Kissed By The Baddest Bidder's Daughter

Prologue

Amidst the enthusiastic chatter of the crowd, a bright spotlight shines down upon me. I'm locked inside a gigantic birdcage that's set right in the center of a stage. The masked audience stares at me.

"And now for the last item up for bid, our grand finale!" announced the auctioneer. "A young, handsome, healthy French man! Keep him as your slave, keep him as a toy... Do whatever you please with him... It's truly up to you! And now we'll start the bidding. I have $500,000 from #5. $1 million from #30! $1.2 million from #24!"

One by one, the masked bidders hold up their cards in the circular arena. I can't believe it, but I've been put up for auction.

It's hard to believe it was just a normal day at work until a little while ago. How in the world did this happen?

***

12 hours earlier...

"Good morning!"

I swing open the door to the locker room like I always do. I work as a butler at the hotel owned by the Ichinomiya Group, which is a large company that owns banks and trading companies in Japan and has many affiliate companies overseas.

"Morning, Alex! The V.I.P Convention starts today! I'm so pumped!" Daniel greets me with a smile.

We're the same age and really close; I can confide in him about anything.

"I bet you'll be busy since you work on the casino floor. Since I'm in charge of the regular guest rooms, I doubt today will be any different for me."

I work at Hotel Tres Spades, Japan's first legal casino and hotel, which was built five years ago when casinos were legalized in Japan.

"I wish I could work at the I.V.C, too."

"That's the goal of everyone who works here," Daniel said.

"I've been dreaming about it ever since I saw the party on TV."

"Movie stars, top athletes... Super famous people from all over the world come to this party! I applied here not thinking I'd get hired, so I thought I was dreaming when I did!"

"Me, too!"

"Oh my god, what if some rich, famous girl falls in love with me at first sight?!"

"Haha. Keep dreaming."

Our V.I.P. guests are important, but I have to work hard for our regular guests, too!

I.V.C., the International V.I.P. Convection. Tres Spades' largest event is approaching, attracting tons of international publicity. It's busier and even more tense around here than usual.

We leave the locker room and head to the hotel lobby, where a crowd of reporters and onlookers have gathered. People I've only ever seen on TV start appearing on after the other.

"Oh my god, Alex! Look who just got out of that limo!" Daniel excitedly said. "That girl is always on the VIP lists. They call her the Princess!"

"What? Where, where?"

Even though I hate getting caught up in celebrity gossip, I can't help but join Daniel to try to get a glimpse. I see a tall woman walking along, surrounded by men on both sides.

That's the model Paul Walker, and Taylor Launter, the actor! All the men around her are famous...

"She's been living in the penthouse suite for a while now," Daniel said.

"What?! It cost tens of thousands of dollars to stay for just one night!"

Wow... I wonder what she does for a living?