Amber’s room was similar to mine, yet with differences that told me she wouldn’t be a prisoner there, not like I was.

There were no bars on her windows, for one thing, and she was told she was free to roam the house as much as she wanted. She was thrilled to see the beach, and envy cut through me like a sharp knife. Would I ever see the beach while I was there? Now, I had double the responsibility. If I was going to get out of there, I’d have to take Amber with me. I couldn’t willingly leave her behind, I loved her too much for that, and I’d never be able to forgive myself.

She was so innocent, exclaiming at everything in the room with excitement. It was hard to picture her being the same age as me. I’d changed so much in my time at the Mansion.

She couldn’t get over the room. The beautiful furnishings, the books adorning the shelves, the view… Everything was so special, so beautiful to her. I wondered how long it would take her to find out what they really did there. I hoped for her sake she would be able to retain some of her innocence.

“I’m so happy they chose me to come here,” Amber told me with a sparkle in her eye. “I was never as good as you or Carina… But now I can finally train and become so much better. I’ll make you proud of me, Harlow, you’ll see.”

I gave her a small smile as she plopped down on the bed. Ellis was running an errand, but a guard was standing outside of Amber’s room. I figured we had all kind of come together against all odds, trying to preserve this poor girl’s innocence. We didn’t want her to understand what was really going on, and we banded together to ensure she didn’t find out.

“Tell me,” I said softly. “What’s going on back at home?”

She had so much to tell me. I was thrilled to hear the stories, so happy to be transported back into the world of ballet that I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Amber noticed it too, and she scooted closer to me, taking my hand in hers.

“Is everything all right?” she asked me softly. “I’m worried about you, you know. You seem… I don’t know, so different here. Almost like you’re a different person.”

What on earth was I supposed to tell her? Of course I was a different person.

“It’s great here,” I told her with a brave smile. “You’re going to love it. I think I’m just tired, maybe I should go back to my room…”

I was hesitant to leave her, not wanting her to fall into the wrong hands. But then I realized the only person either of us should be afraid of wasn’t even there at the moment. Ellis was gone, and I knew we had some time before he came back. He would no doubt seek me out first, so he could see my reaction to him kidnapping my friend.

“I’ll be okay,” Amber reassured me with a perfect smile. Her front teeth had a gap between them, and it made my heart hurt. It made her look even more innocent, even younger than she really was. “I promise, Harlow. Please don’t worry. But come back later? I want to tell you everything that’s happened since you’ve been gone.”

I nodded with a fake smile, hoping she didn’t notice my enthusiasm was false. Finally, I decided I wasn’t doing either of us any good by just hovering over her. I needed to get some fucking answers.

I closed the door after I left and made eye contact with the guard. I’d seen him before, called him Sir like I’d been instructed to.

“Will you watch out for her?” I asked him, the lump in my throat impossible to swallow and tears suddenly welling in my eyes. “Please. Just… Make sure she’s alright and that no one touches her.”

He stared at me impassively and I let out a choked sob.

“She’s only eighteen, but she comes across much younger,” I told him desperately. “She could be your little sister…”

This seemed to move something inside him, and I saw his eyes shift, grateful that I was finally getting through to him. He gave me a small, curt nod and I moved away feeling relieved. For some unknown reason, I felt like I could trust this man. He seemed to have the same concerns I did – that Amber didn’t belong in this den of nightmares and lust. She was much too innocent.

I moved down the hallway and marched straight into my room. I was shocked to find Ellis there, sitting on my bed and grinning like the Cheshire cat. I had to fight every instinct in my body so I wouldn’t launch myself at him and scratch his fucking eyes out. I hated him for what he’d done.

“Nice little surprise?” he asked me easily, and I wished I had a weapon because in that moment, I was certain I’d be capable of killing him. “I’m so glad your friend has joined us, little one. Maybe now you won’t be so lonely.”

“I hate you,” I told him clearly. “You are the most fucked up individual I know, Ellis.”

He didn’t flinch at the mention of his name, which he only allowed me if we were playing. Instead, he got up and walked over to me. His fingers dug into my cheeks as he grabbed me, almost lifting me off the floor when he made me look at him.

“Remember your manners,” he told me pointedly, and I struggled to breathe. “You shouldn’t forget I’m your master, little one. If you overstep again, I’ll make sure you never fucking forget it.”

Malice glinted in his eyes. A kind of evil I hadn’t known he was capable of. It sent fear rushing through my bones, making my skin prickle at the thought of what he would do to me. He had barely touched me since the previous night. Hadn’t fucked my ass, or my pussy, or my mouth. I wondered when he would. I would take it, amplified a thousand times, if it meant he’d stay away from Amber.

