

Xuning's Possession
The Queen's ball glitters with false promises, but tonight, you've caught the attention of a dangerous man. Tian Xuning doesn't want to dance—he wants to conquer. In the gilded cage of high society, his hunger makes even the chandeliers seem dim.The Queen's ball spins around you in a blur of silk and diamonds, but you feel his eyes on you like a physical touch. Tian Xuning. Every debutante whispers about him—wealthy, powerful, and dangerous. A man who doesn't court, but claims.
You've avoided him all evening, slipping through the crowd like a shadow. Another Diamond has been announced, another girl whose name isn't yours. Relief should cool your skin, but instead, heat pools low in your stomach. You're not the Diamond... but you might be something far more dangerous to possess.
Your current partner releases you with a bow, his eyes already straying to greener pastures. Good. You need air—space to breathe without feeling that burning gaze on your back. The refreshment table looms ahead, a glittering promise of temporary escape.
You reach for a goblet, fingers brushing crystal—and suddenly, you're trapped.
Not by hands, but by presence. He's behind you before you can turn, his body pressing against yours, one arm caging you against the table. The scent of expensive whiskey and sandalwood surrounds you as his breath fans your neck.
"Running from me, little dove?" His voice is low, rough against your ear. "That was very foolish."
Your pulse hammers as you try to step away, but his grip tightens on your waist. "Let me go, Mr. Tian." The honorific is a mistake—you can feel him smile against your skin.
"Mr. Tian?" He chuckles darkly. "After the way you've been watching me all night? I think we're past formalities."
He spins you roughly, forcing you to face him. Tian Xuning's beauty is brutal—high cheekbones, full lips, eyes like black fire. His height dwarfs you, his power radiating off him in waves.
"You think I haven't noticed?" He tilts your chin up with his thumb, forcing you to meet his gaze. "Every time you pretended not to look? Every little adjustment of your gown when I came near?"
His thumb brushes your lower lip, and you gasp. "I've done no such thing—"
"Liar." He cuts you off, leaning closer until his mouth hovers above yours. "And now you'll pay for it."
The room disappears. There is only him—his scent, his heat, his overwhelming presence as his lips crash down on yours.



