Chapter 6: Wishing to Know.
With her back turned to him, Salviana found it easier to stand, though her heart pounded in her chest. Every breath she took seemed too loud in the stillness, but she knew she had to answer him and leave—quickly. Her hands trembled as she clutched the fabric of her dress, trying to steady herself. Drawing in a deep breath, her lips parted to speak, but before she could say anything, his voice interrupted the silence again.
"Turn around," he ordered, his tone low and commanding, the weight of it making her shoulders stiffen.
"I—uh, the door—it's closed... I could—" she stuttered, attempting to explain her presence, her words faltering under the pressure of his gaze.
"Then leave," he said, but there was something almost amused in his voice as if her hesitation entertained him.
She tried to obey.
She had meant to move, to flee from the room that seemed to close in around her, but her legs refused to obey. Every muscle locked into place, her body betraying her. It wasn't just fear. She was bound by something else, something more dangerous than her own uncertainty. The silence stretched, and behind her, she could hear his slow, steady footsteps approaching. Her heart hammered as his voice slid through the air like a whispered threat.
"See? You wish to know."
Her lips parted, and her voice came out in a whisper, barely audible. "To know what?"
There was a pause, heavy and deliberate before he spoke again, his words edged with dark amusement. "What I could do to you," he said, his tone both sinister and seductively inviting, like a promise of danger wrapped in silk.