The walk through the hallway felt like an eternity, each step heavier than the last. Every second, Uni expected someone to come out of a room and notice them, but the hallway remained eerily empty. No one seemed to pay attention to the odd situation of the three of them moving silently together. Sarolta stayed close behind them, her every step perfectly in rhythm with theirs. Uni could practically feel her breath on the back of her neck, making her skin crawl. She had never felt so powerless before, so completely controlled.

  They finally reached the door to her office, which Sarolta pushed open. "Inside," she said curtly, her tone allowing no room for argument. Uni and Esther shared a quick, anxious glance before complying.

  They walked into the office, taking in the dark, almost foreboding atmosphere. Sarolta followed them in, shutting the door behind them. She walked around them, studying them like a predator sizing up her prey.

  Uni's mind was racing, desperately trying to think of any way out of this. But she couldn't come up with anything. They were completely at Sarolta's mercy, trapped in her office with no clear escape.

  "Sit," Sarolta commanded. Uni and Esther exchanged another glance, then obediently sat on the chairs in the corner of the office.

  Sarolta watched them sit in the chairs, her eyes narrowing. "You both think you're so clever," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Trying to outsmart me and hide in the bathroom. But I've got you now. You're sitting in my office where I have all the power.”

  Uni bit her tongue, trying to hold back the words that threatened to spill out. She desperately wanted to lash back, to hurl insults and curses, but she knew it would only worsen their situation.

  Esther remained silent as well, her gaze fixed on Sarolta. Uni could sense the defiance still in her eyes, but she kept her composure, not wanting to make any sudden moves that could provoke Sarolta.

  Sarolta chuckled, noticing the look in Esther's eyes. "You're a feisty one, aren't you?" she said, her tone almost mocking. "But I'll break you eventually. You'll bend to my will like all the rest.”

  Uni could feel the tension rising in the room. She didn't want to see what would happen if Sarolta's promise came to pass. She quietly glanced at Esther, trying to gauge her reaction, but the other girl's face remained stoic, betraying no feelings.

  Sarolta continued pacing around them, taking her time in making them squirm. "You two are so predictable," she said, her tone condescending. "Thinking you can challenge me, defy me. It's almost pitiful really.”

  Uni held her breath, willing herself to stay calm, to not let the words get under her skin. But it was hard, especially when everything Sarolta said was true. They had been foolish, thinking they could outplay her.

  Sarolta stopped pacing and stood in front of Uni, her gaze hard. "You, in particular," she said, pointing a finger at her. "You're the one who keeps sticking her nose in things that don't concern her. I've seen the way you've been prowling around, poking and prodding where you shouldn't.”

  Uni felt the heat rise on her face, a mix of shame and anger building inside. But she remained silent, her gaze fixed on the floor. She couldn't deny that what Sarolta said was true, but admitting it now would mean succumbing completely to her control.

  Sarolta let out an annoyed sigh and turned her attention to Esther. "And you," she said, her tone changing slightly. "You're the quiet one. Silent but watchful. I can see the intelligence behind your eyes. You're the brains of this little duo, aren't you?”

  "She can't speak," Uni defended, breaking her silence at last.

  Sarolta turned her gaze to Uni, a cold smile on her face. "Oh, she can't, can she? If she can scoff at me like she did earlier, I'm sure she has the ability to speak up for herself," she said, her tone more than mocking this time.

  Uni felt a pang of annoyance. She knew Sarolta was just trying to bait her, but she couldn't help feeling frustrated. "That's different," she said through gritted teeth.

  "Is it now?" Sarolta taunted. "And how is it different, pray tell?”

  "It-" Uni started, then stopped herself. She was falling right into Sarolta's trap of provoking her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "It's different because scoffing doesn't need words.”

  Sarolta smirked, her mood changing to something almost playful. "Oh, how perceptive you are," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But just because scoffing doesn't require words doesn't mean your friend here can't speak. I know she can if she really wants to.”

  Uni could feel her temper rising again. She didn't like how Sarolta spoke about Esther as if she wasn't even there. "She literally can't, she's mute. Why do you even care whether she can speak or not?" she said, her voice tight and strained.

  Sarolta shrugged nonchalantly. "I just find it suspicious, that's all," she said, her tone sarcastic. "How does one become mute anyway? Did she just wake up one day and decide she didn't want to talk anymore?”

  Uni gritted her teeth harder, her temper getting the best of her at Sarolta's callous words. "You're so insensitive. It's not a choice, it's a condition," she snapped, unable to keep it in anymore.

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  Sarolta chuckled, amused by Uni's outburst. "Hit a nerve, did I?" she said, her tone condescending. "You're so quick to get worked up over a simple question. It's almost cute. However, I'd advise you to tone it down if you don't want to leave this office crippled.”

  Uni bit back a retort, her heart pounding in her chest. She had to maintain her composure, to not goad Sarolta into hurting them. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions. "I...I'm sorry," she muttered, though her tone betrayed her anger.

  Sarolta waved a dismissive hand. "You think your apology means anything to me?" she scoffed. "You're just lucky I'm in a good mood today. Otherwise, I'd have thrown you and your friend out already.”

  Uni clenched her jaw, her hands curling into fists in her lap. She hated how helpless this situation made her feel. But she knew better than to give Sarolta any further ammunition to use against her, so she remained silent, her gaze locked on the floor.

  Sarolta turned her attention to Esther, studying her with an intensity that made Uni uneasy. "I always notice the quiet ones," she said, her tone almost predatory now. "They're the ones who observe and understand everything around them. They're the dangerous ones.”

