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“Then how do I break it?” Zinnia said, not looking at the Mouth-Bearer.

“You don’t.” Straightening, I crossed my arms. “You change the terms.”

“How?”

“By giving the House something it can’t file.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”

“It means the House records everything. Every promise. Every witnessed act. Every moment of consent or coercion or desire. It turns those records into evidence, and it uses that evidence to prove ownership.” Gesturing to the shelves around us, I kept my voice low. “But the House can’t record something that doesn’t fit its categories. It can’t file a gift that contains no demand. It can’t claim someone who offers something freely and then walks away.”

The Mouth-Bearer moved closer, the second mouth opening wider. It spoke in a voice I recognized—Claire Ashford’s voice, the woman Rook had failed to save. “I agree to everything.”

Zinnia flinched. “What the fuck is that?”

“The House’s favorite trick.” Crossing to the Mouth-Bearer, I grabbed it by the throat and shoved it back toward the door. “It collects confessions and agreements from everyone who’s ever passed through here. Then it stitches them together to manufacture consent. Claire Ashford never agreed to everything. She agreed to specific terms. But the House recorded her saying ‘I agree’ and ‘everything’ in separate conversations, then spliced them together to create a contract she never made.”

“That’s—”

“Evil?” I released the Mouth-Bearer and watched it retreat into the shadows. “Yeah. That’s the point. The House doesn’t need you to actually agree. It just needs to prove you agreed. And it’s very good at making evidence.”

Zinnia stared at the contracts on the table, her face pale. “Then how do I stop it?”

“Give it something it can’t use.” Stepping closer, I let my gaze travel down her body. “Something that proves you’re not afraid of it. Something that proves you’re not asking for anything in return.”

Her breath hitched. “What are you suggesting?”

“I’m suggesting you let me fuck you.” The words came out smooth, deliberate, exactly the kind of filthy proposition that made guests blush and the House lean in. “Right here. In the archives. Where every contract and every photograph and every recorded confession can watch.”

“Why the fuck would I do that?”

“Because the House is listening right now. It’s waiting to see if you’ll make another promise. Another bargain. Another desperate plea for help.” Reaching out, I traced one finger along her jaw. “But if you fuck me because you want to, not because you’re trading it for something, the House won’t know how to record it.”

The Grinner emerged from the shadows again, this time speaking in my voice. “She wants to fuck me.”

Zinnia’s eyes widened. “That’s not what you said.”

“No, it’s not.” Grabbing the Grinner by the face, I slammed it against the nearest shelf. Its painted smile cracked, and black liquid oozed from the fracture. “But that’s what the House will record if we’re not careful. The Grinners imitate what they hear and change just enough to turn a suggestion into a command. A choice into a demand.”

“Fuck. This place is insane. You’re insane.”

“I’m the Madman. It’s in the job description.” Leaning closer, I let my mouth brush against her ear. “But I’m also the only person in this building who’s been falsifying records for twenty years. I know how the House thinks. I know what it can and can’t claim. And I know that if you give me something freely, without asking for Dahlia or Malachi or a way out, the House will try to file it and fail.”

“And if it doesn’t fail?”

“Then we’re both fucked.” Pulling back, I met her gaze. “But at least we’ll go down fighting.”

Zinnia stared at me, her chest rising and falling, her eyes searching mine for some sign that I was lying.

She wouldn’t find one.

Because I wasn’t lying.

I was offering her the only weapon the House couldn’t take away.

“What are the terms?” she said finally.

“There are no terms, sweet girl.” Stepping back, I gestured to the table. “You fuck me because the alternative is worse. Because you’re curious. Because you want to see if I’m lying about the loophole. I don’t care which reason you pick, as long as you don’t ask me for anything.”