Chapter 2 — The Offer 2  

EVA

I didn't sleep all night.

I replayed every second of that evening, every word, every glance. The intensity of their eyes. The brush of their fingers on my bare skin. The indecency of their proposal.

Three million!

Three million euros for… that.

I should be outraged, offended. Even disgusted.  

But this morning, I feel none of that.  

Just a confusing warmth. A slow vertigo that clings to my skin. A dull tension in the pit of my stomach.

And this inexplicable desire to go back.  

Not for the money.  

For them.

The driver meets me at the address they gave me. He opens the door of a black sedan, silent, impeccable. I get in, without a word. The leather smells of luxury and danger. The windows are tinted, the outside world fades away. Only my reflection remains, pale, tense, eyes averted. The ride is short. Too short. My heart pounds at my temples.

The building is Haussmannian, immense, adorned with ancient sculptures and wrought-iron balconies. It looks like a theater set. A housekeeper is already waiting for me, dressed in black, impeccably tailored. Her eyes don’t judge me, but her silence weighs heavy. She gestures for me to go up. The elevator is out of order, of course. I climb the marble steps one by one, as if I were about to be judged.

My breath is uneven. My legs ache. I’m angry with myself. And at the same time… fascinated.

When the housekeeper opens the door, I’m drawn in by the light.

An immense living room. Bay windows letting in golden sunlight. Contemporary artworks on the walls, a grand piano in one corner. And them.

Sasha.  

Niko.  

Sitting side by side on a black leather sofa. Motionless. With an almost disturbing calm.

They are even more beautiful than I remember.

Sasha wears a white shirt, half-unbuttoned, revealing a torso that is both delicate and muscular. His gaze is almost soft, but icy beneath the surface. Niko, on the other hand, is all controlled tension. Dark suit, loosened tie. He looks at me as if he could already read me.

— Eva, Sasha says in a low voice.  

— Sit down.

I comply, almost reluctantly. My dress is too short. My bare legs brush against the cold leather. I feel as if I’m already half-offered.  

Maybe that’s what they expect.

Niko tilts his head slightly, his eyes never leaving mine.

— You came, he murmurs. So you didn’t say no.

I cross my arms, more to protect myself than to protest.

— I came… to understand.

They exchange a glance. As if they were expecting my response.  

As if I had already crossed the first line.

— What we’re offering you, Sasha says in a calm voice, is not a simple transaction.  

He leans in slightly.  

— It’s an initiation. A pact. A door you can choose to open. Or not.

— An initiation to what? I whisper.

Niko smiles, without joy.

— To what you don’t even dare to admit to yourself.

He lets a silence linger. My heart beats too fast.

— It’s not about sex, he continues. Or not just that. It’s about… power. Letting go. Surrendering. Trust.  

He approaches slowly until his knees brush against mine.  

— And obedience.

I freeze.

Sasha stands up, walks around the sofa. He moves slowly, like a predator. He passes behind me, his scent enveloping me. His fingers brush my neck, caress my shoulders, descend to the base of my spine.

— We don’t want to take anything from you, he whispers.  

His voice is a breath against my skin.  

— But if you give us something… it will be whole.  

A pause.  

— And we will take you far away. Very far from what you know.

I close my eyes for a second.

I should leave. I know I should leave.  

But instead, I ask:

— I have to say that I’m quite hesitant.

Niko smiles, almost amused.

— Then you’re free. There will be no anger or vengeance. Just… forgetting.

He stands up as well. His silhouette looms over me. He’s close now. Too close. My breath catches.

— But if you say yes… then you must give everything. Not just your body. Your will. Your gaze. Your words. Your deepest pain. Your most unconfessed desires.

Sasha kneels before me. His hands brush my knees. His mouth approaches my ear.

— Say yes, Eva. Not for the money. But for yourself.

A shiver runs through me.

I open my eyes again. They are both there, staring at me. Two burning gazes. Two promises of surrender. Of loss. Of transformation.

And I feel that insane thing rising within me.

Not fear.  

Not shame.  

Desire.

I swallow hard.

— I want to know exactly what you expect from me… 

Sasha smiles.  

Niko reaches out his hand to me.  

And I understand that the interview… is just beginning.