Cane tilted his head slightly, his expression almost amused. 

“Theo’s really mad at that maid. She helped you escape.”

“She didn’t help me escape!” I protested, my voice rising in exasperation. “I threatened her. If she didn’t help…!” 

“Doctor.”

Cane interrupted, his voice calm but filled with condescension. He stroked my cheek gently, his brow slightly furrowed as if in mock sympathy.

“You seem to be in a rather desperate situation.” 

His eyes bored into mine as his hand lingered on my face.

“You’ve lost all composure. Begging me, crying… and you expect me to believe that?”

He laughed, a cruel, mocking sound that made my chest tighten with rage. But no matter how much anger I felt, there was nothing I could do. Helplessness washed over me like a wave, swallowing all resistance.

With a casual gesture, Cane signaled to the men and they immediately grabbed Mio and dragged her away. My heart sank as I realized we weren’t heading towards the mansion but to the back of the mansion. The unfamiliar direction filled me with dread.

I had no idea what lay beyond the mansion – only that beyond it stretched an endless forest, dark and foreboding. Terrible thoughts swirled through my mind, my heart racing so fast I could barely breathe. Panicking, I clung to Cane’s arm, shaking it desperately.

“Please… Cane…!”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he tightened his grip on my wrist and began to drag me towards the mansion. I tried to resist, but my weakened body was no match for his strength. In a wave of desperation, I screamed and struck at him, my hands flailing wildly.

And then one of my blows landed hard on Cane’s cheek. His head snapped to the side with the force of the blow, the sound of the impact sharp in the tense air.

The weight of the blow echoing through my fist sent a shiver down my spine. Cane paused for a moment, then slowly turned to face me, his expression devoid of emotion. As his cold gaze locked onto mine, I felt the grip of fear tighten around me.

He released my wrist and walked towards Mio without a word.

“Stop.”

The men dragging Mio stopped immediately. Realizing what was about to happen, I screamed and ran towards them, my heart pounding in my chest. But before I could reach them, Cane raised his hand and struck Mio’s cheek with a brutal sound.

The sound cut through the night air like a knife – far more violent than the blow I had given him. Mio crumpled to the ground and I screamed in pain, tears blurring my vision as I rushed towards her.

Before I could reach her, Cane grabbed me and pulled me to my feet with alarming force. My body recoiled, helpless under his control, my heart breaking at the sight of Mio lying there.

Mio clutched her cheek, unable to lift her head, her delicate shoulders shaking pathetically. I was on the verge of losing my mind, flailing helplessly against Cane’s grip as I screamed.

“Doctor, Doctor!”

He growled, shaking my arms while keeping his voice dangerously low.

“Do you want this maid to be beaten again?”

I instantly froze. Cane’s twisted grin made my heart race as if he were ready to push me aside and hit Mio again. My screams turned to silent sobs and tears continued to fall uncontrollably down my face.

“Don’t cry. I don’t want to lose my mind and rip Mio’s eyes out, do I?”

Cane’s chilling words made my stomach churn. His eyes were cold, and merciless, even as he called out “Mio” in a mockingly affectionate tone. I felt dizzy, my vision blurred with unshed tears, but I forced myself not to cry. I bit my lip and held my breath, determined to remain silent.

Satisfied with my compliance, Cane pulled me towards the mansion. As I was being dragged away, I looked back at Mio. The men were leading her to the back of the mansion, disappearing into the shadows. A dull headache began to throb at my temples.

The mansion loomed up, as beautiful and grand as ever. But it was this very beauty that made me feel more disoriented, more trapped. The contrast between the grandeur of my surroundings and the sickening reality of my situation twisted my insides into painful knots. Everything that trapped me was draped in beauty, and this contradiction made it all the more unbearable.

Cane didn’t slow down as we crossed the hall and I quickly realized where he was taking me. The stairs to the basement loomed ahead, its dark entrance like the gaping mouth of some beast. Nearby, Brian’s abstract painting of the mansion’s garden shimmered with strange colors, its surreal beauty washing over me like an oppressive weight.

Fear tightened around me with every step we took down the stairs. One step, then two, and with the third my body gave out. My vision blurred as I lost consciousness and collapsed. I barely registered the sensation of Cane’s strong hand gripping my back, steadying me as darkness completely enveloped me.

***

It felt as if I had been underwater and was now slowly coming to the surface. As I began to regain my senses, I opened my eyes to the sight of the grey ceiling above me. It was as if I had just woken from a long, hazy dream.

The familiar scent of fabric softener hung in the air. White sheets, the soft glow of a household lamp warming the dim room, the sink, and the bathroom – everything was painfully familiar. I realized I was back in the basement, the same room where I had been held captive for over 20 days.

My chest felt tight, making it hard to breathe. I punched it several times, trying to loosen the suffocating grip around my heart.

It was as if the time on the first floor – meeting Mio, escaping – had been nothing more than a fleeting dream. A cruel illusion my mind had conjured up just to bring me back to this grim reality. The familiar surroundings of the basement reminded me too much of the day I was kidnapped as if everything that had happened was just a figment of my imagination.

The clock, the wardrobe, the books, and all the things Noel had brought me had been neatly removed. I was alone in the empty room.

