No Tears for the Billionaire

The night my fiancé's childhood sweetheart returned from abroad, his friends egged him on until he locked me inside a display tank at an underground auction. Heavy iron chains bound me roughly, cutting deep into my torn, bruised mermaid tail. "Come on, Nicole, Serena just got back today. Give us a little dance to liven things up!" "We've all seen your high-def sex tapes with Carter dozens of times anyway. Stop playing the innocent virgin." "Carter already said whoever bids the highest tonight gets to fuck you until sunrise." Despair clouded my vision. Through the thick glass, I stared at Carter in utter disbelief. He had his arm wrapped snugly around his childhood crush, whispering softly into her ear. "Don't worry," he murmured. "Mermaid tears are worth a fortune. Once we sell them, I'll buy you that sports car you wanted." Only in that soul-crushing moment did I finally realize the truth. Carter had faked his amnesia and tricked me into leaving the ocean for the land purely to get his hands on my tears. He had claimed to love me, yet he was determined to wring out every last drop of my blood and agony. My blood slowly stained the water crimson. I curled into a tight, helpless ball, my heart plummeting straight to the abyss. Carter had told me we were coming here to celebrate our anniversary. I never imagined I would end up as the featured commodity on this private cruise liner. My voice rasped through the glass. "You swore those videos would never get out." Carter smirked, casually running a hand down Serena's slender waist. "So what if they watched them? It's just a body." "Nicole, you've always been obedient. Just do me a favor. Serena wants to see you perform." "Consider it an opportunity. Making her happy should be an honor for you." Serena snuggled closer against Carter's chest, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Oh, Carter, Nicole looks really unwilling. Are we pushing her too hard?" A bitter taste flooded my mouth. I slammed my tail against the glass, choking on a sob. "Carter, I'm your fiancée! How could you do this to me?!" The violent splash I created drenched Serena's designer dress from top to bottom. She shrieked, cowering back against Carter's shoulder in faux terror. Carter slammed his fist hard against the glass partition. "Nicole, don't you dare push your luck! Serena is my dearest friend from childhood." "She literally just landed today. Do you have to ruin everyone's good mood?" I shifted with agonizing difficulty. "Your childhood friend? Then what am I to you?" Carter lit a cigarette with an irritated flick of his lighter. "You're just a mermaid. I brought you ashore and let you experience human life. Shouldn't you be thanking me?" "Right now is your chance to repay your debt." "If you can make Serena smile, at least you'll have served some purpose." Serena leaned up and planted a possessive kiss on the corner of Carter's lips, smirking triumphantly through the glass. "Carter said mermaid tears are the most valuable gems on earth." "Once we get them, we're heading straight to the dealership for my new ride." I slumped against the glass. In Carter's eyes, I had never been anything more than merchandise. Carter waved a dismissive hand toward the crowd. "Alright, enough talk. Everyone's waiting. Give us a dance." When I didn't move an inch, Carter's patience snapped. Enraged, he grabbed a heavy leather whip from the nearby table and lashed it viciously across my back. Several shimmering scales tore free on impact, drifting into the bloody water and leaving ghastly red gashes across my skin. Wracked with blinding pain, I clawed at the rim of the tank, desperate to heave myself over the edge. But Serena stepped forward, calmly grinding her lit cigarette butt straight into my fingertips. She looked down her nose at me with a cold sneer. "You're just a filthy, lowlife sea creature. I suggest you quit struggling." Carter looped the thick leather whip tightly around my throat, choking off my air. Darkness swarmed my vision as suffocation crushed my lungs. His eyes burned manic and bloodshot. "Didn't I tell you to obey me?" "Do you deliberately want to humiliate me in front of everyone?!" A spectator tapped Carter on the shoulder. "Whoa, Carter, take it easy. Don't break her. We still have to play with her tonight." "A mermaid's body has gotta feel unreal." Every crude, lecherous word drove into my chest like a dull, rusty