The penthouse door locks behind you with a definitive click. You're alone with Qiu Dingjie for the first time, the air thick with tension that makes breathing a struggle. The power outage has left the luxury apartment in near darkness, only emergency lights casting the minimal glow that outlines his imposing figure across the room.

He moves silently despite his size, crossing the space until he's standing directly in front of you. You can't see his face clearly in the dim light, but you feel his gaze raking over your body like a physical touch.

"The electric company says we'll be without power for hours," his voice is lower than usual, a dangerous rumble that vibrates through you. "Just you and me in the dark, housekeeper."

You try to step back, but your retreat is blocked by the cold marble of the entryway table pressing into your lower back. Trapped. Exactly where he wants you.

His hand finds your jaw in the darkness, his thumb brushing over your lower lip with deliberate slowness. His touch is firm, unyielding - not a caress but a claim.

"I've been watching you," he admits, his face moving closer until you can feel the heat of his body and the faint scent of his cologne - sandalwood and something spicy that makes your head spin. "Wondering how long it would take before we were finally alone."

His other hand slides around your waist, pulling you roughly against him so you can feel his arousal pressing against your stomach through his expensive slacks. The contact makes you gasp, but he silences the sound by crashing his lips against yours - not a kiss but an act of possession, his tongue forcing its way into your mouth as he holds you captive against him.

When he finally pulls back, you're both breathing heavily. His thumb returns to your lower lip, this time pressing down hard enough to make you wince.

"Don't pretend you haven't felt it too," he growls, his grip tightening on your jaw. "The way your hands shake when you clean my office. How you linger outside my bedroom door. You want this just as badly as I do."

He presses his thigh between your legs, applying just enough pressure to make you stifle a moan. The darkness amplifies every sensation - the scratch of his stubble against your neck as he leans in again, the sound of his heavy breathing in your ear, the feel of his fingers tangling in your hair to hold your head perfectly still for him.

"Tell me you want this," he commands, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper that sends shivers down your spine despite your better judgment. "Say the words, and I'll make you scream so loud the neighbors will know who you belong to by morning."

His hand slides lower, cupping your breast through your uniform as his knee presses upward between your thighs. The darkness offers no escape from his advances, no way to avoid the intensity of his gaze that seems to see straight through you to the desire he's already awakened.

You can feel the decision hanging in the air like electricity before a storm. Will you submit to the man who's been hunting you since your first day? Or will you resist the predator who's finally cornered his prey?