“Ha… Ha…”

Nausea hit me hard and my stomach churned. As I tried to sit up, the bed creaked heavily around me. My wrists were free, but as I reached for my neck I felt the rough sensation of a tightly fastened leather collar. A wave of fear washed over me as I realized my clothes were gone.

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom, grabbing the toilet as I gagged, but nothing came out but clear bile. My empty stomach twisted painfully and I continued to dry heave, each convulsion making me weaker.

After what seemed an eternity I finally managed to sit up and my eyes were drawn to the mirror on the wall. Staring back at me was a n*ked woman I barely recognized. A thick black collar was tightly fastened around her neck, and although the silver chain attached to it wasn’t heavy, it felt solid and unnatural, a grotesque reminder of my captivity.

My body was covered in a patchwork of bruises – angry, ugly marks left by both Theo and Cane.

This was no way to treat a human being. Cane had reduced me to nothing more than a s*x slave. I cowered in the corner of the bathroom, consumed by despair and pain. The memory of Mio being beaten by Cane flashed through my mind, causing my heart to ache deeply. I had lost the will and strength to come up with any kind of escape plan. I was completely exhausted.

But somewhere deep inside me, anger and resentment were simmering. After sobbing for a long time, I suddenly remembered something Mio had told me – that the mirror was a camera.

Uncurling my cramped body, I stared into the bathroom mirror, hostility flaring up inside me. My eyes darted around the room and spotted the chair Cane often sat in. I grabbed it and, with a surge of anger, lifted it high above my head. With all the strength I could muster, I smashed the chair into the mirror. Cracks scattered across the surface like a spider’s web. Fueled by rage, I hit it again and again until shards of glass rained down on the floor and scattered everywhere.

I dragged the chair out and threw it at the round mirror above the sink. With each blow, shards of glass exploded onto the floor, and a few sharp pieces grazed my legs, stinging painfully. But I didn’t stop. I smashed the mirror until it was in pieces, then threw the chair aside, overwhelmed by a flood of emotions.

I buried myself under the sheets, covering my n*ked body as if the thin fabric could shield me from the agony I felt. Even though the air wasn’t cold, an icy chill ran through me. I curled up tightly, trying to find some sense of security in the small, enclosed space of the bed.

A mixture of fear and fleeting relief washed over me. I had rebelled, but all I had achieved was the destruction of a mirror – so insignificant compared to the pain I was trapped in. And now I was consumed with fear for Mio. What if this act of defiance caused her more harm?

The weight of helplessness crushed me again and before I knew it, tears began to flow. I sobbed softly, my body shaking under the sheets, feeling both lost and terrified of what was to come.

***

I must have dozed off anyway. The fact that I could sleep amid such chaos surprised me. It was as if my mind was trying to retreat, to escape the harsh reality around me.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Cane sitting on the edge of my bed, his broad back turned towards me. A wave of anger and hatred washed over me at the sight of him.

“Are you awake?”

He asked, turning to look at me with that same disturbing smile as if he had known all along that I was conscious.

It suddenly hit me – I had smashed both the bathroom mirror and the one above the sink. But now everything was tidy. The room was as clean as if nothing had happened. I felt dazed and realized that I had slept much deeper than I thought.

“Why did you break the chair? Now it has a scratch.”

Cane remarked, his voice carrying a note of mild annoyance. He didn’t seem to care about the mirrors at all. His focus was on the chair, on the insignificant scratch it now bore. It was a disturbing reminder that he wasn’t in a normal state of mind, that his sense of what was important was completely distorted.

“Please, let Mio go.”

I begged, my voice shaking but determined.

Cane looked at me, his expression cold and unfeeling. “No,” he said calmly. “Since you broke two cameras and damaged a chair, I think we should cut off three of Mio’s fingers.”

“You bastard!”

I shouted, lunging at him in a blind rage. But Cane was faster, expertly grabbing both my wrists and pinning me to the bed. He climbed on top of me, effortlessly restraining my struggling body.

“It seems you don’t really care about Mio.”

He said, tilting his head as if genuinely confused. His voice was eerily calm, even though his words were filled with cruelty.

“That just makes it harder for her. Do you really think I wouldn’t?”

He laughed, the sound cruel and mocking. A horrible thought struck me – Cane could leave the room and return with Mio’s severed fingers. The image was so vivid and terrifying that I instinctively stopped fighting.

“You’re annoying.”

Cane muttered, loosening his grip on my wrists. He wiped away the tears streaming down my cheeks, his touch disturbingly gentle given the situation.

“When I talk about that girl, you suddenly become so obedient. I’m using it to my advantage, but it feels disgusting.”

“Cane… please… let’s stop this.”

I whispered, my voice barely audible, pleading with whatever humanity was left in him.

“A few days ago, if you had cried and begged me so sweetly, I might have seriously considered it… but not anymore.”

He clicked his tongue.

“But you know, it’s not so bad. Your calm is gone, the mask is off. Even the real you, without the mask, is quite attractive. And this collar suits you well.”

He pulled at my collar. The collar that had been behind my neck twisted forward, pulling my neck up. It didn’t hurt, but the surge of humiliation burned through me. As my head was lifted, Cane leaned closer to my face. I turned my head away to avoid his gaze.

“The chains I put on your wrists? I threw them away. That’s how much I trusted you. I thought I’d never have to use them again. But you’ve failed us, Doctor.”