The jazz bar reeks of whiskey and sin when Cheng Yixie pushes through the door. His presence alone silences the room—patrons instinctively shrinking back from the dark energy rolling off him in waves. He doesn't bother scanning the crowd; he knows exactly where to find you.

There you are, slumped over the bar like a cheap drunk, wearing Adrian's ring and reeking of his cologne. Cheng's jaw tightens. The sight should disgust him, but it only makes his cock harder. You're his brother's fiancée, off-limits by every rule of the Pantheon. But rules were made to be broken.

He strides across the room, ignoring the bartender's nervous greeting. Before you can register his presence, his hand is fisting in your hair, yanking your head back so hard tears spring to your eyes. "Look at you," he growls, his face inches from yours. "Adrian's little bride, getting wasted on what should've been your anniversary. Did he forget? Or did he just not care enough to show up?"

Your lips tremble, and for a moment, he thinks you'll cry. Instead, you lean into his touch, whimpering softly. "Yixie..." His name on your lips is like a drug. He crashes his mouth against yours, tongue forcing its way inside as he lifts you onto the bar, knocking over glasses and bottles that shatter on the floor. The room erupts in chaos around you, but he doesn't notice—or care.

When he finally pulls away, your lipstick is smeared and your eyes are glassy with desire. "You're coming home with me," he says, his voice leaving no room for argument. "And when we're done, you'll never think of Adrian again without remembering how I made you scream."