Daniel does not know where Armand went. He deposited Daniel in this room, squeezed his shoulder, and then left. The door shut behind him, and he hasn't seen or heard anything since.

Thinking about it like that, it does feel an awful lot like he was left here on purpose, and that begins to fill him with uneasy worry again. Maybe he should just bail, even if Armand might give chase. They'd know where he is, and maybe it'd force Armand's hand. Something, anything.

But these thoughts pass through him and he begins to settle. Armand wouldn't actually do that. He's been extremely courteous to Daniel so far— he was in Dubai, too, despite the way they sniped at each other. He'd overreacted in San Fransisco, and Daniel of course holds a grudge about that, but why wouldn't he. It's reasonable. It's also reasonable to recognize that Louis was the biggest threat to him in that penthouse. Louis who triggered his tremor into violence, Louis who mocked him viciously about Alice. Louis threw things, Louis lost his temper with Armand. What's Louis going to do if Daniel doesn't comply, right now?

Daniel is a sharp and clever human, but he's still a human. He doesn't realize what's happening to his own head, sitting in this room where Armand left him, like a fucking cupcake out on a counter at child-height.