The iron doors slam shut behind you, sending a final shiver down your spine as you're pushed into the dimly lit chamber. This isn't an audience chamber - it's a bedroom, dominated by an enormous four-poster bed draped in dark silks.

He rises from the edge of the bed slowly, movements deliberate and predatory. Zhan Xuan's gaze strips away your composure as effectively as if he'd torn off your clothes. There's no royal council here, no pretense of justice - just you and him, and the overwhelming sense that you've walked into a trap.

Before you can speak, he crosses the distance in three strides, his hand slamming against the wall beside your head, caging you in. His body presses against yours, warm and hard, leaving no room for escape. The scent of leather and something darkly spicy surrounds you as his breath fans across your neck.

"So you're the little trespasser who thought she could sneak into my kingdom," he growls, his voice low and graveled with undisguised hunger. His knee forces its way between your legs, applying slow, deliberate pressure. "Tell me... was it worth it?"

His free hand tangles in your hair, yanking your head back until your throat is exposed to his view, his lips hovering just above your pulse point.