An officer took my arm. “Mr. Hill, you’ve been wronged, but you can’t act on impulse. If this goes to court, you could be jailed.”
He leaned close. “That pretty boy doesn’t look harmless. If you go inside, will he let you out? Think carefully.”
The warning landed like a weight. With Clara shielding him, I had no protector. The room tightened.
In the interrogation room, I rose and bowed my head to apologize to Felix.
Before I could speak, Clara cut in. “Kneel and beg three times,” she ordered. “Then swear that if you ever target Felix again, you’ll die a miserable death.”
The demand stunned me. She wanted humiliation for another man she favored.
Felix watched with contempt and satisfaction. The policeman nudged my knee with his boot.
“A real man can bend,” he said. “Apologize.”
I ground my teeth and forced the words out, each syllable tasting of defeat. “I’m sorry. It was my fault. I swear I’ll never fight Felix again. If I break this promise, may I die a miserable death?”
Clara’s face softened into a small, satisfied smile. “ Ethan,” she said, “I knew you wouldn’t make things difficult.”