CALCULATED COMPLIANCE

Cleo's POV

After thinking for what felt like hours, I realized that my only viable option was Russo. But he wouldn’t help me for free that, I was certain. If I wanted his trust, I would have to play his game, be good to him, calm, and compliant. I needed to deceive him, to make him believe that I was slowly giving in, that I was coming around to his way of thinking. Only then could I gain enough freedom to walk out of this prison disguised as a mansion.

It seemed like a perfect plan, and I was ready to execute it. But as hours turned into days, and days into weeks, Russo was nowhere to be found.

At first, I thought he was simply giving me space, letting me stew in my thoughts until I was ready to do his will. But as time passed and he still didn’t show, my unease grew. It had been almost a month since our last encounter, and the door to my room only opened to deliver meals and remove the trays. Each time, I watched the guards closely, hoping for some sign of what was happening in the