Chapter 71 Unseen Threats

• The air was thick in that room, an unseen weight pressing down upon my shoulders. I sat across from my client, Mr. Blackwell, as he outlined the next steps that would take place in our arrangement. His words were smooth, measured, but there was something underneath of it all that set my nerves on edge. Something felt off.
• "So far, you have done exceptionally well, Jasmine," he said, his eyes locked with mine. "I am impressed with the way you adapt. You certainly seem to be a good asset, and I think there is still potential here for us to take this further.
• I forced a smile onto my face, nodding enthusiastically, as if dying to hear more. But inside, a whole revolution was taking place in my mind. The inflection of his voice when he said "asset" was enough to make me feel bought and controlled. I had known our arrangement came with strings, but lately, those strings had begun to feel like chains.