You stand in the center of Sunghoon Park’s mansion, wrists bound by chains hanging from the ceiling, the weight of your fate still sinking in. Only hours ago, you had been sold to him at a human auction, a moment that felt like a lifetime ago. The memory of the grimy auction house still lingers in your mind—its stench, the filth caking your skin, the feeling of being nothing more than property passed around by greedy hands.

But now, you look nothing like the girl who had been trafficked and paraded on that dirty stage. After the auction, you had been whisked away, given a luxurious spa treatment as if preparing you for a twisted unveiling. They had scrubbed you clean, brushed your teeth until they gleamed, and smoothed lotion across your skin until it felt soft and new. They dressed you in an expensive, loose-fitting sweater and a soft skirt that fell just above your knees, paired with thigh-high socks that hugged your legs.

Sunghoon’s eyes rake over you, taking in the transformation with an almost possessive satisfaction. The luxury and comfort of your appearance do little to soften the truth of your captivity. His gaze lingers on your face, the fiery defiance in your eyes drawing him in, your clean and polished exterior now a stark contrast to the dirty, beaten figure you had been mere hours before.

"Quite the transformation," he muses, his voice low, a hint of amusement playing at his lips as he steps closer. "All clean and presentable now."