Then his voice dropped, quieter—but heavier.
“Then test it,” he said. “Step out of this office without agreeing and find out exactly why no one says no to me.”
The words struck harder than I expected.
For a moment, my thoughts drifted—Zara.
If I walked away from this, if I truly defied him... he would not simply let it end here. Men like him did not treat consequences as threats. They delivered them.
And people close to me would not remain untouched.
My throat went dry.
I hated that the thought had weight.
I hated more that he likely knew it.
My fingers hovered above the paper again.
Not because I agreed.
Because I was calculating what it would cost not to.
Then—
I slid my hand downward, slower now, searching.
There.
The faint shift in texture near the bottom right.
The signature line.
I paused.
The pen rested between my fingers, suddenly heavier than it had any right to be.
This wasn’t just a reassignment. This was a decision.
One that would pull me deeper into his world.
Closer.
Exactly as he wanted.
I lifted my head slightly, turning toward where I sensed him sitting behind the desk. I didn’t know what I expected—confirmation, instruction, maybe even interruption.
But he said nothing.
The silence felt deliberate.
Like a test.
My lips pressed together briefly.
Fine.
If he wanted to see whether I would hesitate—