blade.Three years ago, Carter and his wealthy buddies were out surfing when a freak storm struck. A massive rogue wave slammed Carter beneath the surface. Without a second thought, I risked my life to drag him to safety on the shore. In the chaos, a spinning propeller gashed my tail. Carter was the very first human I had ever laid eyes on. His eyes had seemed brighter and warmer than the rarest jewels tucked away in the deep sea. My tail burned with every movement, but all I could think about was keeping him alive. When Carter came to, he claimed he couldn't remember his own name or where he lived. I'd never seen a human survive a blow like that, and I believed him. I stayed to help him until he said his memory had come back. Then he brought me to his coastal estate to tend my wounds. I knew staying in the human world broke our laws. I stayed anyway. I thought the man I'd saved needed me as much as I needed him. Once the wound closed, I could trade my tail for legs for a few hours at a time. I'd hoped a year on land would make the change permanent. Instead, I had to soak in salt water every night. Without it, my scales dulled and the ache spread all the way to my bones. Every night, Carter held me in his arms, whispering gentle reassurances. Back then, in my foolish innocence, I truly believed that was love. I thought I had won the ultimate gamble. Instead, I had lost everything, down to the very skin on my bones. Carter watched me now with cruel amusement. "Didn't you claim that after a year on land, you'd fully transform into a human? Looks like a beast can't change its true nature after all." Serena pinched her nose, her expression dripping with disgust. "No wonder this place smells like a rotten fish market. It's foul." "Carter, I don't know how you endured this stench for the past few years. You didn't have to scrape the bottom of the barrel just to make me jealous." I lowered my gaze to my tail. The once-vibrant scales were turning a lifeless, chalky white. When we first met, Carter had praised its beauty endlessly. He had cradled my tail with tender sorrow, swearing on his life that he would spend the rest of his days making up for the sacrifice I made. A guy nearby rubbed his hands together with a greasy grin. "A mermaid like this is where the real fun is at. Carter just doesn't know how lucky he is." Serena's face instantly twisted with rage. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The man stiffened and scrambled to backtrack. "Serena, babe, you know I didn't mean it like that—" Humiliated and furious, Serena snatched the whip, raising her arm to strike me across the face. I snapped my hand up, catching the lash in a death grip, and yanked hard. Caught off guard, Serena lost her footing and tumbled halfway into the tank. She shrieked in absolute terror, thrashing wildly in the bloody water until Carter reached in and hauled her out by the waist. Trembling and hyperventilating, Serena burst into theatrical tears. "Carter! I was just trying to toss the whip away so it wouldn't hurt her! Why did she suddenly attack me?" "I heard mermaids used to eat human flesh. Nicole, even if you're upset, how could you be so vicious?!" Carter dragged me out of the water by my hair and slammed me violently onto the hardwood floor, delivering a stinging backhand across my cheek. "Nicole, who the hell do you think you are?! You dare touch Serena? I'll kill you right here and now, swear to God!" "Why do you think I kept you in my penthouse, enduring that sickening fish stench day in and day out?" "If I hadn't heard that a single mermaid tear could fetch tens of millions on the black market, I would've gutted you years ago!" "Did you honestly believe I ever loved you?" I stared up at him in sheer, paralyzing horror. Carter kicked me hard in the ribs. "And yet you act like a fucking corpse! No matter what I do, you won't drop a single tear!" "Since playing nice didn't work, I'm forced to do this the hard way. You brought this entirely on yourself!" Tremors wracked my broken frame. The whirlwind romance I had thought was destiny was nothing more than an intricate, predatory trap. And I had walked straight into it like a blind fool, forfeiting everything only to be broken into pieces. Who else could I possibly blame? This was the horrific reality of the happiness I had abandoned my kingdom to chase. A broken, hollow laugh slipped past my lips. Carter stared down at my reddened, dry