes were shirts and jeans. She is not fond of dresses. She prefers loose shirts. Sometimes she wears a skirt, but she makes sure that it reaches her knee. She will never wear any revealing clothes nor try one. “Mom! I don’t have any of…” the door of her room opened, “those,” she whispered the last word as she faced her mom. Her mom approaches her while holding a black off-the-shoulder dress. “Sorry, sweetie. I forgot you don’t have any sexy clothes,” she said and flashed a wide smile. She arched her left brow as she reached for the dress. “I am taller than you, mom. And this is…” she lifts the dress to scan it, “—too short for me,” she added as she looked at Iris. Iris smiled. “You should try it—” “And why do I need to dress like this? We go to clubs or bars, but this is the first time that I will wear this…” she glanced at the dress once again, “—kind of dress.” Iris let out a soft chuckle. “Sweetie, we will be going to attend a party.” Zoe arched her brow. “In a club?” Iris nodded. “My last client invited me to attend his son’s 28th birthday.” She arched her brow. “I thought we’re gonna chill—” “Of course, with free drinks, since it’s a party,” Iris interrupted and let out a disturbing chuckle. She nodded. “I see. But it’s fine if I don’t wear this, right? It’s not that I will join you and the rest. I will just have some drinks on the counter,” she said, trying to avoid wearing this soul-chasing dress. Iris crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Zoe…” okay, her mother already uses her warning tone. But there’s no way that she would wear a kind of dress like this. “You knew I don’t wear this kind of stuff.” Iris heaved a deep sigh and approached her. She cupped her face as she looked up at her. “Look, sweetie, can you do this for mommy, just this time?” Zoe met her mom’s eyes and her forehead slightly knitted. Her eyes were confused, and her heart started to feel doubt, and fear suddenly lingers inside her. She doesn’t know—she doesn’t want to overthink it, but she has a bad feeling about it. WHEN they took a cab towards the club where her mother usually goes for work, her mom seemed bothered—it looked like something was bothering her. Zoe held her mom’s hand and pressed it, and she felt that it was cold. “Ma, is everything fine? You seem unwell—” she didn’t finish her words when her mom tapped her hand and flashed a smile. “I’m okay. Nothing to worry about,” Iris replied. Zoe heaved a deep sigh and nodded. She didn’t let go of her mom’s hand until they reached the club. Iris paid for their fare before they got out of the car. She smiled at her again when they walked towards the entrance, making Zoe frown. “Ma, your smile is creeping the hell out of me,” she uttered. Her mom doesn’t usually smile or laugh. She’s a busy woman during the day and night. When she comes home, Zoe is already asleep. And when she went to school, her mother had already left. So, she knew, and she had a strong feeling that something was bothering her mom. However, she chooses to stay silent when they enter the club. The loud music welcomed them. As usual, the club ambiance is still the same. The first floor is the dance floor and the bar counter, while the second floor is the VIPs areas, and the last floor, which is the third floor, is full of rooms—at least there were ten. She’s been in this club about four times now, and she can’t pinpoint any changes. Except for those men who are outside. She hasn’t seen those men in tuxedos. And what are they doing there? Well, she doesn’t mind. All she needs is to have some drink at least. And at the moment, she wanted to change her dress already. Her body was too exposed with her dress. Her cleavage can be seen if she pulls the hem a little bit. She cursed under her breath when a hand touched her exposed legs while walking toward the stairs. She glared at the man who was now staring at her like a p*****t and got closer to her mom. Iris saw it and drove the man away. “Sorry about that, sweetie.” “Ma, he just runs his fingers into my left leg,” she complained, but her voice was in control. Iris smiled. “No one can harm you here. Trust me. My client is too powerful. If I tell him that they touch you, that man will be dead—” “What are you saying, Ma?” Zoe asked as confusion lit her eyes. Iris’ eyes widened. “Oh—it’s nothing, sweetie. Come on, and the party is upstairs. They must be waiting for us,” she said, which drew lines into Zoe’s forehead. They were on the last step of the stairs when Farah’s eyes widened because of surprise. She was about to turn around, but her mom grabbed her in the arm, making her step forward. “Ma…” “I’m sorry, sweetie,” her mom uttered as she grabbed Zoe by the arm again, and they