CHAPTER 118: STRIP

Darrell slammed his fist against the thick metallic wall of the cell in frustration. His voice rang through the otherwise silent chamber, sharp and charged.

"What the fuck is going on?" he demanded, turning to face Adrian with narrowed eyes.

Adrian, seated on the cold bench in the corner, looked up with a tired expression. He exhaled and shrugged slightly, though the tension in his shoulders betrayed his calm tone. "How am I supposed to know? I’m just as locked up as you are."

Darrell paced once, then turned back around. "Where is Boss?"

Adrian rubbed his hand over his face and let out a low groan. "I’m not sure. Modi led him inside, then came back and signaled the guards to lock me up. When I asked why he was doing that, he told me to cooperate and that when they’re done, they’ll let me go. I didn’t expect to have company in here so soon."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he tilted his head at Darrell. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to be at the house."

Darrell let out a breath, finally leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms. "I was. But then I got a call from Modi that Boss had suffered an attack and Madam needs to come help him. So we came, even though we suspected foul play. Modi led Madam away. I tried to follow them, tried to ask questions, but he said I was not allowed in there with her. Next thing I know, I’m surrounded by guards and being hauled in here."

Adrian looked down for a moment, then met Darrell’s gaze. "Modi has Madam as well?"

Darrell nodded. "Yes. And he was moving too fast for me to believe everything is fine. What on earths name are they trying to do?"

"It’s a trap, but I don’t know what for yet." Adrian figured out.

Meanwhile, deep within the council building, Serena walked silently beside Modi. Her hands remained tucked into her pockets, the cool metal of her phone pressing against her fingers. Her steps were slow but steady, her eyes glancing at every hallway they passed. Though she had not said a word, her entire body screamed discomfort and alertness.

Just as they reached the end of a long corridor, a figure appeared from a side hallway. Serena halted at once. Salvador stepped out from the shadows and came to stand directly in front of them.

Her eyes immediately darkened with a frown as she recognized him. Without removing her hands from her pockets, she gripped her phone and took a small step to the side, putting a slight distance between herself and the two men. There was something unsettling about Salvador’s presence, something that tightened the air around them.

But before she could move further or ask any questions, Modi’s gloved hand shot out and grabbed her arm. The moment his hand made contact, the resistance bubbling inside her died instantly, extinguished like a flame doused in water. Her muscles relaxed against her will.

In the stillness of that moment, Modi spoke to her mind. His voice echoed with calm force inside her head. "Do not panic. Do not worry. Do not ask any questions. Do exactly as you are told without resisting."

She stood still, processing his words.

"Do you understand?" he asked through their mental link.

She nodded once, then said quietly, "Yes."

That single word brought a pleased smile to Salvador’s lips. He did not move immediately. Instead of leading her away immediately like he had with Lucian earlier, he stepped forward. Then, without warning, he cupped her face with both hands and pressed his lips against hers in a long, deliberate kiss. It was not a kiss of affection or greeting. It was a kiss drenched in hunger, possession, and something darker.

Modi’s expression twisted into a deep frown as he watched the display. When Salvador finally pulled away, Modi’s voice was laced with restrained anger.

"This is not the time for that, Salvador. We have other important things to do."

Salvador turned his head slowly and met Modi’s glare. "And who told you that you have the right to tell me when or when not to kiss my wife?"

Modi tightened his jaw, his voice still calm but edged. "She is not your wife. At least, she doesn’t know she is yet."

Salvador lifted his eyebrows, smirking slightly. "Of course she doesn’t know yet. But that is going to change in a matter of hours."

Modi looked away momentarily before locking eyes with him again. "Then wait until it changes before you go kissing other people’s wives on the lips. That sort of behavior can invite unnecessary trouble."

Salvador didn’t respond. He turned to Serena again and gave her a soft smile, one that looked completely out of place on his otherwise cold face.

"Come with me," he said gently.

Serena obeyed without hesitation. She followed him silently as he led her further down the hall, toward the very same room where Lucian had been locked up.

Modi walked behind them, his pace steady, though his eyes moved sharply between Serena, Salvador, and the dimly lit hallway stretching ahead. Once they arrived at the thick, reinforced door at the far end of the corridor, Salvador suddenly halted and turned to face him, blocking his path with a deliberate step.

"You are not allowed to go in," Salvador said, his voice firm and laced with a possessive finality.

Modi’s brows lifted in mild surprise, though he did not miss a beat. "Why not?"

Salvador’s lips curved into a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Because nobody else apart from me and the riffraff inside is permitted to see my wife’s naked body."

There was a moment of silence. Modi stared at him, his expression unreadable, before he let out a soft exhale and rolled his eyes with slow deliberation. The absurdity of the statement hung in the air, but he chose not to challenge it. Some arguments were simply not worth the energy.

Instead, his voice flattened, stripped of emotion. "Just remember to use your glove when you give the command. You need to release the hold I placed on them. That way, they will respond only to you and not fight the instructions. We do not want any complications."

Salvador nodded once. "I won’t forget."

Then, without another word, he opened the door and stepped inside with Serena, shutting the door firmly behind them.

Inside the room, Lucian sat quietly on the bed. His posture was rigid, his eyes staring straight ahead. The moment the door opened, he turned to look at whoever was entering. As soon as he saw Serena, something shifted in his eyes.

His body did not move, but his mind reeled. A voice in his head started screaming.

’She is not supposed to be here. What is she doing here? Why is she with him?’

He tried to stand up, to go to her, to say something, but he couldn’t. The effect of the glove was still suppressing every instinct and impulse. But that inner voice refused to quiet. It grew louder, angrier.

Lucian narrowed his eyes at her, confusion etched across his face. He wanted to say something, but no words formed. The tension in his body grew, like something beneath his skin was fighting to claw its way out.

Back outside, Modi had taken three steps away from the door when he froze. A sharp, unmistakable pulse ran through his head. Someone was trying to break the command.

His eyes darted to the door. Was it Lucian or Serena?

He could not tell. And Salvador had locked the door from inside.

That was a problem.

The fact that he could still think meant the person hadn’t succeeded entirely in breaking the hold.

He turned around and took position near the door again, waiting, hoping Salvador would remember to issue his own command soon. If not, whoever was struggling might break free entirely. And if that happened, he would lose his mind for sure.

Inside, Salvador walked slowly toward Serena. He stopped right before her and reached out, taking her hand in his gloved one. His eyes held hers, and his voice was quiet but firm.

"Strip," he commanded. "Remove every piece of clothing you have on and stand completely bare."

The command was given with the full force of the glove.

There was no hesitation. Serena moved her hands to her jacket, her expression blank and distant, her body responding not to thought but to the command deeply embedded in her mind. Slowly, methodically, she began to undress, removing each piece of clothing and letting them fall quietly to the floor.

Lucian watched every motion. His fists clenched against the mattress as he felt the scream inside his mind intensify.

His eyes slowly grew darker with intense anger with every piece of clothing that came off Serena’s body, and the fact that Salvador was standing there, relishing the moment didn’t make it any easier for him.