eyes, furious that not a drop of moisture appeared. Completely losing his mind, he barked at the bouncers flanking the stage. "Strip her! Let our guests inspect the merchandise properly!"The room instantly erupted into rowdy cheers. Several men pulled out their phones, snapping photos with aggressive clicks and blinding flashes. The strobe lights seared against my retinas. I'd felt my limbs go heavy after they poured something into the tank. Now I could barely move, let alone summon the strength to trade my tail for legs. I dragged myself forward across the deck inch by agonizing inch, only for Carter to grab my hair and yank me back ruthlessly. He slammed my battered tail hard against an iron railing. The sickening crunch sent stars exploding across my vision, threatening to drag me into unconsciousness. Multiple pairs of rough, clammy hands reached down, tearing at my shoulders. I twisted frantically, screaming with every shred of strength left in my throat. "Get off me! Don't you touch me!" "Get away from me!" Serena strutted over, driving the sharp stiletto heel of her pump down onto the back of my hand. She turned to Carter with an eager, sickening glint in her eyes. "Carter, why don't we just chop off one of her hands?" "She's completely useless anyway. Isn't the whole point of tonight just to make her cry?" Carter's dark gaze bore into Serena in silence. Serena's smile froze. Realizing she had overstepped, she quickly lifted her heel and melted back against his chest with a wheedling pout. "I was just kidding, of course! I know auction items need to stay intact to fetch top dollar." "Carter, don't be mad at me, okay?" Carter patted her waist nonchalantly. "Good. Glad you remember." The venue was buzzing with raw, predatory excitement. Carter frowned down at me for a beat before waving away the heavy brutes pinning me to the floor. They exchanged reluctant glances, their hands lingering on my bare shoulders before backing away under Carter's lethal glare. "Can't you hear me?" Carter hissed under his breath. "Back off!" I lifted my battered head, a flicker of pathetic hope stirring in my chest. Then Carter curled his lips into a cold, cruel smirk. "The bidding starts now." I froze, paralyzed. Crude laughter and jeers filled the air as I lay curled in a broken heap on the cold deck. I had still managed to overestimate the microscopic shred of humanity Carter possessed. From the VIP section below, a wealthy playboy raised his paddle. "A hundred million!" Gasps rippled through the hall. The bidder sneered, his eyes dripping with malice. "This little bitch crossed me before. Once she's mine, I'm going to break her until there's nothing left." I recognized him immediately. He was Brandon Vance, Carter's fiercest business rival. Months ago, he had tried to bribe an executive in Carter's firm to steal a classified government contract bid. I was the one who caught him in the act and exposed him. Now, stripped of all dignity, I lay at his feet like a mangled slave. Brandon strolled up onto the raised platform, casually kicking my side with his polished dress shoe. "Well, well, Nicole. Where did all that fiery pride go?" A hundred million was an astronomical sum. The other bidders shook their heads in defeat, groaning in disappointment. "Damn, Vance plays rough." "That mermaid won't survive the week in his hands. Everyone knows his sick kinks." Brandon lit a cigar, puffing a cloud of gray smoke into my face. "Carter, you keeping your word this time?" Carter looked down at me, his eyes an unreadable void. Serena stepped up with an eager, beaming smile. "Of course. Men of business always honor their deals." Brandon grinned, stepped closer, and fisted my hair to drag me toward the exit. I thrashed wildly, ripping myself from his grip. Swallowing the last shred of my pride just to stay alive, I dragged my crushed torso toward Carter's feet. "Please, don't let him take me." "I saved your life back then. Save mine this once, and we'll be even. Please."Serena kicked my arm away with disgust. "You make me sick, Nicole!" "Get your filthy hands off Carter! Your fish stench is literally making me gag." Carter stepped heavily onto my shoulder, pressing me into the floorboards. "Nicole, you can't even fake begging properly, can you?" His buddies in the front row began hollering, deliberately stirring the pot. "Yo, Carter! They say mermaid tears are priceless pearls. Is this bitch gonna cry