Chapter 141

Latisha shot to her feet, her eyes locked on the man walking through the door.

Clifford strode in on long legs, coming to a stop beside her. He shrugged off his coat and tossed it onto the sofa. He raised a hand, lifting his fingers just past his

shoulder.

The bodyguards standing sentinel at the door understood the signal immediately and departed in silence.

Clifford's gaze, calm and unnervingly still, settled on Latisha's face. It was the kind of quiet that comes before a hurricane.

She instinctively took a step back.

Clifford matched it with a step forward, relentlessly closing the distance until she stumbled and fell back onto the sofa.

He leaned over her, his eyes boring into hers. "Do you remember what I said?"

Latisha's fingers twisted together in her lap as she tilted her head back to meet his deep, penetrating gaze. A sliver of fear began to crawl up her spine.

"Didn't I tell you?” he continued, his voice low and even. "If you disobey me, I'll break your legs and lock you away."

Her pupils constricted. Beneath the panic and fear in her eyes was a flicker of pleading. She bit her lip and gave a slight shake of her head.

Clifford's long fingers gently cupped her chin, his tone shifting to a deceptive softness. "But how could I ever bring myself to break your legs? What should I do, then?"

When he was furious, she could find room to fight back. But when he was like this- calm, collected, and cold-all she felt was pure, paralyzing terror. Her shoulders trembled, and an overwhelming urge to stand up and flee seized her.

He studied her for a long moment before abruptly straightening up. "Then I suppose I'll just have to lock you up for now."

Latisha's eyes widened in panic. She raised her hands to plead with him, but Clifford had already turned his back, refusing to look at her.

"Ziven."

Ziven, who had been waiting just outside, heard his name and hurried in.

"Yes, Mr. Lambert."

"Take care of it."

Latisha reached out, grabbing his sleeve, but Clifford just glanced down at her hand.

Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head, begging him not to do this.

He raised his own hand and coolly pulled his sleeve from her grasp. "It's time you learned your lesson," he said, his voice like ice.

Without another word, he turned and walked out.

Latisha watched his retreating back, her mouth opening as if to call out, but no sound came. She could only watch as he disappeared from view.

Her gaze fell on Ziven, and though she knew he couldn't understand, she signed desperately: *Don't lock me up.*

Ziven's expression was complicated.

While he didn't know sign language, her pleading eyes told him everything he needed to know. He looked away, avoiding herĝaže

gaze

"Mrs. Lambert, I'm just following

orders. Please don't make this

difficult for me. This way

Latisha's hands froze in mid-air. She stared at him as tears streamed unchecked down her face. Her fingers dug into the edge of the sofa as the memory of that pitch-black. room and the suffocating panic it brought flooded back, as vivid as if it were happening all over again.

Just the thought of it made it hard to breathe.

Clifford knew exactly what she feared most, and he was using it to punish her. He knew everything. All her pleas were useless.

“Mrs. Lambert, please don't waste any more time,” Ziven said. “If you anger Mr. Lambert further, that lawyer you hired might suffer the consequences as well."

Latisha flinched. Zadok...

Ziven didn't want to use force, but he always knew which strings to pull. He knew Latisha would never want to drag an innocent person into her mess so no matter how much she resisted, no matter how terrified she was, she would eventually comply.

Latisha sat rigid on the sofa for a moment, her fists clenching and unclenching. Finally, with a sense of grim acceptance, she closed her eyes, surrendering.

When she opened them again, she rose to her feet and, with heavy steps, walked toward the storage closet.