The sexy dress wrapping around my body left me stunned, amazed at the transformation I saw in myself. I looked so beautiful, yet it was useless if my beauty was only to be used to make lustful men desire my body.

As Alex had said, I was going to the party he hosted. I found myself in the courtyard of Alex’s house, filled with people. It was very crowded, and all the faces around me were unfamiliar. They all looked like important people, though some carried expressions so cold and intimidating that they made me uneasy.

“Where is Alex?” I muttered, confused as I searched for him.

After I finished dressing up, Alex had left me behind. His servants were the ones who brought me to this party. On the way, they whispered about how harsh Alex was toward me. They even mentioned that every night Alex often brought different women home.

In truth, amid this crowd, I could have taken the chance to run. But the strict security surrounding Alex’s house terrified me. I still wanted to live, even if that life meant enduring suffering.

“You, beautiful woman—come here, quickly!”

“Me, sir?” I asked in confusion.

“Yes, who else?” he replied.

I nodded. After all, he was one of Alex’s guests. I had to respect him; otherwise, Alex would surely be angry with me.

Most of the guests at this party were men, with only a few women around. But those women seemed to be nothing more than mistresses or playthings for lustful men.

“Is there anything I can help you with, sir?”

“You came at the right time, darling. Your face is so beautiful,” he said, leaning in as if to kiss me.

I pulled away, instantly catching the heavy scent of wine. The man was clearly drunk.

“Why are you avoiding me? You’re the one who should be coming to me. Tell me, aren’t you one of the prostitutes Alex hired for us?” The man asked, wrapping his arms around my body.

I shoved him away until he stumbled and fell. My eyes glared at him with pure disgust at his improper behavior. But soon after, I found myself surrounded by several other men. The courage I had just moments ago vanished, replaced by fear.

“How dare you, whore, treat one of our friends like that?”

“I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t mean to. I was just startled when he grabbed me,” I stammered nervously.

“That’s already your place—as a whore. You deserve whatever you get. Don’t you dare resist us; you should be quiet and enjoy it!”

The men closed in on me, hemming me in from all directions.

“Why don’t we give this whore some punishment? Let’s make her scream hysterically.”

I couldn’t escape. They blocked my way, their hands tugging at my dress.

“Please… no, don’t… I beg you, don’t do this,” I sobbed, desperately holding my clothes together.

But then—

Bang!

The sound of a gunshot froze the air. The men immediately straightened up, forming a neat line. My neatly styled hair was now disheveled, and I trembled in terror.

“Grace, what happened to you? Why do you look so worn out?” Alex asked, smiling as if amused.

I broke down in tears, unable to answer him. He looked so pleased to see me shaken and helpless, surrounded by those men. My dress was torn in several places, the sleeve ripped apart.

“Grace, why are you crying? Look at yourself. I haven’t even given you the order to entertain them yet. Were you really that impatient?” Alex crouched down in front of me, his smirk widening.

“So her name is Grace, Mr. Alex? Is she ours to share? Wow, this time you’ve brought us such a beautiful woman,” one of the men said, making me flinch in horror.

I was not an object to be passed around as they pleased.

“You may do as you wish with her—but only when I grow tired of her. For now, she’s still mine. I’m not done with her yet,” Alex said with a chilling smile.

It was the smile I hated most. How I longed to strike his lips so they would never curve into that cruel grin again.

“I won’t, Alex. I’d rather die than give my body to any of you,” I spat, glaring at him.

“You really choose death, Grace? Very well, if that’s what you want. Say goodbye, Grace, and send my regards to your mother!” Alex stood and aimed his pistol at me.

My eyes widened as I stared at him. I was ready—better to die like this than to let my body become their plaything.

“I’ll make sure to send her your regards, Mr. Alex,” I whispered, closing my eyes tightly and taking one deep breath, awaiting the end.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed, but I felt nothing. Alex couldn’t have missed his target, could he?

The sudden screams of shock from the crowd forced me to open my eyes. To my disbelief, one of the men who had just harassed me was now the one lying lifeless on the ground.

Warm blood splattered across my face. My heart pounded furiously. Alex hadn’t killed me—he had killed someone else instead.

No cruelty could surpass Alex’s. He was a mafia boss, a serial killer even, capable of murdering anyone he disliked.

“Fool. I already promised to torment you for the rest of your life until you choose to end it yourself,” Alex sneered at me before turning his glare to the crowd. “Listen carefully, all of you! This woman is mine. If any of you dare to so much as scratch her, you’ll die by my hand. Only I am allowed to hurt her!”

I couldn’t even process his words; my body was still frozen in shock at the corpse lying right before me. I knew tonight would haunt my dreams, filling them with fear.

“Yanuar, order the bodyguards to take Grace to the place! And feed this corpse to the lions!”

My eyes widened once more in terror. Where was Alex planning to take me this time? I had already been humiliated at this party. Wasn’t that enough for him? And now, he wanted the corpse of the man he shot to become food for wild beasts.

The depth of Alex’s cruelty was beyond anything I could comprehend.