tonight or what?" "Guess she isn't hurting that bad after all. You're going too soft on her, man." "Seriously! Don't tell me you're getting sentimental now. This is weak!" Carter had always been impulsive and pathologically insecure. Taunts like this shattered his fragile ego instantly. He dropped down, clamping his fingers like a vise around my jaw, and smashed the back of my skull against the glass tank. "Nicole, didn't you claim you loved me more than life itself? Cry for me right now! Show me some fucking tears so I can see how deep your love goes!" "Cry, dammit!" Blood smeared across the glass panel. Carter looked entirely unhinged as he battered me against the frame. He had gone completely rabid. I clenched my teeth so hard they cracked, swallowing the screams and the blood pooling in my mouth. The surrounding crowd fell dead silent. Brandon reached out, grabbing Carter's wrist to hold him back. "Hey, I paid a fortune for this fish. What happens if you break my toy before I even take her home?" Carter shoved him off with a wild, ragged gasp. "Who the fuck do you think you are?!" Brandon gave a chilling laugh. "I'm the guy who owns her tonight. And don't forget who you really are, Carter. You're just a stand-in." Carter's face drained of color, turning a sickly, murderous gray. The violent mania in his eyes flickered, replaced by cold dread. Disgusted, he glared down at my blood-smeared face, scanning every inch of my skin to see if a single pearl had fallen. Nothing. Not a trace of moisture. A mermaid's endurance for pain was vastly superior to that of humans. No matter the physical torment or mental cruelty, I refused to grant him a single tear. "You've got guts, Nicole. Let's see how unbreakable you really are!" Carter pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and barked a command. Moments later, he dragged me across the platform by my hair, forcing my face toward a glowing monitor. My heart seized with sheer terror. The live feed showed the mouth of the hidden cove that led to our home. Carter sneered into my ear. "Tell me, will you cry if I drag your entire family onto this ship in chains?" Armed boats and submersibles were closing in on the outer reef. I could see movement in the shallows, where our sentries kept watch. Violent tremors ripped through me. I grabbed Carter's pant leg, sobbing in absolute, unadulterated panic. "No! Please! Do whatever you want to me!" "I'm begging you, Carter. Please leave my family alone!" Carter shoved my hands away with a sneer. He opened his mouth to mock me, but as his eyes dropped to the floor, he froze. A handful of luminous, iridescent pearls were rolling across the deck, glowing with a faint, ethereal shimmer. The entire auction hall erupted into sheer madness. "Holy shit! Those are real mermaid tears!" "Just one of those could buy an entire island!" Brandon lunged forward, scooping up several pearls, and the rest of the wealthy elites swarmed the platform like starving wolves. Carter grabbed me by the throat and hauled me up. "So threatening your family finally gets you to cry?" "You selfish, wretched creature. I should have strangled you the very second you crawled onto my beach!" I stared back at him with dead, hollow eyes. The last spark of light had completely burned out. This man was rotten to the very core. Serena clung to Carter's arm, watching the frenzy around the pearls. "We're out at sea. Just toss her overboard." "We already got everything we wanted." A chilling, murderous darkness pooled in Carter's eyes. "Nicole, even if I have your tears, I'm never letting you live." He shoved the monitor in my face. Beyond the boats, red was spreading through the shallows. My breath caught. Had I just watched my family die? To chase a pathetic, fairytale romance, I had led slaughter straight to my people's doorstep. Carter dragged my limp body to the edge of the bow, pinning me violently against the railing as the howling sea wind whipped my hair. My pulse faded to a shallow flutter. I looked up at him, my gaze burning with pure, unadulterated hatred. "Carter, saving your life three years ago was the worst mistake I ever made. You were the one who deserved to die." His pupils dilated in shock. At that exact second, the ocean beneath us erupted into a towering, violent surge. Through the churning mist, a massive, familiar silhouette crested the waves, reaching a hand out toward me. "Nicole, I'm here to bring you home."