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The room was quiet again, but it was the kind of quiet that made your skin crawl — the calm before something terrible. Mia sat against the wall, her heart still racing from the girl's warning. Her mind churned with thoughts of escape, but each time she imagined the door opening, she also saw Luca's cold, dead eyes.
She didn't realize how close danger already was.
The faint jingle of metal echoed outside the door. It was subtle, almost easy to miss — but then came the slow, deliberate sound of boots approaching. Heavy boots. The kind that made the ground vibrate ever so slightly with each step.
The lock turned.
The door creaked open.
Luca stepped inside.
He didn't storm in. He didn't yell. He just stood there, his eyes sweeping over the room like a predator sizing up prey. There was something in the way his gaze lingered on Mia that made her blood run cold.
"I heard something," he said casually, his voice almost too calm. "Something about… running."
The silence was suffocating.
Mia's throat tightened. She could feel the other girl staring at the floor, her body tense.
Luca's eyes narrowed. "Who said it?"
No one answered.
In two strides, he was standing in front of the nearest girl. He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head back, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Was it you?"
She shook her head violently, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Luca released her suddenly, letting her drop to the floor. He turned slowly, his gaze drifting from one face to another until it landed on Mia.
"You," he said, his voice low but dangerous. "Stand up."
Mia's legs felt like lead. She didn't move.
"I said…" His tone sharpened like a blade. "…stand."
Her body obeyed before her mind did. She pushed herself up, wobbling, her knees threatening to give out.
Luca stepped closer, his face only inches from hers. "You thinking about leaving me?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper.
Mia shook her head, her breath coming in shaky bursts.
"Lying," he muttered.
Before she could speak, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward the center of the room. The other girls shrank back, their eyes wide.
"Bring me the chair," he ordered one of his men.
A battered metal chair was dragged across the floor with a screech. Luca shoved Mia down into it, then drew his knife. The cold steel glinted under the dim light as he began to circle her like a wolf.
"You see, I don't like liars," he said, his voice calm and steady — too steady. "And I don't like people who think they can walk out of my world. So we're going to teach you… and everyone here… what happens when you try."
He stopped behind her. She could feel his breath against her ear.
"Maybe I should start by taking something from you."
Her breath hitched. "Please—"
Her plea was cut short by the sound of a gun cocking. Luca moved to her side, pressing the barrel against her thigh.
"You scream, I shoot," he said flatly. "You stay quiet, maybe I let you keep your leg."
The room was dead silent. Even the other girls seemed to stop breathing.
Luca's finger twitched on the trigger — then he suddenly swung the gun toward the girl who had warned Mia earlier.
"You," he said coldly. "Tell me… did you tell her not to run?"
The girl froze, her lips trembling.
Luca's voice hardened. "Answer me… or she dies."
Mia's chest tightened, panic surging through her veins.
The girl swallowed, her voice barely above a whisper. "…Yes."
Luca smiled faintly, but it was the kind of smile that meant nothing good. He turned back to Mia, then to his men.
"Hold her."
Two men grabbed the warning girl and dragged her forward. Luca holstered his gun and drew the blowtorch from earlier. The hiss of the flame filled the room.
Mia's stomach twisted as she realized what was about to happen.
"This is what mercy gets you in my world," Luca said, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.
The flame moved closer. The girl screamed.
And Mia understood… there was no safe choice here. No safe words. No safe silence.
Only Luca's rules.
And Luca's rules were written in blood.
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