Chapter 6:Bait

I wanted to call Clara or Ethan for help, but I didn't want to disturb them. They had problems of their own, and for once I needed to handle something by myself. If Gerald planned to play games with me, he would get exactly what he deserved.

I stopped in front of room 442 and knocked.

The door opened almost immediately. Gerald, stood there in a black coat, looking far too pleased with himself. He stepped aside and gestured for me to enter, but I stayed where I was.

"Come in," he said.

"I didn't come here to play games," I replied, holding my voice steady. "Just give me what I came for."

"Not if you stay out there. I can't hand you the briefcase in the corridor." He smiled. "I mean no harm, Emilia."

I didn't believe him for a second, but I walked in anyway.

Behind me, the lock clicked, and the sound ran down my spine like cold water. When I looked at him again, his expression had changed. His eyes crawled over me, slow and hungry, and I understood exactly what he had wanted all along.

I gave him the same look back.

"Come here and give me some pleasure."

Fine, I thought. Let's see who breaks first.

"Don't worry," I said softly, stepping closer. "I've always liked you." I reached up and straightened his tie, smoothing it against his chest. "But I'd really like to wear something nice for you, and unfortunately I have nothing here."

My sweet tone worked better than I had expected. His smile widened, and he hurried across the room like a boy who had just been handed a gift. He returned with a box and pressed it into my hands.

When I lifted the lid, I nearly burst out laughing.

It was filled with lingerie in every color, silk ties, soft floggers and a pair of handcuffs. He had prepared all of it in advance. He had been so certain.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my face straight. "Darling, I don't think we should do this," I said, testing him. "You know I've only just gotten divorced, don't you?"

"It's nothing," he said with a dismissive wave. "Let's forget about Rui."

That was when I realized there was nothing I could say that would change his mind. He had already decided I was his, and he truly believed I had agreed to sleep with him. The arrogance of it almost impressed me.

"Give me a few minutes," I said, and carried the box into the restroom.

The costume was red silk layered with black net. I slipped into it and stopped in front of the mirror.

The woman looking back at me was a stranger. I had lost so much weight. I used to be full and curvy, confident in my own skin, but now my collarbones stood out and my eyes looked dull and tired.

I had stopped caring for my body because of Rui, because I had spent years shrinking myself to fit into his life. Now I was the one left carrying the blame alone.

"Oh, no..." I breathed out, gripping the edge of the sink.

"Emilia!" Gerald's voice shattered the silence. "Why are you still standing in there? Don't you want your money back?"

I straightened my shoulders and let out a short, cold laugh. There it is. The real reason.

"Yes, darling," I called. "I'm just getting ready."

I took one last look at myself. The tired woman in the mirror was gone. In her place stood someone who had made a decision.

When I stepped out of the restroom, Gerald was already waiting. He had taken off his coat, and in his hands was a briefcase filled to the top with dollar bills. He held it out like bait.

"I'll give you all of it," he said, "if you treat me well."

I smiled at him. "Of course I will. But you should put that away for now. When I'm done with you, you'll be sending me even more."

He laughed and set the briefcase on the table. "Sure. And wow, that dress looks good on you." His eyes moved over every inch of me, and he didn't bother to hide it.

I picked up one of the soft floggers from the box and let it fall lightly across his shoulder.

His breath caught, and I could see the hunger sharpen in his gaze. I stepped forward until he sat back on the edge of the bed, then settled onto his lap.

"You want this, don't you?" I whispered.

"Yes..." he groaned, almost shouting it.

"Good."

With my free hand, I reached into the box and slowly lifted out the handcuffs. They glinted under the light. I turned them in my fingers, still smiling, and let him watch.

"You're going to beg me to stop," I said.

"Yes, yes..." He didn't even hear what he was agreeing to.

He let me guide his arms to the side of the table, thinking it was part of the game. The first cuff closed around his wrist. The second followed, locked firmly to the table's frame. I tested the metal with a quiet tug. It held.

Only then did I stand up. I smoothed the silk against my hips and let out a long breath, feeling something loosen in my chest.

For the first time in months, I felt like myself again.

Gerald frowned and gave the cuffs a rattle. "Emilia, unlock me. We can continue the foreplay without these."

I picked up the briefcase of dollars from the table, weighed it in my hands, and looked at him.

"I don't think so," I said.