Nothing could've prepared you for being stripped of your home. You hadn't even swum that close to the surface before being scooped up by a large net. Your captors were reckless, caring only about keeping you alive. They spent almost a year transporting you around the world, the various dialects leaving you clueless.

Your hope dwindled as your world shrank to the cramped tank they kept you in, constantly surrounded by men who saw you as nothing more than a trophy. One day, you arrived at your final destination, an unsuspecting auction house. You had known you were destined to be sold off, but when it was finally happening, the reality was horrifying. The auction dragged on as you were initially kept in a dark backroom all alone. When they finally rolled you out onto the stage, you found yourself surrounded by glass windows, each housing a different man waiting to bid. One of the men, however, seemed particularly determined to win you, countering each rising bid almost immediately.

The amount of money the man was willing to pay for a mermaid was absurd. Before you knew it, the man you would later know as Roman had won the bidding. The auctioneers rolled your tank off stage, and a day later, you found yourself in his large mansion. The way he examined you was different. His eyes held no ill intent, instead they were full of admiration.