Akemi's POV

"Dinner time, Akemi!" mom shouted from the kitchen.

I run down the stairs holding my laptop. A ringing sound makes me take out my phone from my pocket, it was a new email. I hate this song. I take out my iPod from another pocket and change the song that's playing through my earbuds.

Mom rolled her eyes at my three-time tech. I take online school, which means I take all of my classes and do all my homework on my laptop. It's my last year of university. Yes, I'm seventeen and I'm in university.

I shut down my laptop and take the earbuds out while taking a seat at the dining table.

Greetings. Akemi Ichinomiya, here. I'm 17 years old. I have brown hair with gold highlights that almost reach to my hips. My mom always say I look like my dad a lot, the only thing i got from my mom are my eyes. They're a hazelish gold colour.

"I've made your favourite!" mom cheered. I try to smile, but just can't. Honestly I'm not a sir-smiles-a-lot, if anything, I smirk more often. Which is also something mom says I'm alike to dad a lot.

"Thanks for dinner." I simply say and put my earbuds back on. Mom shakes her head as she clears the table, mumbling "just like him".

The next morning, it's 6 a.m. I go downstairs to get my coffee. I like coffee. I put in lots of milk and three cubes of sugar and mix it up. Mom says I have the same coffee habit as my dad.

Sometimes I get really frustrated. Mom always talks about father, but never even his name or anything. Doesn't she think I at least have the right to know who the hell my father is?

"You're so alike, he also--" she started again, but my temper suddenly shot up--probably due to puberty--and I yelled, "Can you stop that!? You always say we are this and that alike but never tell me anything about him!"

"Akemi, I...." mom sounded slightly hurt and had an apologetic expression on her face.

"I'm almost 18 and I don't even know the name of my father! Or what he even looks like." I continued, "or if he is even alive or not."

I need to cool down. With that thought in mind, I mumble, "I'll go out for a bit. Sorry for yelling." and sprinted out of the door, my phone and iPod in my pockets.

I got on the train and decided to just take a small ride to the closest station, at most ten minutes. As the train was moving, I stuck in my earbuds and played a slow pure music. Its melody was clear and beautiful, but very sad and full of sorrow. I close my eyes and lean on to the seat.

I got up too early this morning, and I only had a sip of coffee before the emotional-outburst. I fell asleep listening to the peaceful music. Successfully clearing my mind of those worries.

"Dear passengers, this is the last station..." the train broadcast woke me up. Last station? I got out of the train and checked the map, I am 46 stations away from my house. It's nine in the morning now.

I need to get back, but another train doesn't arrive in another forty minutes. I've never been to this place regularly, so I could look around. After all, I'm long past the age that allows me to walk around by myself.

Later on, I regretted doing so.

***

Arian's POV

"She's been gone for nearly three hours!" I pace around the kitchen. I called her several times but she didn't pick up. It's ten past nine. I call her again. Her phone must be on mute, she won't pick up.

Then, I start to panic. What if she tried to go find Eisuke? What if she went to Tres Spades? All the worst case scenarios come to mind. But I've never told her about the hotel name.

"Eisuke...." I then murmured. Two streams of tears fall from my eyes, I haven't seen him in so long, did he find someone else? Now that Akemi's already 17, maybe it's time I should go back?

10:30 a.m. She's still not back. I'm really worried now. Where could she be?

Akemi's POV

I'm standing in front of a very fancy hotel. It has a spade shape in the middle of the building. This must be Hotel Tres Spades. I've heard many people talk about how famous it was, all the biggest celebrities who come to visit Tokyo stay here. I walked in, which later on I also regret doing.

It should be okay to just look around. Calming my mind, I start to take in the structure of the building. The lobby was gigantic, I walked, turned in circles to take a full view. My neck hurts from looking up. I started walking backwards, checking out the ceiling. And I soon bump into a person.

"Sorry," I say as I turn around. And I see a man glaring coldly at me, he says in a low voice, "Watch where you're going."

