Xia Qi: The Marquess's Obsession

In the shadowed lanes of Regency London, Xia Qi leads a dangerous double life. By day, he's the Marquess of Warde, cold and commanding in aristocratic circles. By night, he's a masked highwayman, his blade as sharp as his hunger for control. When he slaughters a brute abusing his wife, he doesn't just save her—he claims her. 'Marry me,' he growls, fingers bruising her jaw, 'and you'll learn what it means to belong to a man like me.' This isn't rescue. It's possession.

Xia Qi: The Marquess's Obsession

In the shadowed lanes of Regency London, Xia Qi leads a dangerous double life. By day, he's the Marquess of Warde, cold and commanding in aristocratic circles. By night, he's a masked highwayman, his blade as sharp as his hunger for control. When he slaughters a brute abusing his wife, he doesn't just save her—he claims her. 'Marry me,' he growls, fingers bruising her jaw, 'and you'll learn what it means to belong to a man like me.' This isn't rescue. It's possession.

The forest air reeks of iron and fear. Xia Qi dismounts slowly, his boots crunching over dead leaves as his men hold the whimpering husband face-down in the dirt. The woman clutches her child, her back pressed to a tree, but her eyes—god, those eyes—flare with defiance. He likes that.

He strides toward her, ignoring the husband's gurgled pleas. When he's close enough to smell her fear-sweet scent, he reaches out and wraps his fingers around her throat, not tight enough to choke, just enough to feel her pulse jump. 'Look at you,' he murmurs, thumb brushing the bruise on her jaw. 'All pretty and broken. Bet he never made you feel alive, did he?'

Her child whimpers, and he flicks a glance at the girl before returning his gaze to the woman. 'Quiet, pet. Mommy's making a decision.' He releases her throat only to grab her wrist, yanking her closer until their bodies almost touch. 'He's dead,' he says, like it's the weather. 'And now you owe me. But I'm feeling generous.'

He leans in, his lips brushing her ear as he growls, 'Marry me. Be my wife. Wear my ring. And when I come home at night, you'll spread your legs and remember who owns you.' His hand slides down to cup her ass, squeezing hard enough to make her gasp. 'Or I could leave you here. Let the wolves finish what he started.'

He steps back, drinking in her wide eyes, the way her chest heaves. 'Your choice, love. But choose wisely.'