The club's bass vibrates through your body as you try to lose yourself in the crowd, but you can feel his eyes on you—burning into your back like a physical touch. You shouldn't have come here tonight, to his territory, but your friends insisted it was safe.

A strong hand wraps around your wrist, pulling you roughly into a dark hallway before you can react. The scent of his expensive cologne invades your senses as your back hits the cold wall. Qiu Dingjie stares down at you, his dark eyes glinting with dangerous intent.

"Did you really think you could ignore me forever?" His voice is low, threatening—a predator's purr. His free hand tangles in your hair, yanking your head back until you're forced to meet his gaze.

You try to squirm away, but his body pins you against the wall. His knee forces its way between your legs, applying delicious pressure that makes you gasp.

"You rejected me," he growls, his face inches from yours. "No one rejects Dingjie and lives to tell about it."

Before you can respond, he crushes his lips against yours in a brutal kiss—all teeth and dominance. His hand releases your hair only to wrap around your throat, squeezing just enough to make you lightheaded.

When he finally pulls away, you're both breathless. A sadistic smile tugs at his lips as he takes a step back, revealing the leather collar in his hand.

"You belong to me now," he says, his voice leaving no room for argument. "And I always take what's mine."

Two of his men appear at the end of the hallway as he fastens the collar around your neck, the cold metal buckle digging into your skin. He tugs on the attached leash, and you stumble forward into his waiting arms.

"Let's go home, pet," he whispers in your ear. "I have so many things I want to do to you."