I glare at his back. There's just this strange sense of feeling in me knowing that people shouldn't be talking to me that way. Even though he was right, I wasn't watching where I was going. Maybe I have a himedere streak?

Continuing walking, I was deeper inside the hotel, the first floor were mainly employee conference rooms or janitor's closets. One door caught my eye. It was locked. I'm more interested in places that are out of bounds.

Curiosity got the better of me and I took two paper clips I found on the front desk, looked around to make sure no one was there, and picked open the lock. I pull open the thick door and head down the stairs. It was a basement. What do they keep here that needs to be locked?

There were an incredible amount of stairs, I got to BF5 and hesitated. It's pretty dark in here. Maybe it's a better choice to just go back up. Just then, rapid footsteps approached me and something violently hit the my back, knocking me down.

"Ow...!" I rubbed my elbow, which took the most blow. Who the heck was that?

I hear sounds of breaking glass, I look up and see two men in black.

"Crap! W-What do we do?!" One of them says in a panic.

The other one, however more sinister, glanced at me, "we'll put her up. We'll just tell boss she broke it."

"You're right... she already saw too much, anyways."

They neared me and before I can throw a punch, they put a cloth over my nose and mouth and I pass out.

Eisuke's POV
I haven't forgot about her. I can't forget about her. She told me not to look for her, she must have her reasons.
Everyone felt sorry for me and even Baba carefully avoided the subject of Arian.

I was walking across the lobby, it was one of the rare days where paparazzi wasn't around and I had some quiet time to myself. But it was ruined when just as I turn a corner a girl bumped into me. What's she doing walking backwards anyway? I didn't get a good look at her and just gave her a cold glare and walked off.

There's an auction today in noon. I must get ready for it. The five of us sit in the lounge and view the auction hall via the big screen. I shake Arian off my mind for a minute.

Everything went on according to plan.

"And, for our grand finale, our final item for this auction--" the auctioneer started. I glance at the list, the final item is a glass statue made by a very famous sculptor.

"--a young, healthy Japanese girl." he finished.

All of our eyes widened. The item shown for bid is a girl who looks no more than 18 in a cage. Her eyes opening, she slowly got up. She had handcuffs on her wrists, she glanced at them, then took a few quick looks around and set her gaze straight forward after that. Her gaze was strong and firm, even I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

This is just like the time when we bought Arian....
"Eisuke, isn't this..." Ota starts, I know what he's going to say. Since something like this happened again, it's better to be wrong than to miss the chance.

"...Let's bid." I say while taking out my number.

Akemi's POV
I open my eyes to a very strong light shining on me in a dark space. I hear someone yelling: "3 million! 4.5million! 6 million!"

This sounds like an auction. Was the first thing that came to mind. I take in my surroundings. Except the spotlight shining on me, the whole place was pitch black. Only people putting out bids can be heard. I keep my eyes forward. This is weird. I think. Then I remember the stories mom had told me. She said she had broken a vase and got put up for a black market auction. Looks like she wasn't making it up.

"10 million from no. 5! 10 million twice!" I hear the auctioneer exclaim enthusiastically.
What?! I don't wanna be bought by some greasy old slag! I lift up my arms, but the chains got in the way. Don't these people feel bad at all that a human being is being sold here?!

"20 million from seat number 99!" the auctioneer shouted.
Someone would buy me for that much money? Wait, wasn't mom bought for that price as well? That should be the least of my worries right now! I continue keeping a straight face as I internally panic.

"25 million from seat number 100! 25 million twice!"
I decided to just stop thinking, it's a waste of time.

"25 million! Sold to seat no. 100!"

I was brought to the back, and two masked men stood in front of me, "come with us."

I don't say anything in return as I follow them up to the top floor of the hotel, where the penthouse suites are supposed to be. I just keep glaring at their backs, hopefully to burn a hole through it.

I was brought to a huge lounge with three other men there. I recognize one of them as the rude man from the lobby.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alright, so the other day I re-read this entire book, and I was like: man the first two characters sucked. So here I am, trying to edit them all.

Edited: May 14, 2016

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