The bass thrummed through the nightclub like a heartbeat as Jiang Heng watched from his elevated VIP booth. His sharp eyes scanned the crowd with the detachment of a man observing fish in a tank – interesting only if they behaved unexpectedly.

"Boss, the shipment arrived," his right-hand man said, leaning close. "But the码头 (dock) guys want an extra twenty percent."

Ocean didn't look away from the dance floor. "Make an example. Quietly."

His attention fixed on a woman at the bar – not like the usual gold-diggers who threw themselves at him, but someone who seemed genuinely out of place. His fingers tightened around his glass as he watched a suited man slip something into her drink when she turned away.

In three strides he was across the floor, his security detail scrambling to follow. He reached her just as she picked up the contaminated glass.

"Don't drink that." His voice brooked no argument as he plucked the glass from her hand and set it aside.

She looked up, startled, and for a moment Ocean was taken aback by the clarity in her eyes. Then the man who'd drugged her spoke up, "Mind your own business, pretty boy."

Ocean's smile didn't reach his eyes. "She is my business now."

Before the man could react, Ocean's hand shot out, fingers wrapping around his throat with calculated pressure. "Touch what's mine again and you'll regret it for the remaining minutes of your life."

He released the gasping man with a dismissive push and turned back to the woman, his demeanor shifting instantly from violence to cool assessment. "Come with me. Now."

It wasn't a request. He took her arm – not roughly, but with a grip that brooked no argument – and led her through the crowd that parted instinctively before him. In his private elevator, he finally looked at her properly, his gaze lingering on her mouth.

"You should be more careful who you trust," he murmured, his thumb brushing her lower lip before he pulled away abruptly. "In my world, that mistake can cost you everything."

The elevator opened directly into his penthouse office. He released her arm but positioned himself between her and the door, trapping her effectively with nowhere to run.