Elena's hands shook violently, making the chain that forced her arms backwards jingle annoyingly. James grinned.
"Glad you understand how things work, girl."
She tries not to spit in the billionaire's face, pursing her lips before glaring at them once more.
"What do you want me to do?" Elena asks, trying to control the tremor in her voice.
James approaches her, and Evan puts away his pocketknife. The tension in the room is palpable.
The two men look at each other once more, as if they are having a mental conversation. Finally, the conclusion comes. They would be straightforward in their proposal.
James's response comes in a low, calculated tone:
"We have enemies, people who want to bring us down. We need someone like you, with your journalistic skills and your determination, to help protect us and make sure our secrets stay buried."
"So you want me to be a spy?"
The man with honey-blond hair clarifies:
"Spies are expensive and skilled. I highly doubt you can unlock a door with a pin, or handle a gun. What we want is for you to tell them exactly what everyone inside your dirty little newspaper knows."
"You will do to them exactly what you tried to do here. And for you to see how willing we are to have that information, we'll even provide fake news for you to take to your paper. You know, so that you gain more credibility."
Elena's lips are dry as she tries to argue:
"But... If you give me fake news, I will become popular because of lies. That's the biggest affront you can do to a journalist."
"That's not our problem, dear," says James. "And after all, wasn't it you who told us you'd do whatever we wanted?"
"Yes, but-"
"No 'but', dear. It's your life that's being negotiated here."
The girl's eyes fill with tears. "Before you answer, however, we believe we can offer you something more."
Confused, the girl just waits for what they have to say.
A truly sadistic grin takes over both their faces, but it is in Evan that the sick, lust-filled glow lingers longest. And it is also he who asks in a whispering tone:
"Tell me: what did you know about us before you came here?"
She looks down and answers truthfully:
"I knew that many millionaires and billionaires came here to meet. That there was a strong suspicion of illegal schemes, links with the mafia, political corruption... A lot."
"And they sent you into this nest of snakes, of all people who could come? Maybe a policeman? A whole team?"
"I volunteered."
They both make an expression of genuine surprise. Elena continues:
"I've been working in that place for almost five years and no one even looks at me. I wanted to make a difference in the newsroom; I wanted to be noticed, recognized. But... But I'm here."
James crosses his arms and lets out a wry laugh.
"What a defeatist speech, young lady. You just hit the jackpot!"
"Yes, I'm lucky to be alive and thank you for sparing me," she mutters, totally dejected.
"Not only alive, but you'll get a promotion at work and have direct contact with the Black Wolves."
"Black Wolves?"
Evan rolls his eyes.
"Yes. Me and James."
"You're the leaders of all this, aren't you?"
Their silence is confirmation enough. Elena just sighs and looks down again.
"The added bonus, dear, is that since you will be working directly for us, you will be extremely closely watched and controlled. We will need to know exactly where you are and what you are doing."
Before the woman can say anything, James continues:
"This means there will be a radical change in your life. Everything must change, and that includes your address, the places you go, your dress."
"But... I don't understand."
"Then allow me to be clear. What is your name, girl?"
"Elena."
They both repeat in unison, as if the whole thing were some kind of bizarre ritual:
"Elena..."
The girl frowns. Evan speaks again;
"Elena, you will belong to us. Your life, your existence, your body... All of it will be ours."
The way he says it, the certainty in every word...
"I still don't understand what they mean," she replies, looking from one to the other.
Evan slowly approaches Elena, his eyes scanning her every detail with a hungry gaze. She feels a shiver run down her spine, a sense of unease taking over her body. The billionaire's sadistic smile widens as he continues to speak, his voice now even more charged with lust and domination.
"Dear Elena, you will be our submissive. You will give yourself completely to us, obeying every command we give you. Your body will be our playground, and we will do with it as we please."
Elena's eyes widen in shock and horror.
"You are insane! This is unacceptable! I am not an object you can control!" she protests, trying to resist the terrifying idea before her.
James laughs.
"You have no choice, dear. You're already cornered, and now you must decide whether you want to do this the hard way or whether you'd rather be a good girl and cooperate."
"That's disgusting! You are monsters!" exclaims Elena, with tears of indignation in her eyes.
