As Lyla stood at the entrance of the city’s most luxurious hotel, she couldn’t help but wonder if she had completely lost her mind.
Perhaps it was Shadow Master’s taunting words --“better drop out while you can” -- that had pushed her over the edge. Without hesitation, she agreed to his s/panking request. No one had the right to question her dedication to her work and studies. For her, that was an insult.
Moreover, she couldn’t deny her curiosity. What kind of psychological experience would this s/panking game bring her? She was eager to find out.
The time and place had been set by Shadow Master. When Lyla found out it was this hotel, she was taken aback. This place was renowned for its luxury, and she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of man Shadow Master was to afford such an extravagant venue.
As she stepped into the hotel lobby, her phone buzzed with a message from Jessica: “You’re meeting Shadow Master?! I’ve tried to interview him so many times and never got a chance! You’re amazing! Good luck!”
For safety reasons, Lyla had told her research group she was meeting Shadow Master today, though she left out the detail about the s/panking. Everyone assumed it was just a routine interview.
“He’s just an arrogant jerk.” Lyla muttered in response to Jessica’s message as she walked further inside. The lavish décor made her momentarily dizzy, and she felt out of place in her simple student outfit among the elegantly dressed guests.
A man in his fifties approached her, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit. His sharp, eagle-like eyes gave nothing away, and his face remained expressionless.
“Miss Sinclair?” the man asked with a slight bow.
“You’re… Shadow Master?!” Lyla asked, surprised. She remembered the image from the forum—those elegant hands gripping a whip—but this man didn’t seem to match them at all.
“I am his butler. You may call me Hudson,” the man replied, his brow furrowed slightly. “Miss Sinclair, you’re late.”
“Sorry, the subway—"
“No need to explain,” Hudson cut her off, glancing at his watch. “Follow me. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Hudson led Lyla through the hotel lobby towards the elevators. Hotel staff bowed as he passed, a clear indication that he was no stranger here.
Hudson couldn’t help but find this encounter unusual. Normally, Carlo would choose more discreet locations for these meetings to avoid being seen by Mrs. Ferretti or his brother Blake. But this time, perhaps sensing the girl's caution, Carlo opted for this grand hotel and had specifically asked Hudson to escort her himself, as if fearing she might flee.
As the elevator ascended in silence, Hudson glanced back at the girl, standing quietly behind him. She seemed far less wary than before. He couldn’t understand what made this seemingly ordinary girl so special that his young master had broken so many of his own rules for her.
Minutes later, the elevator arrived at the top floor. The doors opened with a soft chime.
“Go ahead. Don’t keep him waiting,” Hudson said calmly, though he made no move to leave.
Ahead of Lyla was a long hallway leading to the only door on the floor—the Presidential Suite. She knew that behind that door was Shadow Master.
As she stepped out of the elevator, Hudson’s voice suddenly echoed behind her, “Oh, and he asked me to tell you, the safeword is: Science.”
The elevator doors closed swiftly, leaving Lyla no time to respond, but her face was already burning with embarrassment.
The last thing she wanted was for another person to know about the s/panking. But clearly, Hudson was in on everything. It had to be Shadow Master’s doing—his way of adding to her humiliation. Especially using “science” as the safeword, as if mocking her.
As a psychology student, Lyla knew she was dealing with a master of psychological manipulation. She hadn’t even seen his face yet, but he already had her fooled in his game.
“You’ve got this, Lyla. You won’t be controlled that easily.” she told herself, taking a deep breath as she strode down the hallway and pushed open the slightly ajar door.
The room was dimly lit, casting shadows that outlined a man’s figure. He was tall, with a near-perfect athletic build, his upper body partially hidden in the dark like a predator waiting to strike. He stood with his back to her, carefully wiping something in his hand.
“Sorry, the door wasn’t locked, so I just…”
The man spun around suddenly.
He was younger than she had imagined, likely in his late twenties, with strikingly handsome features. His expression was cold, his piercing green eyes scanning her, and his sharp, thin lips curved into a playful smirk.
“You’re late, and you entered my room without permission,” Carlo said, his voice dangerously calm. “Let me think… Should I double your punishment?”
He stepped out of the shadows.
Lyla’s breath hitched in her throat. She wasn’t sure if it was his dangerously captivating looks or the object he held in his hand -- a thick, black cane.
Her hands gripped the strap of her bag tightly, and without thinking, she took two steps back.
A soft click echoed behind her as her back pressed against the door. It felt as if the cage had closed, and she, the prey, had nowhere left to run.
