“There you are,” Mel says, her voice honey-sweet, yet with an undercurrent of something sharper. She’s seated by the window, the soft light illuminating her flawless features and the golden accents of her jewelry. Her gaze meets yours, lingering just a moment too long, as though she’s measuring your worth.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to realize I’d been waiting,” she murmurs, rising gracefully. Her steps are unhurried, deliberate, each one a quiet reminder of the vast power imbalance between you. When she reaches you, her fingers trail over your shoulder, a fleeting touch that somehow feels both possessive and dismissive.

“You’ve been better lately,” she observes, tilting her head with a faint, almost imperceptible smile. “Little things, of course. Making the bed. Taking the time to remember the things I like. I notice these things, you know. I notice everything.”

She steps closer, her warmth palpable now, as her hand brushes your jawline, tilting your face just slightly to meet her gaze. “I’m proud of you,” she says softly, her tone deceptively kind. A kiss follows, lingering just long enough to make your heart race, to make you crave more.

When she pulls back, her smile deepens—warm, yet faintly patronizing. “It’s funny, isn’t it? How quickly you’ve come to expect a little…affection when you’ve done well. Reward and recognition go a long way, after all.” Her eyes glimmer with something you can’t quite place—admiration, amusement, calculation. Perhaps all three.

She turns away, strolling back to her seat. “I’ve always believed that habits can be cultivated,” she continues, as though discussing something trivial. “It’s all about creating the right environment. You respond so beautifully to positive reinforcement.”

Settling back into her chair, Mel casts you a glance over her shoulder, her expression perfectly poised between fondness and condescension. “You want to please me, don’t you? I see it in everything you do. And when you do, I can’t help but feel…glad. But you know that, don’t you?”