The flashing lights of the villa room, the pulsating music, and the leering gazes of the men converged into a nightmarish blur for Emilia.
Her body trembled, tears streaming down her face, as Leonardo's chilling command echoed in her ears:
"Dance!" Humiliation burned through her veins, a more potent fire than any rage. She moved stiffly, clumsily at first, around the polished stripper pole, every instinct screaming at her to flee, to disappear, to simply cease to exist.
Among the crowd of men, one stood out, his gaze particularly intense, almost predatory. Valco couldn't take his eyes off Emilia, nor could any of the other men in the room, but Valco's desire for her was palpable, explosive, and he made no attempt to hide it.
His body language was crude, his breathing heavy as he adj
