Chapter 26: Bound by Chains

Sabrina remained rigid in her chair, Victor Reid's words lingering in the air like an implicit threat. The cost of loyalty is blood. People die, betray, and become consumed by power. It was a scary statement, sending shivers down her spine. She had agreed to stay, but now that she had said it, she wasn't sure if her decision was motivated by bravery or recklessness.

Nathaniel's fingers tightened around hers, as if he could sense her hesitation. His presence was grounding, but it didn't erase the reality of what she had just stepped into.

Victor watched her with a knowing smirk. "Good," he said finally, tapping his fingers against the wooden table. "Then let's begin."

Sabrina's pulse quickened. "Begin what, exactly?"

Victor leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "Your initiation."

The room went silent. Sabrina's breath hitched. "Initiation?" she echoed. "This isn't some club, is it?"

Nathaniel exhaled sharply. "No, it's not." He turned to Victor, jaw clenched. "She doesn't need this."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "You think I'd let someone walk into my empire without proving their worth? She made a choice, Knight. Now, she proves it."

Sabrina's fingers curled into her lap. Every instinct in her body screamed to run, but she forced herself to hold her ground. "What do I have to do?"

Victor's lips curled into a smirk. "Simple. Show us where your loyalties truly lie."

Nathaniel shot Victor a glare. "That's enough. She's not—"

"She's not what?" Victor cut him off, his voice dangerously smooth. "She's not ready? Then why bring her here, Knight? Why expose her to our world?" His piercing gaze locked onto Sabrina. "The moment you walked through that door, you became part of something far bigger than yourself. There's no room for half-measures."

Sabrina swallowed. "And if I refuse?"

Victor's smirk never wavered. "Then you walk out of here, but you'll never be safe again."

Nathaniel stiffened beside her, his grip on her hand tightening. "Sabrina," he murmured, his voice low and edged with something unreadable.

She could feel the weight of his unsaid warning. He was telling her she had no real option. If she turned back now, she'd be considered as a liability—a loose thread in a world where loose threads were snipped without hesitation.

Sabrina took a deep breath, forcing the fear down. "What do I have to do?"

Victor gestured toward the door behind him. "Follow me."

Nathaniel didn't let go of her hand as they walked through the dimly lit hallway. It wasn't long before they reached a steel door, guarded by two men in dark suits. One of them nodded at Victor before unlocking it. The door groaned as it opened, revealing a cold, sterile room.

Inside, a man sat tied to a chair, his wrists bound, his face bruised and bloodied. He was barely conscious, his breathing shallow.

Sabrina's stomach twisted. "Who is he?"

Victor stepped forward. "A traitor."

She turned to Nathaniel, but he didn't meet her gaze. "What did he do?"

Victor circled the chair like a predator. "He sold us out. Fed information to our enemies, nearly got some of our men killed. He's a perfect example of what happens when someone forgets where their loyalty lies."

Sabrina's chest tightened. "And what do you expect me to do?"

Victor's gaze met hers. "Decide his fate."

Her breath caught. "What?"

Nathaniel shifted beside her, his jaw tight. "Victor, that's enough."

Victor ignored him. "You said you were staying, Miss Vance. That means you understand what this world requires. This is your test."

Sabrina's heart pounded against her ribs. "You want me to kill him?"

Victor tilted his head. "If you want to prove your loyalty, yes."

She turned to Nathaniel, searching for some kind of escape, but his expression was unreadable.

"You don't have to do this," he said quietly.

But she did. That was the unspoken truth

hanging between them.

Sabrina stared at the bound man. He barely seemed aware of what was happening, his head lolling forward as if he was too exhausted to hold it up.

Her fingers clenched into fists. "I don't even know him."

Victor's smirk remained. "That's the point."

Her stomach twisted. She was standing at the edge of a precipice, and she knew that whatever choice she made here would define everything that came after.

She could walk away. But then what? Victor had made it clear that leaving wasn't an option.

She could refuse. But would that make her an enemy? A liability?

Or she could do what they wanted—take that final step into their world.

Her fingers brushed against the cold metal of the gun Victor placed on the table in front of her.

The room was silent.

Sabrina closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.

Then she turned away from the weapon.

"No," she said firmly.

Victor arched a brow. "No?"

Her gaze met his. "I won't kill a man just to prove something to you."

Victor studied her for a long moment. Then he chuckled. "Interesting."

She didn't know what that meant, but she didn't have time to process it before he gestured toward the guards.

"Take him away," Victor ordered.

Sabrina exhaled as the guards dragged the barely conscious man out of the room.

Victor turned back to her. "You just made a dangerous choice, Miss Vance."

Her pulse pounded. "Then so be it."

For a moment, Victor simply watched her. Then he smirked. "You're more like Knight than I thought."

Sabrina glanced at Nathaniel, but he wasn't looking at her. His expression was unreadable.

Victor stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Loyalty comes in many forms. But remember this, Sabrina—when the time comes, you might not get the luxury of saying no."

She didn't respond.

Nathaniel placed a hand on her lower back, guiding her toward the exit. She didn't resist.

As they stepped out into the hallway, her heart still hammering, she finally looked up at him. "I won't be like them."

His eyes met hers, something unreadable in them. "You say that now."

She clenched her jaw. "I mean it."

Nathaniel didn't argue.

But deep down, Sabrina knew this wasn't over. She had passed Victor's test—but at what cost?

As they walked away, she realized the truth.

She was already bound by chains she couldn't see.