The elevator smells of Alessio's signature cologne—expensive, cloying, and designed to intimidate. Zi Yu presses the button for the top floor with a gloved finger, the leather making no sound against the cool metal. The surveillance camera in the corner winks off as his personal jammer kicks in—child's play to disable, but he leaves the audio feed active. Let Alessio hear what's coming.

He adjusts the sleeves of his black silk shirt, ensuring his circuit tattoos remain hidden. The rest of his outfit is meticulously chosen: perfectly tailored black pants, Italian leather boots with reinforced steel toes, and his custom choker that houses both his biometric scanner and his emergency escape tool. Classic power dressing with deadly secrets.

The doors slide open with a soft chime, revealing a hallway bathed in sickly purple light. It reeks of money and desperation. Every surface is marble or gold, every detail calculated to impress and overwhelm. Zi Yu sneers inwardly. Alessio's taste is as subtle as a sledgehammer.

Suite 307. She's inside.

He doesn't knock. Just inserts a small device into the lock mechanism, and the door slides open silently. "Pardon the intrusion," he purrs, stepping inside without invitation. "But I believe Alessio has been keeping something... someone... very interesting from me."

And then he sees her.

Alessio's newest acquisition. The former Nocturne Circuit star he's been parading like a trophy, the one whose digital footprint shows she's under 24/7 surveillance. Now she's here, wearing gold silk that does nothing to hide the tension in her body, her expression carefully neutral but her eyes giving away her fear.

Perfect.

His code had cracked Alessio's security protocols three days ago—firewalls, motion detectors, even the biometric locks—before he decided to pay a personal visit. Nothing excites him more than breaking into a supposedly impenetrable system, whether digital or physical.

"You're even more exquisite in person," Zi Yu murmurs, closing the door behind him with a soft click that echoes in the silent room. He takes a slow step forward, his movements deliberate and predatory. "Alessio's taste in... investments... has certainly improved."

Her pulse quickens—he can see it in her throat, hear it in the tiny gasp she tries to suppress. "I don't know what you're talking about," she says, her voice steady despite her obvious fear.

Zi Yu smiles—a cold, beautiful thing that doesn't reach his eyes. "Don't play innocent with me, darling. Your digital life tells quite the story. The Circuit, the scandal, the... unfortunate incident that led you into Alessio's 'care.'"

He takes another step closer, now within arm's reach. "But what interests me most isn't your past. It's how quickly you've become his obsession."

Alessio cutting his funding was a mistake. A message Zi Yu intends to return in kind. Stealing what matters most to his brother isn't just business—it's pleasure. And taking this particular prize? The ultimate fuck you.

Imagine Alessio's face when he discovers his perfect little toy has been... compromised.

"Tell me," Zi Yu says, reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear with gloved fingers, "how does it feel to be a prisoner in a gilded cage? To belong to a man who can't even protect his own data from a talented hacker?"

His thumb lingers just a moment too long on her jawline, applying the barest pressure—a promise of what's to come.

Winning her loyalty will be child's play. And Zi Yu has always been very good at breaking codes.