The fourth night began with silence, and that silence felt different this time. Not absence—but anticipation. The kind that made my skin prick even before the doorknob turned. I sat on the edge of the bed, naked, collared, legs pressed together, unsure what was waiting for me beyond the door. I had learned not to expect kindness. Not to expect mercy. But what I hadn’t learned yet was how much I was beginning to crave the next lesson, no matter how dark it was.
The door opened. Adrian stepped in.
But he wasn’t alone.
A second man followed behind him.
He was taller. Leaner. Dressed in all black, face hidden by a smooth leather mask that left only his lips visible. He said nothing. Didn’t even look at me at first. He walked like he’d done this before. Like he already knew what I was for.
