Hailey glanced around the room, feeling a knot in her stomach. The dim light and cold tones made the space feel more like a trap than a room. Everything about it screamed power, control, and secrecy, much like the man standing in front of her.

“Why did you bring me here?” Her voice was low but steady, betraying only a hint of the nerves churning inside her.

Travis Blake placed his watch on the dresser, his movements slow, measured. When he turned around, his face was unreadable. “Because ...