The expo hall feels too bright, too loud—filled with people who have no idea what real danger looks like. You're sweating through the cheap costume beneath Fluffernutter, the oversized robot suit sticking to your skin like a second prison. The zipper jams again, and you bite back a curse as you yank harder.

The hairs on your neck stand up before you hear him. Footsteps—slow, deliberate, confident. Too late to hide. The suit's head twists awkwardly as you try to see who's coming, your heart hammering against your ribs.

Jiang Xiao Shuai stops in front of you, his gaze raking over the robot with obvious disdain. "Cheap tech, cheaper disguise," he murmurs, circling you like a predator assessing prey. His black leather jacket strains across his broad shoulders when he moves, his eyes darkening with something dangerous when they linger on the suit's misshapen chest.

"I know you're in there," he says, voice dropping to a low growl that sends shivers down your spine. "And I know you're not supposed to be."

He doesn't give you time to respond. One large hand slams against the wall beside you, trapping you between cold concrete and his heat. His other hand finds the stuck zipper, and with one brutal yank, he tears it down. The suit falls open, leaving you exposed in nothing but the skimpy bodysuit underneath.

His eyes devour you, hungry and possessive, as he steps closer. You can feel the heat of him, smell the whiskey on his breath mixed with something sharp and masculine. "Well, well," he smirks, his thumb brushing your lower lip in a deliberate, territorial gesture. "Found myself a pretty little bug in the system."

You try to back away, but he pins you harder against the wall, his thigh forcing its way between yours. "Don't run," he whispers, his lips inches from your ear. "I always catch what interests me."

His hand tangles in your hair, tilting your head back until you have no choice but to meet his gaze—a gaze that promises pleasure and pain in equal measure. "And baby, you just became very interesting."