Chapter 11

In the hospital room, Stella sat with her phone, scrolling through the news. No matter which category she checked—even the financial news—every article seemed to be about Eric and Ruby. It was either Ruby openly visiting Eric’s apartment, bringing him lunch and picking up documents from his company, or photos of them dining together at a high-end hotel. The articles were all phrased ambiguously, suggesting that the two would make the perfect couple. Is it really… even the news is writing like this now? It felt like the world had completely forgotten that Eric actually had a wife—Stella. Perfect... Yes, Eric and Ruby were so well-matched. Childhood sweethearts, their families had always been incredibly close. Eric's Tribe was deeply rooted in the financial world, like a great tree with its branches sprawling into various industries, each achieving remarkable success. After Eric took over the family business, he had doubled its size. Handsome and young, he was the kind of man that nearly every woman dreamed of. Ruby’s Tribe also held significant power in the pack. Ruby had spent five years studying abroad and was now a renowned opera singer with numerous awards. Beautiful and graceful, she was everything that made her the perfect match for Eric. Stella bit her lip and tossed her phone aside. She pulled the blanket over her and tried to rest. But every time she closed her eyes, her thoughts returned to Eric. She remembered how he had cared for her so tenderly when they first mated. She remembered the way he had come to her rescue, even though he was injured, when she was in danger. Even though he had been covered in blood at the time, to her, he still looked so pure. When he gazed at her, his eyes seemed to hold only her, as if the events of the past two years had never happened. He still loved her, just as much. But then, she also remembered how cold he had been towards her when defending Ruby, how he had insulted her with his words, and how he had been involved with other women… The ever-changing Eric. Stella sobbed, covering her closed eyes with her arm, tears slipping down her cheek. The sound of the hospital door opening interrupted her thoughts. She thought it was just the nurse doing her rounds. She didn’t lower her arm, just sniffed and said, “I’m fine, nurse. Please go ahead—hmm!” The person quickly sealed her mouth with tape. As she tried to lower her arm to push it away, she was abruptly lifted off the bed. A blow to the back of her neck made everything go black. When Stella groggily came to, a loud throb pulsed in her head. Her neck was in excruciating pain, and she tried to raise her hand to rub it but found her body too weak, her arms and legs bound. Tape sealed her mouth shut. She suddenly remembered the events before she lost consciousness. She was… kidnapped? But who would want to kidnap her? She dared not speak, afraid of alerting anyone. She could only slowly open her eyes and glance around. Men moved about, carrying things, while women, dressed provocatively, twisted their hips as they walked past. “Mmm-mm!” A muffled sound came from beside her. Stella looked over and saw a few other girls, bound like her, their eyes wide with fear, while some others had a more detached, numb expression. “What’s all the noise about?” A woman in revealing clothes strutted over and slapped one of the girls across the face. “A bunch of goods. You’ve all been sold to me, so show some awareness!” The woman turned to the men and shouted, “Hey! Stop moving that stuff for now! Come help me deal with these girls!” She then turned to open a box, revealing rows of syringes. Stella’s eyes widened in terror as she watched the men approach with syringes in hand. One of them plunged a needle into her skin. She was too weak to fight back, her breath shallow and rapid as she watched the man push the fluid into her veins. She tried desperately to stay awake, but the drug quickly took effect, and soon, darkness consumed her. Eric sat in the car, wearing a Bluetooth headset, listening coldly to a report from one of his subordinates. "If your next update is this slow, you’re fired. You might as well cut off your own arm. And don’t let Thorne off the hook." After hanging up, he yanked the headset off and tossed it aside, his gaze turning to Stella, who lay unconscious in the backseat. This woman was absolutely reckless. How could she have been kidnapped and brought to a place like that, even after being in the hospital? She didn’t call for help, didn’t try to resist—just... so foolish! If he hadn’t been keeping tabs on her, if he hadn’t found out she’d been taken to the darkest underground auction in this pack, he wouldn’t have been able to rush over with his men, buy her back in time, and get her here. It was a miracle she wasn’t already in someone else’s hands by now. Anyone who went to such an auction to bid on "goods" couldn't possibly be a good person. He stared at her pale face, her brow furrowed in weakness as she lay there unconscious. His anger flared again, lips pressed tight, unable to stop himself from gripping the steering wheel harder. Damn Thorne! Stella woke up to a sharp pain. As she moved, she realized she had regained some strength. She slowly opened her eyes, suddenly remembering she had been sold somewhere. So now... had someone bought her? With a start, she threw off the blanket and jumped out of bed, rushing for the door, desperate to escape. But as soon as she reached the doorway, she collided with a hard chest and was immediately grabbed by her shoulders, the grip firm and unyielding. She held her sore nose, squinting up at the person who had stopped her. It was Eric. He stood there, lips pressed tight, looking at her coldly. His deep eyes seemed to pull her in like a vortex, as if they were about to swallow her whole. He seemed thinner. Stella suddenly snapped back to her senses, pulling away from his hold and asking, "Why are you here? How did you get here?" Eric’s expression softened, as if amused by her question. He dropped his hands and smiled faintly. “Take a look around, Stella. Whose house do you think this is? Why wouldn’t I be here?” Stella looked around, then realized she was inside a house. She sighed in relief, but quickly grew anxious again. "How... how did I get back here? I was... I was..." "Your stepmother really did a number on you," Eric interrupted, slipping his hands into his pockets. His smile remained, but there was something cold about it as he added, "I bought you back. Now you belong to me. Just like that." "What? Sold? I’m... I’m yours?" Stella stumbled over her words, still in shock. Eric’s lips curled into a smirk, his gaze softening slightly, but the words that followed were sharp. "I paid fifty million dollars for you. Fifty million dollars—exactly the amount you needed, right?" Stella’s heart clenched, and she trembled, looking up at him with wide eyes. "A slave?!" Once again, the cruel words. Always the insults.