Daniel fidgeted with his tie knot and pulled back the wet collar of his shirt. He wasn't sweating from the tropical heat; they'd been shuttled to and from the business center in Raffle Place in air-conditioned cars, then back to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel after an intense series of meetings with only a lunch break. The schedule was incredibly packed, demanding his full attention, even though he had reviewed the project materials a couple of days before the trip to avoid looking unprepared in front of potential business partners. But it wasn't the workload making him sweat so profusely; it was the constant surveillance that didn't allow him a moment's respite. One of the bodyguards even accompanied him to the restroom!

Alexander, also exhausted, leaned his head against the mirrored wall of the elevator and suddenly looked at Daniel pointedly, as if he had read his thoughts. Daniel lowered his head to the floor, berating himself for sighing audibly - idiot, drawing unwanted attention to himself. He just had to make it to his room, then he could release his pent-up stress in the shower, masked by the sound of running water. The elevator chimed melodiously as it reached the forty-fifth floor, and Daniel stepped out with relief. But he froze instantly when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.

"Tengiz, wait in the hallway for now; I'll call you later," Alexander said, gently pushing him forward and releasing his shoulder. Daniel stumbled back to his room, feeling his cheeks burn with shame. For some reason, it was especially humiliating to go to his room with Alexander in front of Georgy, and he was glad Nastya wasn't there this time - she had her own agenda unrelated to business dealings.

The door lock, which scanned the QR code from the phone, clicked open, letting them in. Immediately, Alexander's arms wrapped around him, pulling him close. Lips kissed his neck and nibbled his earlobe. Alexander was as energetic as ever - rejuvenated and full of life. Daniel unfastened the buttons of his jacket, loosened his tie, and flinched when Alexander ripped off his shirt in one swift motion. Buttons scattered in all directions, bouncing on the smooth marble floor, and a sudden wave of fear made it hard to breathe. Alexander had torn his clothes before, and Daniel was accustomed to such passionate impulsiveness and wasn't usually frightened by it, but this time it felt eerie.

"What's wrong?" Alexander lifted him up, Daniel's face contorted in uncontrollable fear, and turned him to face him. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Daniel mumbled, clutching the hem of his shirt to his chest protectively. "Just tired."

"And scared," Alexander added for him, sighing. "Sometimes I forget how nervous you get. Let's take it slow."

He undressed Daniel with slow, deliberate movements, laying him gently on the bed and stroking him soothingly, like a rider calming a skittish horse. The tenderness in his touch was misleading - Alexander only wanted to achieve a certain state to satisfy his own desires. But it did have an effect: the fear subsided.

Daniel moved between Alexander's legs and unzipped his fly, pushing away the hands that were stroking him. He bent down, having received a sigh of approval, took the already leaking tip into his mouth, and rolled it across his palate, eyes closed. The sensation wasn't unpleasant - habit also played a role - it was more like a void: complete detachment, complete control over his emotions. Daniel drew back his cheeks, beginning to move quickly and methodically, hoping to satisfy with just oral, but impatient Alexander soon pulled him away.

Without waiting for instructions, Daniel took a tube of lube and condoms from under a nearby pillow, tossed one to Alexander, squeezed lube onto his fingers, and inserted them. All done with technical precision and indifference, not catering to the client's desires or feigning mutual passion. Alexander snapped the rubber band, grabbed Daniels' flaccid cock, increasing arousal, inserted a finger into his anus above Daniel's fingers which heightened sensitivity. The Master was eager. Daniel withdrew his fingers, wiped them on the blanket, and knelt, spreading his legs wide. Alexander moved behind him, his hot breath warming his buttock for a moment before biting it and then straightening up, pressing the lubricated tip against his entrance. He entered, allowing a few seconds for adjustment before starting to move - Alexander's erratic, frenzied movements indicated he wouldn't last long. And he didn't: after a couple of minutes, Alexander gasped, pushing himself in deep. The pulsing cock withdrew weakly, and Daniel sank back onto the bed, removing Alexander's hand from his semi-erect cock. He whispered as Alexander persistently tried to reach for it.

