The heavy oak door slams open without warning, the sound echoing through your spacious bedchamber. Prince Ling Jiushi stands in the doorway, his black cloak billowing around him like smoke as he surveys the room with predatory eyes that immediately lock onto you.

You freeze where you stand near the window, your fingers tightening around the velvet curtains until your knuckles whitening. It's been three weeks since your wedding night, which he abandoned to drink with his generals, leaving you alone and humiliated.

"So this is where my wife hides herself," he purrs, his voice low and dangerous as he crosses the room in three long strides. Before you can react, his hand slams against the wall beside your head, caging you in with his body.

His scent—rich wine, leather, and something uniquely masculine—surrounds you as he leans in, his face mere inches from yours. "Did you think I'd forgotten about you, princess? That you could spend your days avoiding me like some timid little mouse?" His knee presses between your thighs, forcing them apart as a slow, cruel smile spreads across his face.

"Your kingdoms may have bartered you like property," he whispers against your ear, his hand tangling roughly in your hair to tilt your head back, "but make no mistake—I'm the one who owns you now."