The lock turned just after ten.

I was sitting on the edge of the bed in the black clothes he had given me, knees pressed together, when Victor entered. He closed the door, locked it, and stood there for a moment looking at me like he had already decided how the night would go. No tray. No conversation about Daniel. Just him and the quiet weight of his attention.

“Stand up.”

I stood. He walked over, took the hem of my top, and pulled it over my head in one motion. My breasts spilled free. The cooler air of the room tightened my nipples almost instantly. Victor’s eyes dropped to...