  Uni shot a quick glance at Esther, seeing if there was any response on her face. But as usual, Esther's expression was unreadable. She sat unmoving, seemingly unfazed by Sarolta's words.

  Sarolta crossed her arms, a smirk playing on her lips. "You're definitely the observant one," she said, her tone filled with mockery. "The silent observer, always taking in information without saying a word. It's almost impressive...if it weren't so irritating.”

  Uni's face turned into a deep frown. She couldn't stand how Sarolta spoke to Esther as if she was a lab rat, something to be studied and observed. She clenched her fists harder, feeling a mix of anger and helplessness as she looked at Sarolta while refusing to make eye contact, her gaze a bit lower.

  "My eyes are up here, young lady," Sarolta taunted, crossing her arms over her chest.

  Uni's cheeks turned red with shame and embarrassment. She was getting tired of Sarolta's taunts, but she knew better than to rise to the bait. She forced herself to look up, her gaze meeting Sarolta's cold eyes.

  "That's better," Sarolta said, her tone smug and satisfied. "You do know how to obey when you want to." She then let out a sigh and leaned back against her desk, eyeing Uni and Esther with a mix of amusement and disdain.

  Silence filled the room as they sat there, the tension thick and palpable. Uni fidgeted with her hands, the urge to say something, anything, almost overwhelming. But she held her tongue, knowing it would only provoke Sarolta further.

  Sarolta watched them closely, observing their every move and expression. She seemed to be reveling in their helplessness, taking pleasure in knowing she had them in her grasp. But Uni refused to let her see the fear and helplessness in her eyes, keeping her expression as stoic as she could before finally gaining the courage to ask the golden question: "Why are you treating Trixie like she's a puppy and not a fellow human being? All that talk about submission and obedience, what's wrong with you?”

  Sarolta raised an eyebrow at the unexpected question, her gaze narrowing. "Oh, so you're finally growing a spine, hm?" she said, her tone cold. "You're curious about how I treat Trixie, are you?”

  Uni could feel her courage starting to wane, but she forced herself to stay firm, not wanting to show weakness. "Yes," she said firmly. "I want to know why you treat my friend like she's nothing more than an animal. It's not right.”

  Sarolta let out a chuckle, a cold, almost evil sound. "Oh, you're so naive," she said, her tone condescending. "You think you know how to treat your friend, but you don't. You're a child compared to me. I know what's best for her, and I'll do anything to get her to obey. Because that's what she needs, a firm hand to guide her.”

  Uni felt her anger starting to boil over. "She doesn't need your guidance," she snapped, her voice rising. "She's not your 'pup' as you called her. She's a human being with feelings and thoughts of her own.”

  Sarolta shrugged, feigning disinterest. "She's been an elite agent of my corporation for two decades, and as such, I know what she needs," she said dismissively. "What she needs is discipline and obedience. And I'll be the one to give it to her, whether she likes it or not.”

  Uni felt her fury rising even more. "You can't just treat people like that," she said, her voice strained from holding back her anger. "You can't just force people to obey you, to do whatever you want. It's wrong.”

  Sarolta's expression hardened, any hint of playfulness gone. "Wrong?" she said, her tone dropping to an almost dangerous level. "Who are you to decide what's right and wrong? You're just a little girl, a naive child who thinks she knows everything. You know nothing about the real world. Now, I refuse to let you two see her, she's under my control. It is time for you both to go home, or I'll remove you from this building by force.”

  Uni gritted her teeth, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to argue, to fight back, but she knew it was hopeless. Sarolta had all the power in this situation, and there was nothing they could do about it.

  Sarolta watched her, a smirk playing on her lips. "You're angry, aren't you?" she said, her tone amused. "You want to argue, to fight back, but you know it's useless. You're powerless here, and that bothers you.”

  Uni clenched her fists, her rage seeping out through her eyes. But she said nothing, knowing that any words she spoke would only fuel Sarolta's sadistic pleasure.

  Sarolta chuckled again, enjoying the tension. "Your silence is telling," she said, her tone mocking. "You want to scream at me, don't you? To tell me off and accuse me of being cruel. But you can't, can you? Because you know I hold all the power here.”

  Uni wanted to scream, to lash out, to do anything to release the anger boiling within her. But she bit her tongue, refusing to give Sarolta the satisfaction of seeing her break.

  Sarolta studied her, noticing the internal struggle. "You're fighting it, aren't you?" she taunted. "You want to scream and shout, but you're holding back. You're trying so hard to stay calm and composed, even though you're furious. It's admirable, but ultimately pointless. So, do I need to remove you from this building by force, or will you be good girls and leave peacefully?”

  Uni let out an annoyed huff, her pride taking a huge hit. "We'll leave," she forced out through clenched teeth. She knew there was no point in defying Sarolta, no point in resisting.

  Sarolta smirked, clearly pleased with herself. "Good girl," she said, her tone condescending. "See, it's better to just listen to me. You'll avoid getting hurt a lot more that way.”

  Uni couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat and embarrassment. She hated how Sarolta spoke to her, how she belittled her and treated her like a child. But she had no choice but to comply. "Ugh, let's go, Esther…”

  Sarolta watched them stand up, a satisfied smile on her face. "You're making the right decision," she said, her tone almost magnanimous. "Now, march out of here. I don't want to see you two here again.”

  Uni and Esther nodded, their heads bowed. Uni shot one last glare at Sarolta before turning and heading for the door, Esther following closely behind.

  As they walked away, Uni could feel Sarolta's gaze boring into their backs. She felt humiliated, her pride and courage crushed beneath Sarolta's boot. She clenched her fists tightly, her thoughts filled with anger and helplessness.