Serena smiled and nodded.
"Of course. I'm a woman of my word."
I looked at the liquor, grabbed the glass without hesitation, and drained it in one gulp.
The burn slid down my throat—and my consciousness began to erode. A sense of dread hit me instantly.
My vision blurred. I turned toward Serena, teeth clenched.
"What did you put in it?"
She let out a soft laugh.
"Something to make you obedient."
Then she looked at me and enunciated each word clearly.
"Kneel."
My body moved on its own. With a hard thud, my knees hit the floor.
Serena gazed down at me, smug.
"That liquor had something colorless and tasteless in it. Now whatever I tell you to do—you'll do it."
The room erupted in laughter.
"Serena really knows how to have fun. Slipping that new drug into her drink—now we can make her kowtow however we want."
"She's got a whole system for training dogs. First time I've seen this kind of play."
"To discipline a country bumpkin like her, you need special methods. Otherwise she won't even know who her owner is."
I dug my nails hard into my palm, forcing myself to stay conscious. I looked at Ethan.
"You're just going to watch them humiliate me like this?"
He only stared back, cold.