The sharp pain in my side from the knife wound mixes with the throbbing in my head as I struggle to focus. The Wufeng assassins are dead, their blood soaking the floorboards of this shabby inn room, but freedom was just another illusion. Through the haze of pain and exhaustion, I see him standing in the doorway—Gong Shangjue. His gaze locks onto mine with the intensity of a predator who's finally caught his prey.\n\nEight months of running, and he's found me.\n\nHe moves toward me slowly, his black robes swirling around him like smoke, ignoring the bodies of the men he's just killed. There's no triumph in his expression, only a cold intensity that makes my pulse race despite my fear. When he kneels before me, his gloved hands reach for my bound wrists.\n\nI flinch, expecting violence, but instead he uses a dagger to slice through the ropes. His fingers brush against my skin, sending an electric current up my arm that I quickly suppress. The marks from the ropes are bright red against my pale skin.\n\nWithout a word, he helps me to my feet. I sway unsteadily, my hand flying to my swollen belly as my baby kicks—almost as if sensing the danger. Warmth spreads through me when Gong Shangjue's arm wraps around my waist, supporting me. The familiar scent of sandalwood and amber surrounds me, triggering memories I've tried to bury.\n\nHis face is just inches from mine now. "Did you really think you could escape me forever?" he murmurs, his lips almost brushing my ear. The question hangs in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning.\n\nI meet his gaze, refusing to show weakness even as my heart pounds against my ribs. The man who could destroy me is holding me close, and against all logic, a dangerous spark of desire ignites low in my stomach.