"Monsters? Perhaps. But we are the monsters who run this world, and you have no choice but to bow down to us," James says with a cold, implacable stare.
Evan steps even closer, touching Elena's face with a predatory expression.
"You have no idea what you're missing, darling. This will be a unique and pleasurable experience for all of us. Don't you realize what we're offering? Tonight you would be nothing more than a mere dead corpse, lying in a place so dark that not even the sunlight could reach you. But now... Now you have everything. Everything you want at a simple reach."
Elena feels a mixture of fear and disgust, but she also realizes that she is faced with an impossible choice. If she refuses, they could kill her right there, or hold her captive indefinitely.
And if she agrees, her life will be completely in the hands of these predators.
She closes her eyes for a moment, struggling with herself, but she knows she has no choice.
Survival is a basic need, and she will do whatever it takes to survive.
"Okay," she murmurs, her voice shaky. "I... I'll cooperate."
James's deep yet husky voice is filled with pride and happiness.
"A wise decision."
A sharp hiss sounds in the room as James purses his lips. It was a signal.
Seconds later, Valentina reemerges from wherever she was. She was probably aware of the whole conversation, but was not allowed to participate.
"Bring the documents now. Change of plans," Evan orders.
Meanwhile, the dark-haired man turns around and starts removing the chains that bind Elena's arms. As soon as he's done, she can't hold back the relief of feeling her limbs free again, moaning.
"What a beautiful sound, Elena," he says in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "I wonder what else I'll be able to do with you when all this is finally settled."
Valentina returns with a clipboard and pen in one hand.
Evan and James, still standing, smile at her.
Elena says nothing, just continues to stare at them, utterly defeated... and curious.
It is the blue-eyed billionaire who says then:
"Let's draw up your contract, our little pet."
The surrounding music is intoxicating. Colored lights dance on the ceiling and floor, spreading across the walls and the dancing bodies of those present. Men and women, dressed in lavish and voluptuous attire, fill the room. Elena, doing her best to remain unnoticed, can't help but stare at everydetail of the place. That very day, she had been tasked with covering what could be the biggest scoop of her life; the news that would radically change her career and finally put her in the journalism spotlight. The high-heeled shoes cramped her feet; the neck jewelry and unnecessarily ostentatious earrings bothered the sensitive skin of her ears terribly, but she had nothing left to lose. Her triumph was undeniably near. Still walkingat a slow pace, gazing at the splendid sight that this place showed her, Elena noticed that many of the corridors were dark. Paying more attention, some of them led to rooms; strictly secretive rooms. She tried, but failed to stop the smile that crept across h
Breathing heavily and terrified, Elena could barely comprehend what was happening. Still on the ground, she attempted to get up, but she was firmly held by the throat."Sponsored exclusively by Stuart Álvarez, aren't you?" the man with honey-colored hair asked sarcastically."You've gone quite far, we have to admit," Valentina commented. "But your sources, good as they may be, aren't exactly perfect."Elena heard the door closing with a faint thud. The lights came on.It wasn't a common room. It wasn't even an office. Instead of conventional light bulbs, the entire room was illuminated by a dim purple light. Instead of chairs and desks, there was a massive bed right in the center. On the walls, there was some sort of rack with what appeared to be chains.The journalist didn't have time to ask questions or even understand where she was."Get this wretch on her feet, Evan," the dark-haired man ordered.Evan roughly lifted her from the floor, still holding her tightly by the throat."Loo
With blurred vision and a weakened body, Elena struggles to move, but cannot.Her senses seem distant and her legs refuse to obey her brain's commands. The loud sound of music echoes in her ears, mingling with the mocking laughter of the two sadistic men watching her."No..." she stammers, desperately trying to resist the sedation taking hold of her body.James and Evan approach her again, with satisfied smiles on their faces. Valentina joins them with a small gun in her hands, watching the scene with pleasure. The journalist was struggling to keep her eyes open and focused, but her body was quickly giving in to the action of the tranquilizer.The cold ground in contact with her skin was nothing compared to the icy tone of the dark-haired man's voice."It's a shame you've decided to do this the hard way," says James, watching the fallen woman. "But anyway, you already knew you wouldn't get out of here alive, didn't you?"Elena barely feels the strong, rough fingers of the two men hold