“We need to talk about what happened…Sit.”
I sit in the chair across from him.
He studies my face for a long moment, then nods slightly.
“You can’t escape this. Running is not allowed. Opening unauthorized doors is not allowed. Approaching exits is not allowed.”
His tone is slow and stern, each line delivered with the patience of someone lecturing a stubborn child.
“What happened tonight should make that very fucking clear.”
I clench my hands in my lap. “You told me I’d be safe.”
He lifts his gaze to mine.
“I said the Manor is safe,” he chuckles. “No one in and no one out.”
My stomach drops.
He continues. “The woman you saw tonight broke three rules. The Manor responded. It will respond the same way every damn time.”
My jaw tightens. “What did she do?”
Elliot tilts his head slightly. “She made a choice. Choices have consequences here.”
I swallow hard. My hands tremble again.
He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “If you attempt to run again, or break the rules, the result will be worse.”
Knox lets out a soft laugh. Sophie smiles. Asher shifts his weight, watching me closely.
My heart pounds, but I force the words out anyway. “I don’t know the rules.”
“I’ll tell you now,” Elliot says.
I hold his stare.
He stands slowly, pushing off the desk with both hands. His posture shifts, and the room feels smaller as he steps in front of me.
“There are three rules,” he continues.
Elliot raises one finger. “You do not try to escape.”
A second. “You follow the instructions you are given, exactly as they are given.”
A third. “And you do not try to fight us. Ever.”
His eyes stay on mine. His voice stays calm, which makes it worse.
“You break any of those,” Elliot adds, “and the response will be immediate. You saw the first example tonight. That wasn’t even the harshest outcome we have.”
A tremor runs through me.
He leans down just enough that I have to look up at him. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I nod.
“Use your words, Brooke.”
