A smile tugged at Emerald's lips. She turned just enough to glance back at him over her shoulder and uttered a single word. "Beg."
Rick stared at her like he hadn't heard her correctly. His brows knit together in confusion, and his mouth parted slightly.
"What?"
Emerald's face didn't change. Her voice came out flat, cool, unflinching. "You heard me."
"Beg?" he repeated, incredulous. "You want me to—?"
"If you want protection," she interrupted, arms folding again across her chest, "if you want my mercy… you'll earn it. On your knees."
He looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "You're not serious."
Her stare didn't waver.
Rick let out a disbelieving breath and scoffed. "Why the hell would I do that? I didn't even hurt you."
Emerald's eyes flashed. "Didn't hurt me?"
He seemed to sense the shift, the tension coiling in the air like a noose tightening.
"You had me tortured," she said, voice sharp but low. "Because Alia pointed a finger and cried wolf."
