Chapter 9

The silence in the room was deafening as Karina sat in the plush chair, the weight of Raoul’s words lingering in the air like a dark cloud. He had left her with a threat, a promise, and a sinking feeling that she was now a pawn in a game she couldn’t possibly win.

She wanted to scream, to punch something, anything to release the building pressure in her chest, but the fear of what Raoul might do stopped her. She wasn’t free to do anything—not anymore.

Her phone buzzed on the desk in front of her, and she glanced at it hesitantly. Raine’s name flashed across the screen.

With trembling hands, she picked it up, her heart racing.

“Karina?” Raine’s voice came through the speaker, sounding small, fragile. “Where are you? I don’t like this. I’m scared.”

Karina’s chest tightened. She had promised Raine that everything would be okay, but the longer she stayed in Raoul’s world, the less she believed it. She swallowed hard, trying to steady her voice.

“I’m at work,” Karina lied, keeping her tone calm. “I’m fine. I just— I’ll be home soon. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“I don’t believe you,” Raine whispered. “I know you’re hiding something.”

Karina closed her eyes, guilt clawing at her from the inside. She wanted to tell Raine the truth, to explain everything. But she couldn’t. Not yet.

“I’m sorry,” Karina said softly, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. “I’ll explain everything when I get home, okay? I promise.”

Raul’s warning echoed in her head—she belonged to him now. There was no getting out, no easy way to fix this.

“Promise me you’ll stay safe, Karina.” Raine’s voice quivered with fear.

“I will,” Karina replied, though the lie tasted bitter in her mouth.

She ended the call, setting the phone back down on the desk. She couldn’t let her sister see the cracks in her resolve. Raine needed to think she had everything under control, even though Karina felt completely and utterly powerless.

Just as she was about to stand, the door to the office opened, and Raoul stepped back in, his presence as commanding as ever.

“You’re still here,” he said, his tone almost mocking as he observed her.

Karina didn’t answer. She refused to look at him, instead focusing on the window behind him. The city stretched out below them, lights twinkling in the night like a thousand little lies.

“You’ve been quiet,” Raoul noted, stepping toward her. “What’s going on in that head of yours, Karina? You’re not as tough as you like to think you are.”

“I’m thinking about my sister,” Karina snapped, her patience wearing thin. “And what you’ve done to us.”

Raoul’s expression remained unreadable, but something flickered in his eyes. “You’re not in a position to make demands.”

“I’m not making demands,” she said, standing now and glaring up at him. “I’m asking. I don’t care about your empire. I care about my family, and I will make sure Raine is safe, even if it means dragging you through hell to do it.”

Raoul’s lips twitched into something dangerous, almost amused. “You think you can fight me, Karina? You think you can make me do what you want?”

She glared back, her voice steady despite the pounding in her chest. “I think you don’t want to see what happens when you push me too far.”

Raoul chuckled darkly, the sound vibrating in the air like the rumble of thunder before a storm. “You’re cute, Karina. Really. But you have no idea what you’re dealing with.”

He stepped closer to her, his tall form casting a long shadow over her. “You’re a pawn, nothing more. And when I’m done with you, I’ll move on to the next one.”

Karina’s heart raced, but she wasn’t going to let him see her fear. “Then why don’t you just get it over with?” she challenged, her voice sharp with defiance.

Raoul’s eyes narrowed, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. He leaned in closer, his breath brushing against her ear.

“Because I’m not done with you yet, Karina. Not by a long shot.”

The words sent a chill down her spine, but she didn’t flinch. She held her ground, her mind racing with possibilities.

Raoul stepped back and fixed his jacket, his expression cold once more. “I don’t have time for games tonight. We have work to do.”

Karina raised an eyebrow, not trusting herself to speak.

Raoul moved to the side, pulling out a folder from the desk drawer. He slapped it down in front of her, the sharp sound making her jump slightly.

“You’re going to help me with this,” he said flatly.

She looked at the folder, her pulse quickening. It was thick with paperwork—business proposals, contracts, all of it in a language she didn’t understand.

“What is this?” she asked, her voice shaky despite her best efforts to sound confident.

“Do you remember the name on the card I gave you?” Raoul asked, his eyes still on her.

Karina nodded, recalling the gold lettering: L’esattore.

“The man who collects debts,” she said, her throat dry.

Raoul smiled. “You’ll be helping me collect some debts, Karina. We don’t work for free. And neither will you.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “You want me to do your dirty work?”

“It’s not dirty work. It’s business. If you want to get out of this alive, you’ll do it.”

Karina stared at him, the weight of the decision crashing down on her. She had no choice.

Raoul leaned in, his cold gaze piercing her. “You won’t like what happens if you don’t.”

The words hung in the air like a final warning, and for the first time, Karina understood the full extent of Raoul’s reach. There was no escaping him. Not now. Not ever.