Page 94 of All The Pretty Little Lies

Oscar runs a hand through his short, dark hair, his blue eyes stormy with concern. "Vesper, you can't be serious. After everything Natasha's done-"

"I know what she’s done," Vesper interrupts, her voice low and dangerous. "I lived it, remember?"

The room falls silent again, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the air. I watch as Zaire's face contorts with rage, his hands balling into fists at his sides. The dark blue ring around his eyes seems to glow with an otherworldly fury.

"Let me go instead," Zaire growls, taking a step towards Vesper. "I'll make that bitch pay for what she did to you."

I can't help but admire his protective instinct, even if I know it's misplaced. Vesper doesn't need our protection, she needs our support.

“You can’t,” I declare. “I’m the buyer. Not you. Oscar is out because she was flirting with him at the bar before the auction. She’s seen his face. The same fucking face you have, jackass. I’m the only option here.”

All eyes turn to me, a mix of shock and betrayal on the twins' faces. But Vesper looks at me with something akin to gratitude, a soft smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Zaire's eyes darken, his jaw clenching as he takes a step closer to Vesper. "You don't know what you're agreeing to," he says, his voice low and gravelly. "This isn't just some undercover op. You were sold as a sex slave, Vesper. Natasha will expect you to act like one."

The words hang in the air, heavy and oppressive. I feel my stomach churn, the reality of what Vesper might have to endure hitting me like a freight train. But Vesper doesn't flinch. She stands tall, her chin lifted in defiance.

"I was raised to be controlled and to submit, Zaire," she says, her voice steady and cold. "It's like breathing to me. I've spent my entire life playing the part my family wanted me to play. This is no different."

Her words cut through me like a knife. I've always known that Vesper's upbringing was far from normal but hearing her speak so casually about being controlled...it does something to me that I can’t explain.

I want to reach out, to pull her close and shield her from the world that's treated her so cruelly. But I know that's not what she needs right now.

Zaire's face contorts with a mix of anger and pain. "Not anymore," he fires back, his voice rising. "You're not that person anymore, Vesper. You're free now. You don't have to do this."

I watch as Vesper's eyes flash, a storm brewing behind those emerald orbs. For a moment, I think she might lash out at Zaire, but instead, she takes a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Natasha will have expectations of your behavior," Zaire continues, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "She'llexpect complete submission, unquestioning obedience. Are you prepared for that?"

The room falls silent, all eyes on Vesper. I hold my breath, waiting for her response. Part of me hopes she'll back down, that she'll realize the danger she's putting herself in. But another part of me, the part that's come to know and admire Vesper's strength, knows she won't.

"I can handle it," Vesper says finally, her voice filled with a quiet determination that sends shivers down my spine.

I watch as Oscar steps forward, his face a mask of concern. "Vesper, I hate to say it, but Zaire's right. You don't fully grasp what they might demand of you." His voice is soft, but there's an edge to it that I've rarely heard. "The things they could ask. There are no limits, no boundaries. Are you prepared for that?"

The words hang heavy in the air, and I feel my stomach twist. Oscar's right, of course. The world we're about to step into is dark, and twisted, with rules that normal society would balk at. I've seen glimpses of it before, but never like this. Never so personal.

Zaire nods, his eyes locked on Vesper. "And it's not just about you, Ves. Talon's a good actor, sure, but pretending to be your lord and master? To demand things of you, to treat you like..." He trails off, unable to finish the thought. "It's not something I think either of you can pull off convincingly."

I feel a flare of indignation at Zaire's words, but it's quickly doused by the cold reality of the situation. He's right. The thought of treating Vesper like a possession, of demanding her obedience. It makes my skin crawl. How could I possibly convince Natasha that I'm capable of such cruelty?

"Natasha will smell the deception a mile away," Zaire continues, his voice low and urgent. "She's been in this game for years. She'll see right through any act we try to put on."

I watch as Vesper's eyes flicker between the twins, her face unreadable. For a moment, I think I see a crack in her armor, a flicker of uncertainty in those emerald eyes. But then it's gone, replaced by that steely determination I've come to admire and fear in equal measure.

"You're both underestimating me," she says, her voice calm but with an undercurrent of steel. "And you're underestimating Talon. We can do this."

I feel a surge of something - pride? fear? - at her words. The faith she has in me is both exhilarating and terrifying. Can I live up to it? Can I be the monster we need me to be for this mission to succeed?

"Vesper," I start, my voice hoarse. "They're not wrong. The things I might have to do, to say. I don't know if I can-"

She cuts me off with a look, those green eyes boring into mine with an intensity that takes my breath away. "You can," she says simply. "Because you have to. Because we have to."

I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. Vesper's right, of course. We have to do this. But the thought of what lies ahead makes my stomach churn.

"Zaire," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "Teach us. Both of us."

The room falls silent, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. Zaire's eyes widen, a mix of shock and something else, fear, maybe?.

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