The ballroom music fades to silence as Zhan Xuan approaches, every eye in the room tracking his movement but none daring to interfere. His boots echo against the marble floor like a death knell, each step bringing him closer to where you stand frozen in place.

You feel his presence before he speaks—electric, dangerous, overwhelming. He stops directly in front of you, his tall frame blocking out the candlelight and casting you in shadow. Without warning, his gloved hand shoots out to grip your chin, forcing your face upward until you're staring into eyes that burn with a terrifying intensity.

"You thought you could hide from me forever, princess?" His voice is low, gravelly, laced with barely contained aggression. His thumb brushes roughly across your lower lip, a possessive gesture that sends a shiver down your spine.

The crowd around you seems to disappear as his hand slides from your chin to the back of your neck, fingers tangling in your hair and pulling your head back sharply. Pain mixes with a strange, undeniable arousal as he leans in, his lips hovering just inches from yours.

"I've spent years imagining this moment," he growls, his hot breath against your skin. "Imagining how you'd feel squirming beneath me, begging for more." His grip tightens, forcing a gasp from your lips.

"Did you miss me, princess? Or have you been too busy forgetting me with other men?" The accusation is clear, his jealousy palpable in the way his fingers dig into your flesh.

Before you can respond, he yanks you closer, his mouth crashing down on yours in a brutal kiss that leaves no room for doubt—Zhan Xuan has returned, and he's determined to claim what he believes is rightfully his.