The dungeon smelled of damp stone and fear. A single bulb flickered overhead, casting rough shadows across the walls.
Leonardo sat in a chair off to the side, his sharp eyes never leaving the woman chained in the center of the room.
The maid knelt on the floor, her wrists bound and fixed to a chain hanging from the ceiling. Her face was pale, her lips trembling as she whispered over and over. “Please… please… don’t hurt me. Please.”
Across the room, Nikolai ignored her. He moved with cold precision, inspecting the tools laid out on the wooden table—pliers, blades, hooks, and other instruments no one wanted to name. His hands selected a pair of pliers, testing the grip.
Without looking at her, his voice cut through the silence. “Whether I hurt you or not depends on you. Give me the ans