walked towards the single couch where a man in his seventies was sitting, and a pipe was in between his lips. Zoe started to feel fear when her mom’s grip tightened on her arm as she pushed her. “Ma… what are you doing—” “Come on, sweetie. Please, behave,” her mom muttered. “B-But, Ma,” she forced her feet to stop, but her mom pulled her again. “Ma… what are you doing!” her voice roared. “Zoe, I told you to behave—” “What are we doing in front of a murderer? And where’s the party?!” Zoe shouted as she glanced at the older man. “That person sitting on the black couch was the one who killed the President—” “Shut up, Zoe. Just follow me, please…” her mom pleaded, and when Zoe met her eyes, she saw fear in them. Iris pushed her forward and let her go. Zoe shot a glare in her mom’s direction. Suddenly two men went to her side and pointed their guns at her. She trembles in fear as tears fall down her cheeks. She glanced at her mom, and her vision started to blur. “Why?” she whispered. However, her mom didn’t give her answers. Iris faces the old man. “As promised, here she is. She’s clean and pure. She’s also at the right age—” “Mom!” Zoe exclaimed when she got the idea of what was going on. “How could you do this….” No one dared to answer her. She wiped her tears as she glanced at the gun on her right. She choked back in tears when the man dipped the gun’s muzzle into her arm. Her sobs got louder until a deep voice ruined the tension on the second floor. “Dad. What’s the meaning of this?” ###Chapter 2 He Bought Her A MAN in a gray polo and black trouser butt in, and then he walked towards the old man, whom he called ‘dad.’ “Helios, son,” the old man greeted as he stood up. A sly smile crept into the old man’s lips. “What are you doing here, dad? And what are these people doing here?” the guy named Helios uttered as he stopped his gaze on Zoe. “You’re doing it again?!” Helios’ booming voice roared on the corners. He walked closer to his dad and grabbed the old man into his collar. “I’m warning you! Don’t you dare tint my place with your schemes!” he asserted. Instead of answering, Helios’ dad let out a devilish laugh. “Let them go, dad,” Helios asserted once again. The old man’s devilish smile is still drawn to his lips as he equaled Helios’ death stares. “I will if…” he paused, which made Helios clench his jaw. “Well, I will let the young lady go—” “Both of them. Let them go,” Helios said. “No. The older one needs to pay debts to me—” “I am clear, dad. Let them go!” Helios shouted, making the old man’s bodyguards point their guns to him. However, the old man raised his hand as a sign for them not to shoot. Zoe doesn’t know—she was confused about what was going on, but when the old man mentioned debts, she looked at her mother. Their eyes met, but her mom broke the gaze. She knew that her mom was doing her best for her future, but she was also aware that she was good at gambling. If Zoe analyzes the situation, her mom seems to have large debts to the old man, and since she can’t pay it, she will sell her own daughter to save her ass—and thinking of this, her heart is being torn into pieces. The thunderous voice of the guy who butts in cut the hum of her thoughts. “It’s just money. And stopped this, now that I still have respect for you,” Helios said as he pierced his eyes into his dad. “Remember, you killed a person once, and when you do it again, I’ll make sure that you will rot in jail,” he added. “You can’t do that, son. And why do you care with these people?” the old man asked as he glanced at Zoe and to her mother. “I’ll pay for her debts and let them go,” Helios said and let go of his dad. Helios walked closer to Zoe. And she locked her eyes towards the man. “Are you aware that your mother will sell you?” he asked, which made her shake her head and glance at her mom. Helios leaned over. “Come with me if you still want to live,” he whispered. “Since you wanted to sell your daughter to this man? Then you better sell her to me. And don’t expect me to return her to a mother like you!” It was Helios’ last words before they left the club, and those words keep on replaying into Zoe’s mind. She was inside his car, and no one dared to talk, and she had no idea where he was taking her. She wanted to ask him. However, his aura is frightening. She tried to glance at him, but she seemed like she’d be dead if he caught her. She heaved a deep sigh as she simply pulled down the hem of her dress, but it caught Helios’ attention. “If you don’t like your dress, why would you wear it?” His husky voice sent chills into Zoe’s body which made her shiver. “Let me clear things to you. You are already sold to me, and I don’t want you to get back to your mom. Stay—”