Chapter 5 5. The Embarrassing Safeword

"The door wasn't locked, I thought... I thought..." Lyla's voice grew softer and weaker, like a child caught doing something wrong.

Carlo sighed, shaking his head with a hint of exasperation. "I've never had such a disobedient sub before."

"I'm not a sub, I'm just..." Lyla instinctively started to argue, but the moment her eyes met Carlo's, she fell silent again.

Carlo stepped closer, flipping the cane in his hand. He gently lifted Lyla's chin with the metal handle, his gaze unwavering. "No worries, I'm happy to teach you."

The faint scent of musk and woodsy amber drifted from him, strangely making Lyla feel an odd sense of calm.

"Take off your pants and bend over the arm of the sofa." It was the first command from the Dom tonight, but as expected, it was met with the evening's first refusal.

"No." Lyla pushed him away, her voice trembling. "We agreed this was just an experiment, I'm not gonna sleep with you."

Carlo's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Who said we're going to have s/ex? I'm not interested in a sub for that. Don't test my patience. If you continue to refuse, there's no point in going further. You can leave at any time. Let's not waste each other's time."

As he spoke, he opened the door, letting a sliver of hallway light spill into the room. His expression was one of controlled irritation.

Lyla realized her reaction might have been overblown. This was, after all, a game, and even if she was participating for academic purposes, she should still respect the rules. Blushing deeply, she slowly moved toward the sofa, placing her bag on the side table before awkwardly bending over the armrest.

She had worn jeans today, hoping it would lessen the sting of the s/panking. But now, she reluctantly pulled them down, along with her underwear, to her thighs. Her movements were slow, the fabric brushing against her skin, making her already exposed bottom tremble slightly, like a restrained peach ready to be touched.

Her embarrassment was overwhelming. She hadn't felt this kind of shame since she was six years old when her mother s/panked her for playing with lipstick. She hadn't experienced this level of humiliation since then.

She heard Carlo's footsteps approaching and instinctively buried her face in the sofa, like an ostrich hiding from danger. The way she stretched forward made her already exposed bottom stick up even more.

Carlo admired the sight, like one would admire a fine piece of art. He was usually ruthless, leaving marks on every sub's body without hesitation. But this time, he found himself lingering. The leather cane brushed against her skin, its texture almost tender, making one forget it was a tool meant for punishment.

Lyla's body tensed. She had never felt anything like this before-like a faint electric current tingling across her skin, a sensation both gentle and threatening. Even before the cane struck, she could feel the sharp sting it promised.

"What's the safeword?" Carlo's voice cut through the tension, his tone leaving no room for debate.

"I know, Hudson already told me," Lyla mumbled, unable to bring herself to say it. The safeword, chosen by Shadow Master, embarrassed her.

Smack!

The cane struck her.

Lyla's upper body shot up, barely stifling a scream. The sudden pain wiped everything from her mind. Her hands instinctively reached back, trying to rub away the sting.

Carlo hadn't hit her hard-there wasn't even a mark left. It was meant as a warning, but he hadn't expected her to be so sensitive. The sight of her reaction made him both frustrated and amused. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them to her waist.

His hands were large, and Lyla's delicate wrists were no match for his grip. Once restrained, she could barely move. As the pain subsided, shame washed over her. The fact that she had just rubbed her bottom in front of him was humiliating beyond words. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes-not from the pain, but from the realization that her "good girl" image had been shattered in a single stroke.

"Answer my question," Carlo demanded coldly. "Don't play games with me, or you'll regret it."

"It's... it's 'science'," Lyla replied, her voice trembling.

"Good," Carlo said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice as he patted her bottom with his hand. This time, it wasn't the cane, but his palm, firm and rough from years of holding guns, lightly grazing her skin. The sensation was foreign, a mix of tingling warmth and lingering sting.

"Remember the safeword," Carlo reminded her. "I want you to be punished, but not hurt. Understand?"

"Yes."

"You should say, 'Yes, Sir,'" Carlo corrected sharply, raising his arm before bringing the cane down once more.

"No!" The sharp pain and overwhelming shame made Lyla dizzy. She scrambled off the sofa, hastily pulling up her pants while babbling incoherently.

"This... this must be a mistake."

"Let's stop here for tonight, okay? It's not your fault, it's mine, I..."

"Thank you for contributing to the experiment. If needed, I can send you a $100 gift card..."

She had no idea what she was saying anymore and avoided looking at Carlo. She felt like she was losing her mind. In her frantic state, she grabbed her bag from the side table, only to have it fall, spilling its contents across the floor. She crouched to pick everything up, the pain in her backside making her gasp as she moved.

When she finally stood, she met Carlo's gaze. He was leaning casually against the sofa, arms crossed, with a smug, amused smile on his face, as though watching her clumsy escape was the night's true entertainment.

Lyla's face burned with embarrassment. Without another word, she hurried toward the door.

"See you... no, forget it. Let's never see each other again, and pretend tonight never happened."

She opened the door and rushed out, disappearing down the hallway.

Carlo remained still, watching her retreat with a slow smile spreading across his face. She was the first prey to escape him, but strangely, he didn't feel anger. Instead, he felt a rare, unexpected pleasure.

He picked up his phone and dialed.

"Hudson, I want every piece of information on that girl."

"Yes, tonight."