"It's two in the morning, in weather like this. There's not a cab to be found out here, and the nearest hotel is miles away. You'll freeze to death on the side of the road."

The moment the words left her mouth, Lauren seemed to get an idea. She picked up her phone and dialed.

"Call every hotel and motel in Capital City. Laurence Henson is not to be given a room. Anywhere."

My heart plummeted.

This was Lauren's obedience test.

She wanted me to understand that she could dictate my life on a whim. She was training me to be docile, to swallow my pride and submit.

I drew a long breath, then slapped the bank cards down on the coffee table.

Without a second's hesitation, I pulled off the Canada Goose parka and tossed it into the fireplace beside me.

The flames surged, casting a bright glow across Lauren's stunned face.

I turned and walked straight into the blizzard without looking back.

The wind cut through me like a blade. Every step was a battle, my whole body shaking so violently my teeth rattled. I kept going until I found an internet cafe that was still open, and begged the owner for a cup of hot water. Only after I drank it did the feeling start returning to my fingers.

But within minutes, my eyelids grew impossibly heavy. I slumped forward and passed out.

Somewhere in the haze, I felt hands on me.

I forced my eyes open and found myself staring into the owner's greasy, bloated face.

The cafe that had been buzzing with people just moments ago was completely empty now. The metal security shutter had been pulled down over the entrance.

The owner leered at me.

"Hey there, pretty boy. Out here all alone this late at night. Nowhere to go, huh?"

"Poor little thing. Let me take care of you."

The water. He'd put something in the water.

Terror crashed over me like a wave.

I bit down on my tongue, hard, forcing myself awake through the searing pain.

I shoved him off me with everything I had and bolted toward the bathroom in the corner, slamming the door shut and locking it behind me.

I was about to call the police when Lauren's number flashed across the screen.

One percent battery. I stared at it, then clenched my jaw and answered.

The sound that came through was Lauren's breathless panting, thick with arousal.

"Laurence, where did you put those condoms I brought back from overseas last month? I need to show Noel a thing or two about wedding-night party games."

Her tone turned mocking.

"What, now that you know you can't survive without me, you went and stole them to sell? Is that how desperate you are?"

I choked down the nausea clawing up my throat and spoke as fast as I could.

"Lauren, I'm at an internet cafe on Guangfu Road."

"The owner is trying to assault me. Please, come get me—"

Lauren's voice went taut with alarm. "What? I'm coming right now!"

Then, the very next second, Noel's sneering laugh slithered through the speaker.

"Laurence, buddy, are all kept men as calculating as you?"

"I drove down that road just this afternoon. There's no internet cafe there. You're just pulling a sob story to guilt Ms. Sanchez into caving first, aren't you?"

"Ms. Sanchez, if you actually go, you'll only be rewarding his tantrums. Once you two are officially married, he'll threaten divorce every time he doesn't get his way. How embarrassing would that be?"

Before I could get a word in, Lauren exploded.

"Laurence, you are absolutely shameless! You'd stoop to a lie like that?!"

"Don't think for a second I'm going to coddle you this time. You want to come back? Fine. Tomorrow morning, you get on your knees in front of my office and tell me you were wrong!"

"Without me, that pathetic little salary of yours couldn't even cover rent on a decent apartment. You'd try to sell yourself on the street and people would turn you down for the lousy accommodations. Go sit somewhere and think about that!"

The line went dead. A heartbeat later, the screen went black.

Something inside me died with it.

Click.

The bathroom lock turned from the outside.

The cafe owner barged in, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and grinned.

"Where do you think you're going, pretty boy? This is my turf. You think I don't have the key to my own damn bathroom?"

"Trying to call your little girlfriend for help? I heard every word. She's too busy letting some other guy use those condoms to bother with you."

"Now be a good boy and take care of me. Don't worry, I'm not high-maintenance. I never bother with protection. Hahaha..."

In the depths of my despair, a thunderous crash erupted from outside.

The rolling shutter was forced open, and people stormed in.

"Let him go!"

It was officers from the nearby police station.

The internet café owner had driven out all the other patrons so he could assault me in peace. But someone had seen him slip something into my drink and quietly called 911 on their way out.

They rushed me to the hospital to have my stomach pumped, took my statement, and left me with a thick coat. I borrowed a charger from the front desk, and the next morning, I called the calligraphy class to resign.

Once that was done, I went to the mall next door, grabbed a cheap casual outfit, and got ready to fly home.

But the moment I stepped out of the mall, several of Lauren's bodyguards blocked my path.

"Mr. Henson, Ms. Sanchez is hosting a banquet at the Regalia Hotel today to celebrate Secretary Cobb's second anniversary. She's specifically requested that you come and perform for Secretary Cobb. If you'd please."

I frowned.

"Get out of my way, or I'm calling the police."

The lead bodyguard, Val Whitney, let out a contemptuous laugh.

"Go right ahead. Then we'll file a report too."

"Ms. Sanchez says the coat you burned last night was worth a hundred grand. That's enough to land you behind bars for a while."

I laughed in disbelief. So this was the trap they'd been waiting to spring.

"A hundred grand? I'll wire it to her right now."

But Val snatched the phone from my hand and smashed it on the ground at my feet.

"You ungrateful piece of shit."

"Without Ms. Sanchez, you couldn't even feed yourself. Who the hell do you think you are, playing lord of the manor? You haven't even signed the marriage certificate, and you think you're her husband? Take him."

