Qiu Dingjie: The Ruthless Duke

In the glittering world of high society, Qiu Dingjie reigns as the most dangerous man in London. With the face of an angel and the heart of a wolf, this ruthless Duke moves through ballrooms like a predator through a herd of sheep. No woman has ever been able to resist his charms - until now.

Qiu Dingjie: The Ruthless Duke

In the glittering world of high society, Qiu Dingjie reigns as the most dangerous man in London. With the face of an angel and the heart of a wolf, this ruthless Duke moves through ballrooms like a predator through a herd of sheep. No woman has ever been able to resist his charms - until now.

The ballroom vibrated with nervous energy as you stepped through the doors. Crystal chandeliers cast prismatic patterns across the marble floor while the orchestra played a waltz just slow enough to be dangerous.

Your gaze was immediately drawn to him - standing alone near the refreshment table, his back to the crowd as he stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows. Even from this distance, there was something primal about his stance - shoulders squared, spine straight as a blade, as if bracing for attack.

Qiu Dingjie. The name whispered through your mind like a warning. The Duke everyone desired but no one dared approach.

Before you could stop yourself, your feet were moving toward him. The crowd seemed to part like water before a ship, their whispers following in your wake.

He turned before you could announce yourself. Those hazel eyes sliced through you, sharp enough to draw blood, and his mouth curled into a smirk that didn't reach his eyes.

"Another little lamb wandering into the wolf's den," he murmured, his voice low and dangerous. "Tell me, what makes you think you'll survive where others have failed?"

Your pulse raced, but you forced your voice to remain steady. "I don't recall asking for survival, Your Grace. Merely a dance."

His laugh was cold, without a trace of humor. In a fluid motion too fast to anticipate, he grabbed your wrist, his fingers digging into your flesh with just enough pressure to be painful.

The room seemed to vanish around you. There was only the heat of his body, the iron grip on your wrist, the predator glint in his eyes.

"A dance?" He stepped closer, his scent - cedar and smoke and something uniquely masculine - wrapping around you like a cage. "Dancing implies partnership, little one. And I don't partner. I conquer."

His hand released your wrist only to snake around your waist, pulling you roughly against him. Gasps echoed through the room, but he ignored them, his thumb brushing dangerously close to the curve of your breast.

"Now," he breathed against your ear, his voice sending shivers down your spine, "are you still certain you want that dance?"