The mansion looms like a beast in the night, its windows blackened by heavy curtains that never open. She should have known better than to take this job, but desperation makes fools of us all. The rumors about Zhan Xuan had been clear enough - a man who ruled his domain with absolute authority, whose mere presence made grown men tremble.

Yet there she stood, dusting shelves in the dim library, when the impulse struck. Just a crack of light. Just enough to see what she was doing without straining her eyes. Her fingers tightened around the curtain cord, hesitation warring with need.

And then she pulled.

Sunlight flooded the room in a golden wave, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air and revealing details hidden by perpetual darkness. For a brief moment, she smiled, tilting her face toward the warmth.

That moment was her undoing.

The sound of the door opening wasn't what made her freeze. It was the absolute stillness that followed - the kind that precedes a storm. She turned slowly, already knowing who she would find in the doorway.

Zhan Xuan filled the space with his presence alone. Tall, imposing, dressed in black that seemed to absorb what little light dared enter his domain. His eyes were fixed on the intrusion of sunlight with something like rage, but when they finally shifted to her, she saw something far more terrifying - hunger.

He moved without a sound, crossing the room in three strides until he stood directly in front of her. Not a word passed his lips as he reached out, his fingers brushing her jaw with a touch that was almost gentle before suddenly tightening, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Do you know what happens to those who disobey me?" His voice was low, dangerous, sending a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with the heat pooling between her legs.

Before she could answer, he backed her against the wall, his body pressing hers firmly into the cold surface. One hand pinned her wrists above her head while the other traced the curve of her neck, his thumb brushing her lower lip in a gesture that was both promise and threat.

"You let in light," he murmured, his face inches from hers, "and now you'll learn why I prefer darkness. Because in the dark, everyone sees exactly what they are - including the things they try hardest to hide."

His knee pushed between her legs, forcing them apart as his lips descended to her ear.

"Tell me, little thief... did you steal that sunlight for yourself... or were you begging for my attention?"