They dragged me into a car and sped off.

When we arrived, the entire banquet hall had been decorated with staggering extravagance.

Noel, dressed in a tailored designer suit, had his arm around Lauren's waist as they worked the room, greeting guests.

He carried himself like the man of the house.

The irony cut deep.

Because Lauren had said she didn't want anything flashy, yesterday's wedding had been a bare-bones affair at some no-name motel. She'd only invited a handful of her personal friends, so most people in her circle didn't even know the wedding had happened.

I'd understood. I knew how hard she worked for her money. Besides, once I brought her home to meet my family, we'd throw a proper celebration. Everyone would see the announcement. The whole world would know.

So I hadn't minded.

But the Regalia was the most exclusive hotel in Capital City, operating on an elite membership system. Only those who met a certain threshold of status and wealth were even eligible to walk through the doors. A single banquet there ran into the millions.

And she'd booked it for Noel's anniversary. She'd even invited the press.

When Lauren spotted me, she walked over with a frown.

"The owner of the calligraphy class said you quit. Said you're leaving. Where do you think you're going?"

My voice came out flat. Dead.

"Home. To take care of my grandfather. Is that a problem?"

A smug, superior smile spread across her face.

"So you've finally figured it out. Without my protection, you can't survive a single day in this city. Your only option is crawling back to your little village to slop the pigs."

"Tell you what. If you wash all of Noel's underwear in front of everyone today, nice and clean, I'll forgive you. Tomorrow we'll go sign the marriage certificate, just like we planned."

Her assistant brought over a small basket. There had to be at least a dozen pairs inside.

Clearly, they'd had quite the night.

My hands had been protected my entire life. My family had never let me do so much as a single chore.

I stared at her, unable to process what I was hearing.

"Lauren, did your brain and your ass switch places? Every word out of your mouth is pure garbage."

"You two spent my wedding night making out and sleeping together, and now you want me to wash his dirty underwear?"

"Let me make one thing clear: even if you chopped Noel Cobb into pieces and sold him by the pound, he wouldn't be worth me lifting a single finger!"

Lauren's face went cold instantly.

"Who told you to humiliate Noel in front of everyone yesterday? This is the compensation you owe him!"

"Drop the act. Those hands of yours teach calligraphy all day. How much does that even pay? I promised you the position of man of the house at Sanchez Corp. Don't bite the hand that feeds you!"

"This is the anniversary gift Noel wants most, and I will give it to him!"

With that, she pulled out a bamboo calligraphy brush and sneered.

"Laurence, I believe this means a great deal to you. Am I right?"

"If you don't want me to snap it in half right now, you'll do exactly as I say."

My fists clenched at my sides.

That brush wasn't worth much money, but it was the last birthday gift my father ever gave me.

He'd made it by hand.

Not long after that, he died in a car accident.

I drew a deep breath, grinding my teeth before I spoke.

"Fine. I'll wash them."

Then I bent down, picked up the plastic basin they'd prepared, and said without a trace of expression, "Can I go to the bathroom to fill this up now?"

Only then did Lauren curl her lips in satisfaction.

"Good boy. As long as you keep Noel happy, I'll give it back, and things can go back to the way they were."

She posted a bodyguard at the door so I couldn't run.

Water rushed from the faucet, and my reflection stared back at me with ice-cold eyes.

I pressed the hidden button on the back of my mechanical watch.

A faint crackle of static lasted two seconds before a voice came through, equal parts roguish and wounded.

"I thought you'd thrown that watch away. What, you finally decided I'm not so bad after all?"

"Fair warning: if you're about to tell me you went and got a marriage license, I will throw myself off this building. Try me."

My voice came out level.

"No license. We broke up. She's making me wash her boy toy's underwear in front of a crowd."

"If you still want this marriage, don't make me waste my breath."

The other end went quiet for half a second.

When Ebony Mason spoke again, the excitement and fury in her voice were almost tangible.

"The Regalia Hotel?"

"Sit tight. I'll make that woman eat every last pair."

I was brought back to Noel.

Lauren hooked her arm through his, her tone dripping with tenderness. "Noel, today Laurence won't stop washing until you tell him to. Not until you're completely satisfied."

"Do you like your present?"

"Oh my God, I love it! Nobody treats me as well as you do, Ms. Sanchez."

The two of them locked lips in a shameless kiss, as if no one else existed.

Noel sauntered over to me, all smiles.

"So it turns out you didn't like barking like a dog, but this is more your speed? Tsk. Even trashier than I thought."

"You should've said so sooner. I've got plenty more at home. But wait, you're not planning to do this standing up, are you?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Lauren flicked her wrist.

A bodyguard behind me drove his boot into the back of my knee, forcing me to the ground.

Mocking laughter erupted all around.

"There we go. Much better angle for getting them nice and clean."

Noel picked up a bottle of liquor with an elegant flourish and blinked innocently.

"The thing is, I'm a bit of a germaphobe. Someone as filthy as you, Laurence... I just can't stand it. You don't mind if I sterilize you with a little alcohol, do you?"

I didn't look at him. My gaze went past him, settling on the woman behind.

"Lauren. Do I need to remind you that my skin is allergic to alcohol?"

"I'll ask you once. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Hesitation flickered across Lauren's face.

Before she could speak, Noel's eyes reddened, his voice trembling with hurt.

"Ms. Sanchez, don't tell me you actually feel sorry for him? You promised you'd help me save face today."