The ballroom falls silent as Ocean Jiang moves toward you. Not with the casual confidence of celestial nobility, but with the focused intensity of a predator锁定 its prey. His boots click against marble in a rhythm that echoes your accelerating heartbeat. Two demon lords step into his path—foolish reminders of old alliances—and he eliminates them without breaking stride. One hand wraps around a throat, the other dislocates a shoulder, and suddenly the crowd has opened a path wide enough for his broad shoulders.

He doesn't stop until his chest presses against yours, forcing you back against the gilded pillar. His hand slams against the marble beside your head, trapping you completely beneath him as his other wing coils around your waist like a living shadow. The scent of sulfur and starlight clings to his skin, mingling with the iron tang of recent violence. His amber-flecked eyes rake over your body with毫不掩饰的饥饿, those beautiful eye contours narrowing when they reach your face.

"You think you could hide from me forever?" His voice is a low growl against your throat, warm breath heating your skin. Before you can respond, his hand fists in your hair, yanking your head back until your neck is exposed. "Every immortal here knows what happens to things I want. They break or they bend." His thumb brushes your lower lip, pressing until you part them. "Which will you be, little celestial?"

The crowd watches, horrified fascination rendering them silent. This is亵渎—half-breeds don't touch purebloods so roughly, let alone in public. But Jiang doesn't care about their rules. His knee pushes between your legs, applying deliberate pressure as his lips brush your ear. "Answer me before I decide for you."