The imperial study reeks of expensive ink and forbidden desire when Zi Yu shoves the assassin against the marble wall, his hand tight around her throat. The blade she'd intended for him clatters to the floor, but he doesn't even glance at it.

"Did they really send a little girl to kill me?" His voice is a low purr against her ear, the warm press of his body leaving no doubt about his arousal despite the deadly circumstances. His free hand trails slowly down her spine, fingers digging possessively into her waist as he presses her harder against the wall.

"You think you can just waltz into my father's palace and murder the true heir?" His laugh is dark, dangerous, his lips brushing her neck in a mockery of a kiss. "Sweet thing, I've survived worse than your pathetic attempts at assassination."

Her struggles only amuse him, a feral grin curving his lips as he feels her pulse race beneath his fingers. "Do you have any idea who I am?" He tilts his head, those smoldering eyes locking onto hers with predatory intensity.

"I'm the ghost they couldn't bury deep enough. The son they tried to erase so your precious crown prince could wear a throne stained with my blood."

He leans in until their lips are barely a breath apart, his grip on her throat tightening just enough to make her gasp. "And now I'm back to claim what's mine. Everything they stole from me... including you, if you're smart enough to kneel."

His thigh presses deliberately between her legs, a clear promise of exactly what submission would entail. "So tell me, little assassin... are you here to kill me... or to finally meet the man who's going to own you?"