Chapter 5

Eleonor could not help but frown as the man indirectly avoided her questions. She was keeping her silence when the man laughed with his teeth showing brightly towards her and his dimples in both sides of his cheeks adorably showed, awestruck her with his godly face.

“I'm handsome right?” The man boasted told her which made her cheeks turn into a crimson red due to embarrassment. She immediately bowed her head as she learned that she was observing him too long that the man had realized it himself and she was caught red-handed.

The man smiled at her expression before he spoke while he patted her head, “Don’t mind it too much.”

They were looking at each other when someone loudly fake-coughed to interrupt them both.

“Hi,” the newly arrived man said while waving his hand with a huge smile plastered on his face.

He had a black pair of eyes, a perfect jawline, a good body figure, and pale white skin. Though this newly arrived man was handsome, Eleanor could not help but find the man beside him who had bid for her more handsome, especially when he smiled as his dimples were showing on both his cheeks and his brown eyes twinkled at her.

“You are right. I am more handsome than him, Baby,” the man whispered to her cheeks while intently staring into her eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat and she had difficulty breathing upon hearing his endearment for her and how close they were to each other.

The man continued to look at her as he said, “I am Zachary Miles, your partner, and this idiot here is my best friend, Marcus.”

Eleanor furrowed her eyebrows in confusion about many things that Zachary had said. For instance, she wondered how he was able to know what she was thinking about, and she was confused about what he meant about him being her partner. ‘Does it have something to do with him buying me?’ Eleanor thought to herself.

“What should I call you? Or rather what should my friend call you? Because I am very much willing to address you as, Baby,” Zachry told her which gave excitement to her core. She could not imagine how excited she felt towards Zachary after just a couple of minutes with him. He had this special ability to tickle her heart with warmth and care.

“E-Eleanor,” she replied while stammering.

“Hi, Eleanor," Marcus and Zachary both stated in unison. She could not help but smile as she suddenly felt at ease with the two of them who were in front of her. They were both sincerely smiling towards her, far from how people around her were treating her before.

They all were looking at each other when the door suddenly opened, making them turn around to see who came inside. A man who was standing tall and wearing a black suit entered the place while carrying a black leather case in his right hand.

“Boss,” the man went straight to Zachary and respectfully greeted him before he continued, “here is the thing which you asked me to bring,”

“Go give that to the manager of this event and meet me in the villa,” Zachary instructed his assistant before he held Eleanor’s wrist and mumbled, "Let's go, baby, you need to buy new clothes to wear.” And then he pulled her towards the door.

Her eyes widened as she could not believe what she had heard. The man in front of him would voluntarily buy her new clothes to wear. Thinking about that, nervousness rushed to her body. This man in front of her was willing to buy her new clothes, right after he had bought her from the club for 1.5 billion. While thinking about the amount he had to pay for her, she suddenly remembered how much her foster mother sold her for a mere half a million.

“Wait…” she said as she took a step back away from him.

“You are paying that asshole 1.5 billion? He only paid my foster mother a mere half a million,” she informed Zachary while looking over the broad shoulders of Zachary’s assistant who was heading towards the manager’s office.

Zachary sighed and wrapped his arms on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her before he explained, "Babe, that's how their business works. We can't do anything about it."

"B-but that's unfair," she said in a low voice as she tried to protest the action that had happened before her eyes. Afterwards, she walked beside Zachary as he did the same.

“I know, but if I don’t pay him that certain amount, then you will have to stay here with him. Would you rather do that than come with me?” he asked as they successfully exited the room.

Upon hearing his question, Eleanor immediately shook her head as the fear of being with the manager surged all over her body and brought shivers to her spine. She was scared that Zachary would truly leave her there. She would rather be the slave of Zachary rather than fall into the hands of that disgusting man.

****

Zachary was already on the verge of hurting the bald man who was fighting the bidding with him, it was his relief that the man had conceded and let him win. His anger was replaced with excitement as he looked at his mate who met his eyes but was on the verge of falling. Using his instinct, he immediately strode in and caught her before she fell onto the floor. As their eyes caught each other, Zachary instantly knew that his mate had not recognized him as her mate yet. It would seem that she was not at the right age yet.

After the speaker announced that he won the auction and the people started to disperse, he helped his mate to leave the stage. Afterwards, he called his beta regarding the money he needed to bring. He couldn't help but smile at the questions and curiosity of his mate about him buying her with that huge amount.

As he knew that it was still hard to explain to her, he replied that she would find out and understood it soon; the time when she turned eighteen and was capable of recognizing him as her mate.

He observed how he said that the one who sold her were her foster parents, it came to his understanding that she was unaware of the fact that she was a werewolf which caused him to feel pity towards her. Nevertheless, he did not worry much as he knew that she would learn about it sooner or later.

Zachary could not believe how big Eleanor’s heart was to accept what her foster mother did to her, nor the idea that there were still people who were too heartless and selfish to sell someone for their interest. Nonetheless, he believed that he didn't have the right to judge yet as he was not aware of the truth behind the reason as to why her foster mother did what she had done towards Eleanor.