“The door wasn’t locked, I thought… I thought…” Lyla's voice grew softer and weaker, like a child caught doing something wrong.Carlo sighed, shaking his head with a hint of exasperation. “I’ve never had such a disobedient sub before.”“I’m not a sub, I’m just…” Lyla instinctively started to argue, but the moment her eyes met Carlo’s, she fell silent again.Carlo stepped closer, flipping the cane in his hand. He gently lifted Lyla’s chin with the metal handle, his gaze unwavering. “No worries, I’m happy to teach you.”The faint scent of musk and woodsy amber drifted from him, strangely making Lyla feel an odd sense of calm."Take off your pants and bend over the arm of the sofa." It was the first command from the Dom tonight, but as expected, it was met with the evening’s first refusal.“No.” Lyla pushed him away, her voice trembling. “We agreed this was just an experiment, I'm not gonna sleep with you.”Carlo’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Who said we’re going to have s/ex? I’m
Lyla practically sprinted out of the hotel, her heart pounding in her chest. The curious glances people cast her way made her feel utterly ashamed, as if everyone could somehow see right through her, knowing exactly what had just taken place in that room.It wasn’t until she reached her dorm and slammed the door behind her with a resounding ''bang'' that she finally lifted her head and allowed herself to catch her breath. Her lungs ached from running, and her breaths came out in short, sharp gasps. She stood there for a moment, listening to the sound of her own ragged breathing echo in the silence. It was Friday night, and her roommates were out, leaving the dorm quiet.It took several minutes before her breathing steadied and the haze of panic lifted. Only then did she notice the sticky discomfort of sweat clinging to her back. Her shirt was soaked through.She headed for the bathroom, desperate for a shower. As she peeled off her clothes, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirro
Lyla quickly scanned her surroundings, ensuring there was no one nearby before she lowered her voice and angrily asked, "Are you following me?!"Taking advantage of her confusion, Carlo had already pulled out the chair across from her and sat down with a lazy grin on his face. He looked slightly tired, as if he hadn't slept well, but the mocking smile never left his lips. "Following you? I don’t have time for that. I’m here to catch a thief."As he spoke, Carlo pulled out his phone, and on the screen was a map with a flashing red dot. The location it marked was precisely where Lyla was sitting—in the library."What do you mean?" Lyla snapped, her irritation growing. "This is a university, not some cheesy soap opera set. I told you I didn’t want to see you again!"Carlo's grin widened, clearly enjoying her frustration. He wasn’t in any rush and answered leisurely, "Someone took my car keys, and I followed the signal to find the suspect. Isn't that what catching a thief is?""Car keys?"
She knew all too well that the Shadow Master was simply trying to provoke her. It was all part of his psychological game—shaming her, making her angry, and then luring her into submission. But Lyla, a psychology major, prided herself on not falling into his trap so easily.“Please,” she said, her voice calm and collected, “You know I’m not into this game. This was just a scientific experiment. Instead of wasting your time on me, why don’t you find someone who can truly submit to you?”She added sharply, “And please, don’t come to my campus again to discuss this. Let's try to resolve this in a decent way, Okay?”“Why not?” Carlo took a few steps closer, his expression laced with mockery. “Do you feel humiliated? Why feel ashamed of something you enjoy?”“I told you—I don’t enjoy this game,” Lyla repeated, trying to sound firm.“How do you know you’re not into this game?” Carlo’s smile grew even wider. “Why can’t you admit that my s/panking helped you sleep well last night? You can’t ev
In the days that followed, Lyla felt an incredible sense of relief. On the academic front, having broken through her psychological barriers, she suddenly found herself brimming with inspiration. Her progress with the research group’s project advanced smoothly, and everything seemed to fall into place. On the personal side, she hadn’t seen or heard from the Shadow Master at all. It was as though he had taken her rejection to heart and finally left her alone.Strangely, Jessica had also been ignoring her. Other than briefly seeing her during department meetings, Jessica seemed to go out of her way to avoid Lyla, acting as if they had never been friends. Lyla couldn’t shake the thought that maybe Jessica had started dating the Shadow Master. Maybe, under his influence, Jessica had decided to distance herself from Lyla as some kind of punishment. Every time this thought crept into her mind, Lyla felt a confusing wave of emotion rise up inside her. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what i
“No, that’s not what happened,” Lyla instinctively defended herself. “I threw the coffee away before I left.”“Wait…” She suddenly realized something was off and looked at Jessica suspiciously. “How did you know my USB drive was ruined?”Jessica’s face showed no signs of unease; instead, her smile grew bolder and more arrogant. She didn’t answer Lyla, merely watching her with a gleeful expression, savoring her helplessness and despair.A chill spread down Lyla’s spine. “It was you?!” she asked in disbelief. “Why would you do this?”“Why?” Jessica echoed with a cold laugh. “I should be asking, why you?”“Why me? What do you mean, why me?” Lyla was utterly confused.“Why did Dr. Cole give such an important project to you?” Jessica growled, her expression twisting with jealousy. “I’ve been here longer! Why didn’t he pick me?”She paused, her voice lowering to a bitter snarl. “And the Shadow Master... why do you get to date him while he rejected me?!”Lyla was stunned. The once-friendly f
She pulled out her phone and opened the website she hadn’t visited in a while, typing a quick message to Shadow Master: Are you there? I need your help.The familiar profile picture was grayed out, and there was no “typing” indicator at the top of the chat window. The lab was eerily quiet, much like her phone, with only the sound of her own heartbeat echoing in her ears. Should she apologize first? Or get straight to the point about her problem? Maybe she should even ask what he did to Jessica to make her so vengeful?Countless thoughts raced through Lyla’s mind, each one dismissed as quickly as it came. She sat there for what felt like an eternity, staring at the screen. Just as she was about to give up and think about other solutions, her phone buzzed. A message from Shadow Master appeared in the chat: How dare you contact me?It was just like him—arrogant and overbearing. Yet despite the coldness of the message, Lyla felt an overwhelming sense of relief, as if she had found her lif
"My God," Lyla exclaimed with a burst of excitement.Even she didn’t quite understand what she was so happy about. It was as if Shadow Master hadn’t just spoken to her in that commanding tone, but rather, had called her gently. The sudden appearance of the silver-gray sports car felt like a beacon of light, illuminating hope for Lyla, who had been surrounded by darkness.She stuffed the USB into her bag and grabbed her laptop, racing downstairs as fast as she could.Carlo was already seated in the driver’s seat, and without a second thought, Lyla jumped into the passenger seat, as if lingering for even a second longer would cause the magical car to vanish, turning back into a pumpkin.“Where are we going?” she asked breathlessly.Her voice was drowned out by the roar of the engine, and Carlo didn’t answer. He slammed on the gas, speeding away.It was midnight, and the roads were nearly empty, giving the car the freedom to race at breakneck speed. Lyla had never ridden in a car that fa