What happened at Asier's hacienda in Betia left Jorge with a strange feeling of dizziness. Everything was moving too fast. It had been less than a month since he had set foot in that country, and yet his life had been completely turned upside down. He had gone from being a recently retired Spanish teacher, with a predictable and orderly existence, to becoming the absolute owner of a large hacienda, with men and lands under his command.

The days of forced abstinence, solitary nights, and unfulfilled fantasies seemed now like a memory from another life. Álex was always available, always ready for his pleasure. And Jorge did not take long to discover how delicious his caresses were, how exquisite the submission of his mouth was, how irresistible the sweetness of his kisses was. He fucked him whenever he wanted, without restrictions or limits.

But what surprised him the most was not that. It was the ease with which he had surrendered to a power he had previously only imagined. For years, he had considered the world of BDSM as a distant fantasy, an impossible game, condemned to explore it only through forums and stories on a computer screen. And now... now he was ordering real punishments. Not figurative, not agreed upon. Real. He had become accustomed to the sound of the whip, to the vision of bodies tense with pain, to obedience without question.

And the best part of all... was that he liked it.

However, something disturbed him. There were many things he needed to clarify with Yusuf. What he had told Lakua was true: in his presence, he felt a constant tension, a dull discomfort that he did not know how to attribute. It was not fear or distrust altogether, but there was something in him that made his skin crawl. Nevertheless, his role was crucial, and Jorge could not afford to dispense with his counsel.

He summoned him and waited in the room he usually used as an office, a sober but comfortable room, directly connected to his bedroom. For a week, he had ordered the delivery of some printed newspapers; although the news arrived with a day's delay, they served to keep him informed. At first, he had asked for a wide variety, but soon he grew tired of so much irrelevant news. Now he only kept El País and Le Monde, enough not to lose global perspective. He was lazily browsing through the first one when Yusuf appeared at the door, with his usual affable smile.

"Good morning, sir," he greeted kindly.

"Good morning, Yusuf. Please, sit down. Would you like some tea?"

"I appreciate it, sir, but I've just had breakfast. Can I make any adjustments to the press service?"

"No, no, everything is in order. I called you for another reason. I need information, and I'm sure you can provide it."

Jorge left the newspaper on the table and looked at him fixedly.

"During our visit, Lakua told me many things," he continued, with a drier tone. "Some as important as the fact th...