Emilia froze. Her legs felt like they were packed with wet cement, heavy and immovable. She stared at Clifton, who stood just a few feet away, her eyes wide with absolute, paralyzing terror.
When she didn't move—couldn't move—Clifton's jaw tightened. He slammed the crystal glass down onto the marble counter with enough force to send a crack spider-webbing up the side. The sharp, explosive sound echoed through the silent room like a gunshot.
Emilia jumped, her shoulders jerking up to her ears. A small, involuntary whimper escaped her throat. Terrified, she forced her stiff, trembling legs to move, dragging her feet across the thick carpet until she stood in the center of the living room, directly under the cold glow of a recessed light.
Clifton walked over to the black leather sofa and sat down with the casual authority of a king taking his throne. He crossed his long legs and leaned back, his dark eyes dragging over her body like a surgical scalpel, cutting through her clothes, her skin, her defenses.
He pointed a long, elegant finger at the rug beneath her feet. "Take off that ridiculous hoodie," he commanded, his tone completely devoid of human emotion.
Emilia's head snapped up. Pure rebellion and deep, burning humiliation warred in her eyes—a flash of fire against the terror. Her hands flew to the bottom of her hoodie, gripping the frayed fabric tight.
Clifton let out a dark, mocking laugh that scraped against her skin. "This is the black market, sweetheart. How can I price the merchandise if I don't inspect the body?"
The word price hit her like a physical blow to the sternum. Tears instantly flooded her eyes, blurring his cold, handsome face into a watery smear. Her hands shook violently, uncontrollably, as she reached for the zipper.
She pulled it down. The hoodie dropped to the floor with a soft thud. She stood there in a thin, worn tank top that did nothing to hide her trembling. Goosebumps erupted across her pale, exposed skin in the freezing air-conditioning.
Clifton's eyes caught the dark, finger-shaped bruises on her collarbone—marks he had left the night before. A sharp, unexpected flash of regret lanced through his chest, hot and unwelcome. He buried it instantly, crushing it down into the dark pit where he kept all his inconvenient feelings. His face remained a mask of ice.
He stood up. He walked right up to her, his massive height casting a dark, consuming shadow over her that stole the air from her lungs. He was so close she could smell the cedar and tobacco on his skin, could feel the heat radiating from his body.
Suddenly, his hand shot out. He gripped the back of her neck, his long, strong fingers wrapping around her nape with unyielding pressure. He pulled her hard against his chest, her body colliding with his solid frame.
He lowered his head, his lips hovering right next to her ear, his breath hot against her skin.
"Do you know how they extract the eggs?" he whispered, his voice a dark, intimate rumble. "They use a long, hollow needle. They shove it straight through your vaginal wall and stab it directly into your ovaries. No imaging. No guidance. Just blind stabbing."
Emilia's scalp went numb. Her face drained of all color, going gray as ash. Her stomach violently rejected the imagery, twisting into a painful, nauseating knot.
Clifton didn't stop. His grip on her neck tightened, holding her in place. "They don't use anesthesia. The pain will tear you apart from the inside. You will likely go into shock on the table before they even finish the first ovary. Your body will convulse. Your heart will race until it gives out."
He described the filthy basement conditions in brutal, clinical detail. The rusted tools. The bloodstained tables. He told her about girls who had their entire uteruses ripped out just to stop the hemorrhaging. Girls who screamed until their vocal cords tore.
Every bloody, brutal word smashed into Emilia's brain with the force of a sledgehammer. Her psychological defenses—already cracked and fragile—shattered into a million pieces.
She couldn't take it anymore. She slammed her hands against his hard chest with all her remaining strength, pushing him back a step. "Shut up!" she screamed, her voice breaking into a hysterical, ragged sob. "Shut up, shut up!"
Clifton let her go, stepping back. He looked down at her, his eyes unreadable. "Still want to sell?" he asked, each word coated in ice.
Emilia broke. Completely, utterly broke. She shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her cheeks in hot rivers. "No," she choked out, her voice cracking. "I don't. Let me out of here. Please."
She spun around and sprinted toward the entryway like a woman fleeing a burning building. She grabbed the heavy metal door handle and yanked it down with both hands.
The door didn't move. A small red light blinked steadily on the electronic lock. Bolted shut. Trapped.
Emilia slammed her fists against the heavy wood, the impacts echoing hollowly. Her fingernails scrabbled against the metal plate, making a desperate, animalistic scraping sound. A low, keening wail of pure panic escaped her throat.
Clifton walked slowly up behind her, his footsteps silent on the carpet. He watched her claw at the door like a dying animal trapped in a cage, her fingers leaving faint scratches on the wood.
"You walked in here," he said, his voice chillingly calm, almost conversational. "You don't get to leave just because you changed your mind. That's not how this world works."
Emilia turned around. Her legs gave out beneath her. She slid down the door, the wood scraping her back, until she hit the floor in a crumpled heap. She pulled her knees to her chest, buried her face in her arms, and began to wail—deep, gut-wrenching sobs that shook her entire body.
She cried for her father, who was going to be thrown onto the street to die. She cried out of pure, paralyzing fear of the man standing over her, cold and silent as a monument.
Hearing her broken, hopeless sobs, Clifton's chest tightened painfully. It felt like a physical fist was squeezing his heart, grinding it to pulp. He had only wanted to scare her away from the black market, to terrify her into self-preservation. He hadn't expected her to shatter so completely. The sound of her crying made his blood run cold with guilt.
He crouched down in front of her, bringing himself to her level. He reached his hand out, hesitating, wanting to touch her shaking shoulder.
But his hand froze in mid-air, hovering inches from her skin.
