Ryan froze. He didn't move an inch, anxiety spiking hard in his chest. His eyes stayed glued to the blurred carpet.
Alex chuckled and waved a lazy hand. "She's calling you, man. Go."
Ryan hesitated only a second longer. He assumed that if Lauren's father was giving the order, disobeying might anger Lauren. Swallowing his fear, he walked slowly over to the woman, each step heavy with reluctance.
The lady patted her lap with a sly smile. "Come here."
Ryan's stomach twisted, but he lowered himself carefully onto her lap, sitting stiffly on the edge.
The moment he was seated, she wrapped her arms around his solid frame, one hand roaming slowly over his face, tracing his jaw and cheek with possessive fingers. She praised him openly in front of Alex, her tone dripping with sweetness.
"Look at this handsome face. So cute and obedient. You've got strong shoulders too... perfect for special work. Alex, doesn't he just look like he was made to follow orders nicely?"
Alex chuckled, clearly amused. "He does have that innocent look."
Lauren remained completely quiet throughout, but her jaw was locked so tightly the muscle stood out.
Her face gradually turned a deep shade of red, anger simmering just beneath the surface of her icy control. She said nothing, but her eyes burned with barely contained fury.
The woman continued, still stroking Ryan's cheek while he sat there rigid and humiliated.
"Mind if I take this slave of yours, Lauren? You'll get plenty more. Someone who can actually work for you... there are dozens like that. I'll take him. I have very special work in mind for a boy like this."
She leaned in closer, clearly intending to kiss him, her lips moving toward his.
Lauren stood up abruptly, voice cold and sharp. "We have to go."
Ryan immediately tried to stand from the lady's lap, but the woman tightened her arms and pulled him back down with surprising strength. "Not so fast, sweetheart."
Lauren's eyes flashed red with pure rage. She stepped forward, grabbed Ryan's arm in a hard, bruising grip, and yanked him upward with forceful strength.
Ryan stumbled as he was pulled free. Without another word, Lauren dragged him toward the exit, her fingers digging painfully into his arm. She didn't look back at her father or the woman.
The moment they reached the waiting SUV outside, Lauren shoved Ryan roughly into the back seat and slammed the door shut behind him. She climbed in after, slamming her own door with controlled violence.
The driver didn't dare ask questions. The car pulled away from the Eclipse Club immediately, leaving the vault and its unwanted scene behind.
Inside the dimly lit back seat, Lauren sat rigid in the back seat, her face still flushed red with barely contained rage, jaw locked so tight it looked painful.
Ryan remained pressed against the opposite door, heart hammering, the bruise already forming on his arm from her iron grip. Neither spoke a single word.
When the SUV finally pulled into the underground garage of her mansion, Lauren stepped out without waiting and marched straight toward the private elevator that led to her personal penthouse.
Ryan followed quickly, half a step behind, his legs feeling weak. The moment they stepped inside the luxurious apartment, the heavy door clicked shut behind them, sealing them in complete privacy.
"Lock the room," Lauren ordered, her voice low and dangerously flat.
Ryan's hands trembled as he turned the deadbolt and engaged the electronic lock. The soft beep sounded final.
Lauren stood in the center of the bedroom, breathing controlled but eyes burning with fury. "Strip. Fast."
Ryan hesitated, his body freezing in place. His mouth opened slightly but no words came out.
The memory of the woman's hands on him, the way she had pulled him back onto her lap, the humiliation in front of Lauren's father... it all swirled in his head, making him slow to react.
Lauren's patience snapped.
"STRIP!" she shouted, the word cracking through the room like a whip.
Ryan flinched violently, his entire body jerking as if he had been struck. Tears gathered instantly in his wide, glassy eyes.
Lauren had never raised her voice at him like this before... not once. The sudden harshness hit him harder than any physical blow from his father ever had.
He started shaking visibly, shoulders trembling, knees threatening to buckle. Fresh tears clung to his lashes but he fought them back, blinking rapidly.
"I... I'm sorry…" he whispered, voice cracking.
He quickly removed his blazer with fumbling fingers and dropped it to the floor, then unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall.
His lean torso was exposed, giving him naturally handsome, boyish build that looked almost out of place in this moment of terror.
Lauren kicked off her own shoes and shrugged off her blazer, tossing both aside with sharp, angry movements. She stood there in her tailored trousers and crisp shirt, radiating pure dominance and cold fury.
"Don't you know what strip means?" she hissed. "Trousers too. Now."
Ryan nodded frantically, tears finally spilling over as he pushed down the trousers. They pooled at his ankles and he stepped out, now standing only in his underwear.
His hands instinctively moved to cover himself, but he forced them back to his sides.
He was shaking harder now, the visible tremors running through his arms and legs, his cute, innocent face flushed with shame and fear. His eyes were glassy, breath coming in short, uneven bursts.
Lauren turned sharply and walked to the far wall. She pressed a hidden panel that looked like ordinary wood paneling.
A section of the wall slid open silently, revealing a massive hidden cupboard filled with every kind of BDSM implement imaginable... leather cuffs, ropes, paddles, floggers, canes, and more.
Ryan had no idea what any of it was called. To him they just looked like strange, terrifying tools. His stomach dropped.
Deep down he knew one thing for certain: whatever was coming was not going to be good.
Lauren reached in and pulled out a long, black leather whip. She tested its weight in her gloved hand, the movement deliberate and menacing. The whip uncoiled slightly, the tip brushing the floor with a soft hiss.
Ryan stood perfectly still now, eyes fixed on the whip, body shaking uncontrollably. Tears streamed silently down his cheeks, but he didn't sob out loud.
He was too afraid to make a sound. His handsome, baby-faced features were twisted with raw fear and confusion. He had no idea what the whip was for exactly, but the sight of it in Lauren's angry grip told him everything he needed to know.
Lauren turned back to face him, whip in hand, her expression ice-cold and merciless.
The extreme contrast was overwhelming, the ruthless mafia queen, still dressed in her powerful suit, holding a weapon of pain, while the soft, vulnerable, shirtless boy stood before her in nothing but underwear, shaking like a leaf, tears falling freely, completely at her mercy.
She took one slow step toward him, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"You let that bitch touch what belongs to me."