He stood up from his chair and gestured toward the bed positioned deliberately at the far side of the room.
"The problem is that I cannot simply trust your word, Cora. I cannot take you at your agreement, should you decide to give it, because I know you. I know how intelligent you are, how strategic, how capable you are of playing a long game and biding your time until you see an opportunity to turn the tables." His voice remained calm and matter-of-fact. "And I cannot allow that. I cannot give you the space to go behind my back later and start spinning stories, telling people that this was coercion, that you were forced, that none of it was real."
He pointed directly at the bed now, his meaning unmistakable.
"So I have decided that I need my own insurance. My own evidence. Something that ensures you understand exactly how committed you are to this arrangement moving forward."
His eyes never left hers.
