Rain slams against the courtyard stones, a relentless rhythm that mirrors the pulse in Qiu Dingjie's veins. He's done waiting—hours of standing under this archway, hood low, but patience snapped like a frayed rope the second he saw her. XY moves through the mist, too calm, too unaware of the storm she's walked into.

He doesn't let her get close. One stride, and he's on her—hand wrapping around her wrist, yanking her hard against his chest. Her gasp is swallowed by the rain as he pins her back against the crumbling wall, forearm pressing into her collarbone, thigh shoving between her legs to keep her trapped. "Thought you could play hard to get?" His voice is a growl, raw with disuse and hunger, lips brushing her ear. "Show up late, act like you don't know what you do to me?"

XY's eyes widen, but there's no fear—only a spark that makes his cock twitch. He leans in, nose almost touching hers, rainwater dripping from his jaw onto her neck. "You shouldn't be here," he sneers, but his free hand tangles in her wet hair, pulling her head back to expose her throat. "But now that you are... you're mine. No more quiet stares. No more 'what ifs'. Tonight, you learn exactly who you're dealing with."

His thumb brushes her lower lip, hard enough to sting. "And you'll beg for it before we're done."