“Why did you bring her here?” I asked him tearfully, gasping for breath. “Did you do it to mess with me? To taunt me?”

“You don’t know shit,” he told me roughly. “You think you see the whole picture, but you have no idea.”

With those words, he dropped me to the ground and I grabbed my throat, rubbing at the raw spots as I coughed and sputtered. He sat down on my bed again, as if nothing had happened at all. It was in that moment that I realized something was wrong with Ellis. He was a sociopath. Something inside him, something every human had, had broken into pieces, twisted into something unrecognizable, and he was unable to feel empathy, unable to understand how inherently wrong his actions were.

I’d only seen two people like that in my life, one of them being Ellis… and the other, Pia.

Not for the first time, I wondered whether there was something going on between the two of them. Whether there was more to the story that I didn’t know just yet.

“Please,” I begged, crawling to his feet. “You can’t let anyone touch her. Please, just… Please don’t let them.”

I didn’t say what I truly thought.

That none of the guards or the women would be sick enough to molest someone as innocent as Amber. The real worry here was Ellis. He was the one I was worried about. The one sick enough to harm Amber.

He knew as much, I could tell from the wicked glint in his eyes. He smirked as he reached down, caressing my cheek. I let him, even though it made me want to be sick. I wanted to smack his hand away, but I took his gentle touch as a good sign. Perhaps he would show her mercy. Or maybe he’d hurt her just because he knew I cared.

“I have an idea,” he spoke, and my heart fluttered at his gentle tone.

Maybe he’d found it in his heart to figure out a solution. I sat up straighter, my eyes going to him hopefully, trusting him to make the best of what was already a fucked-up situation.

“What if,” he said gently, stroking my hair, seemingly deep in thought. “We make sure nobody ever touches Amber. Would you like that, little one?”

I nodded eagerly, moving closer to him. If I needed to show him physical affection to prove to him that I was serious about Amber coming out safe, I was willing to do that. I would have done anything to ensure my friend getting out okay.

“See, we’re already getting there,” Ellis said kindly, massaging the back of my neck. “Open your mouth.”

I hesitated for a split second and he hit me across the face, hard. The slap reverberated in the room and my head spun as I attempted to steady myself. I touched my burning cheek and stared at him, unable to believe he’d really done that.

Finally, I opened my mouth. He grinned at me like I was an obedient fucking lapdog he’d just taught a new trick.

“Good girl,” he muttered, touching his fingertips to my trembling bottom lip. “Now, stick your tongue out.”

I did as he ordered, feeling out of sorts. What was he doing? Surely he wasn’t forgetting about Amber.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I haven’t forgotten about your little friend.”

A drop of saliva ran down my tongue and dripped on the floor. He chuckled at me, apparently amused by what he was making my body do, and his thumb touched my tongue, holding it between his fingers and making me open my mouth wider.

“How about this,” he went on. “How about we cut Amber’s cute little tongue out?”

I blanched, but I couldn’t shake my head. His grip on my tongue was vice-like. I shivered inwardly at his cruelty. He was a sociopath, and I was finally starting to see it. Forget the connection we’d had when he’d fucked me. It was long gone, the butterflies replaced by fear, the lust overshadowed by the anger I felt toward him.

“She could be a maid,” he went on in a sing-song voice, reminding me just how crazy he was. “We could turn her into one of those mute maids, couldn’t we, little one? She’d be safe then. No one would want to touch her.”

He laughed as if he’d just told me the joke of a lifetime, and I bristled. If I thought I hated him before, I was only now starting to realize just how deep my hatred ran. He was obsessed with making me submit to him. Using and abusing his powers to make me fall.

“Please don’t,” I tried to whisper, and he finally let go of my tongue, making me cough as he slapped my face, somewhere between pain and pleasure.

“I can’t hear you, slut,” he told me darkly. “You’re going to speak clearly.”

I looked into his eyes, and in that moment recognized him for the monster he was. I’d mistaken my own feelings. I could never feel anything positive for the bastard in front of me. I wanted to snarl, spit in his face. I wanted to fucking run. But I knew there was really only one thing I could do. Swallow the insults and pretend to be good, and meanwhile plan mine and Amber’s escape for as soon as possible. Judging by my interaction with the guard, I was confident I’d be able to find someone sympathetic to my plight.

“Please don’t,” I repeated, clearer this time around.

He grinned at me, touching his fingers to my face as he asked, “Will you be a good girl for me?”

“Of course,” I muttered, swallowing the lump in my throat once and for all. “I’ll be good, anything you want.”

“Good,” he replied with a devilish smile. “Let’s see what my little whore has learned since yesterday.”