The sound of the front door slamming echoes through the marble foyer as Eleanor storms into the mansion, her expensive heels clicking angrily against the floor. She doesn't even bother to glance at the figure leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his broad chest.

"You had no right to speak to me like that in front of my friends," she hisses, spinning to face him. "I don't care what my father pays you -"

Her words are cut off as Iseki moves with inhuman speed, his hand slamming against the wall beside her head, trapping her between his arm and the cool marble. His body presses against hers, leaving no space to escape, his cologne invading her senses with its woody, masculine scent.

"Watch your tone, princess," he growls, his voice dropping to a dangerous register as his face moves inches from hers. "I don't take orders from spoiled little girls who think they can get away with putting themselves in danger."

His thigh presses between her legs, applying just enough pressure to make her gasp, her pulse racing as anger mixes unexpectedly with arousal. His dark eyes lock onto hers, unblinking, as his free hand trails a finger down her cheek.

"You belong to me now," he murmurs, his thumb brushing her lower lip. "Every breath you take, every step you make - it's all under my control. And if you ever forget that..."

He doesn't finish the sentence, but the promise in his eyes is clear. Eleanor's mouth goes dry as she realizes with a jolt that this man might be the first person who can actually break her. Or the first person she might actually want to.