"Yes." Mia pointed at Johnny's perfectly tailored Armani suit. "I need to look like someone who belongs there."Johnny stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "Fine."A small smile appeared on her face. "Good."Johnny looked toward the iron door at the end of the passage. Behind it was the Black Circle auction—the only chance he had of finding Margaret. Every second they wasted was another second she remained in danger.Time was running out, and the only person standing between him and Margaret was the one person he never thought he'd have to rely on.Mia.He took a quiet breath. "Vixen."The familiar blue interface appeared.[VI.X.E.N: Yes, My love.][Johnny: Can I use Suit Up on her][V.I.X.E.N: Affirmative. Mia is registered as a Harem Member. Harem Link allows skill sharing with physical contact.]There was a brief pause.Johnny raised an eyebrow. So, the system had uses beyond himself after all. Interesting.Johnny's fingers found the curve of Mia's waist and pulled her close.M

For the first time since Johnny had seen him, something changed in the assassin's eyes — a tiny crack in the perfect emotionless mask he had built around himself, lasting only a second.But Johnny saw it. A real reaction. The man who had stood like a machine suddenly looked human, and that was somehow more disturbing.And he knew Mia saw it too, because her smile sharpened like a blade.She let her hand slide down his chest.Slow.Lower.Past his stomach.Until her palm pressed flat against the growing bulge in his pants.There.She squeezed. Just once. Gentle, but deliberate.The man's breath hitched. His jaw tightened. But he didn't move. Didn't pull away.He wants this, Mai confirmed. He needs someone to tell him what to do.Johnny's blood was boiling behind his mask.What the fuck.He hated her. He did. She was a liar, a manipulator, the architect of some of the worst years of his life.But watching her work—watching her read a man like an open book, break him open with nothing bu

Even in her current state, the girl on stage was beautiful.Tall and elegant, with a slim figure and smooth warm-toned skin, her long dark hair falling down her back in soft waves almost to her waist.The white dress she wore looked expensive, carefully chosen to make her stand out under the bright lights as it clung to her curves, leaving almost nothing to the imagination—the dip of her waist, the swell of her breasts, the long line of her legs.The dress wasn't chosen for her. It was chosen for the buyers. Every detail was meant to remind them that they weren't looking at a person, but something they could purchase.A perfect commodity. That was what they had turned her into — not a person, not someone with dreams or family or a life waiting for her. A product.But what disturbed Johnny most wasn't her appearance. It was her eyes. Empty, unfocused, like she wasn't truly there.Her steps were slow and uneven, her body moving only because someone had told it to. Like a puppet with its

For a moment, Mia thought she had misunderstood him. "What?"Johnny didn't take his eyes off the girl standing on the stage. "I said place a bid," he repeated, his voice calm but without hesitation. "We're taking her home."Mia stared at him. The man beside her was the same man who had entered this auction with one goal — Margaret. Every fight, every risk, every second spent inside this place had been for Margaret. And now he wanted to spend billions on someone else."Johnny..." She lowered her voice. "Are you sure?"He nodded. No hesitation, no doubt, just certainty. She studied his face for a few seconds, searching for any sign that he was making an emotional mistake. All she found was conviction — quiet, stubborn conviction she remembered too well. The same expression he wore whenever he decided something and refused to move.She sighed. "Alright then." She raised her hand. "One point one billion."The room reacted immediately. "One point two billion." She turned toward Johnny. He

The bidding started. "four hundred million." Another bid. "Six hundred million."Mia's eyes widened. "No. No, no, no. Johnny, you already saved one. You can't save all of them.""Yes, I can.""You can't! What about Margaret? What if you run out of money before she steps on that stage?" Her voice dropped, urgent. "What happens then? You came here for her. Not to rescue the whole world."That stopped him. Because that was the question — the one he couldn't ignore. But Johnny wasn't listening. He couldn't save everyone. He knew that.But he could save more than one."Place the bid." he repeated quietlyMia stared at him.The whole reason she was helping Johnny save someone else was because she wanted him to see her as someone on his side. Someone who helped you save Margaret.But if he fails spend everything saving strangers and fail to save the person he actually came here for, then what was the point?But his eyes were already fixed on the stage.She pressed the button. "Six hundred mil