"Don't."

"Feeling tired?" Alexander asked, hovering over him and breathing on his neck. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"As you wish," Alexander said, rising with a dissatisfied sniffle. Daniel grinned into the pillow; his Master was clearly unhappy that his toy wasn't responsive enough today. Annoyed, but maintaining an even tone, Daniel turned on his side.

"I'd like to have dinner in the room, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind," Alexander responded, dressing quickly without looking at him. This visit, the second in four days in Singapore, was less fruitful than the first - at least the first time Daniel had managed to come. This passionless sex didn't seem to bring Alexander any particular pleasure; they only provided temporary relief from tension. But they seemed necessary for some reason - it was no coincidence he'd brought him thousands of kilometers from Moscow. Daniel had given up trying to understand him; he realized it was futile.

After a shower, Daniel lay on the bed, where the sheets had been changed at his request, and opened a book. Fifteen minutes later, the door opened without a knock, and Maxim discreetly announced.

"Time to order dinner."

"I'm not hungry, order for yourself," Daniel said, turning the page, pretending to be reading the book, though Maxim's appearance had blurred the lines. The memory of the ugly scene at the airport made it hard to relax in his presence.

"Alexander said you should eat," Maxim interrupted. "I can choose something for you if you don't want to."

"Okay," Daniel set the book aside, pondering what he could stomach. The menu at Marina Bay Sands was extensive, featuring European and Asian dishes. "Perhaps something Asian, like pho bo."

"What?" Maxim frowned, puzzled. "I don't get it."

"Vietnamese pho bo soup," Daniel clarified, closing his book. "Also, orange juice. Thank you."

The order arrived half an hour later, and they had to move to the small living room, which served as Maxim's or Tengiz's bedroom. Maxim happily devoured his burger while Daniel picked at soy sprouts, sliced chili peppers, ginger, and mint, squeezing lime and stirring them into the steaming hot broth. Thin strips of meat turned gray before his eyes as the protein coagulated in the near-boiling water. Daniel stirred patiently, waiting.

"Tasty?" Maxim sniffed the air curiously. Daniel nodded silently, with no intention of starting a conversation.

He used his chopsticks to scoop up a portion of noodles to cool them down and took a bite, annoyed - Maxim continued to stare unabashedly. Daniel chewed on the noodles, flushed them down with juice, and snapped.

"Stop it!"

"What?" Maxim dropped a fry in surprise and blinked in confusion.

"Stop staring at me like I'm an object, not a person!" Daniel spoke irritably, standing up and taking his glass with him as he walked to the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. His nerves were frayed. These miserable four days, spent checking his surroundings minute by minute, looking for any possible escape, were taking their toll. He had only one day left, a mere 24 hours to pull off something close to the impossible.

With a groan, Daniel dropped the glass to the floor and grabbed his hair in frustration. He had been under constant surveillance by Tengiz and Maxim; even Alexander only traveled with one bodyguard, Marat, while Daniel was honored with a double escort. One of them even stayed in his room at night, ensuring he took sleeping pills - this wasn't a suggestion, it was mandatory.

Finding oneself trapped in a foreign country, especially one as small as Singapore, where the consulate was just minutes away and the police could help, was a particularly maddening kind of imprisonment.

Maxim entered, this time knocking tentatively, accompanied by the housekeeper. She skillfully cleaned up the broken glass, replaced the wet mat, and left. Maxim hesitated before speaking softly.

"I didn't mean to treat you like an object. I'm sorry. You should have eaten."

Daniel wordlessly held out his hand. Maxim, somewhat reluctantly, placed a pill on his palm, and Daniel swallowed it. He considered holding the pill in his mouth to spit it out later, but it dissolved too quickly. His head instantly felt heavy, the nervous tension began to dissipate, and Daniel lay on the bed, staring moodily at the ceiling. Maxim crumpled beside him, still slightly annoyed, and gradually drifted away from reality.