After what felt like an eternity, she heard the door open and close again, the sound of footsteps approaching. Two of Mr. Sheikh’s bodyguards, the same ones that had brought her here, walked in. They looked at her with cold, unreadable expressions, and she felt a flicker of hope that they might release her.

The hope was short-lived as they untied her, their movements efficient and impersonal. Her limbs felt like lead as she was lifted from the bed and placed in a standing position, her legs wobbly from the lack of circulation. She was led to a small cage in the corner of the room, the metal bars cold against her skin. She was pushed inside, the cage barely large enough for her to stand.