Chapter 3 No Escape!

I didn't sleep that night. Not for lack of trying. The apartment felt smaller than usual, like the walls had shrunk while I wasn't looking. Every sound-the hum of the fridge, the creak of the floorboard, the distant wail of a siren-felt magnified, intrusive, reminding me that outside this fragile shell, the world was moving fast, and I was already behind.

Grey's message burned in my mind: "Meet me. 8 PM. Private. My office."

I had no idea what he wanted. A conversation? An order? A test? Or something worse. The not-knowing was unbearable.

I tried to convince myself I could say no. That I could reclaim some fragment of choice. But the truth was, the contract wasn't just on paper anymore-it had slipped into my veins. Every heartbeat reminded me that Grey Franklin didn't negotiate. He commanded. And obedience wasn't optional.

By 7:45 PM, I was outside his building again, looking up at the same steel-and-glass tower that had made my pulse race the first time. The lobby was quiet, almost sterile, the kind of silence that makes your own thoughts loud and accusatory. His assistant didn't speak; she just guided me toward the elevator, her expression a mask. I noticed the subtle shift in her eyes, a hint of caution, like even she knew this meeting would be different.

When the doors opened on his floor, Grey was already there. Standing, as usual, perfectly still, commanding the space even without moving. His eyes found me immediately, and for a moment, I felt exposed in a way I never had before. Not just seen-but weighed, measured, and judged.

"Sit," he said. One word. Imperative.

I obeyed.

He circled me slowly, not touching, not speaking, just observing, like a predator studying prey. Every step he took echoed against the polished floor, reverberating in my chest. My hands clenched in my lap, trying to find some control I didn't have.

"Do you understand why I called you here?" he asked finally.

"I... think so," I said carefully, though my pulse thumped in defiance and fear alike.

He paused, leaning slightly toward me, so close I could feel the heat from his body, the scent of him-a sharp, clean warning. "Think is not enough. You need certainty. I don't tolerate hesitation."

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Yes. I understand."

"Good." He straightened, and for a second, he was just a man in a suit, tall and impossibly confident. Then he smiled-not kind, not warm-but calculating. "You will be tested. Tonight, in ways that will measure more than your willingness. You'll see what I require. And whether you're capable."

The words weren't a question. They were a verdict.

I felt a shiver run down my spine, equal parts dread and something darker-curiosity, maybe even... anticipation.

Because Grey Franklin wasn't a man who offered chances lightly. And now, I had none.