Zhan Xuan's fingers dig into the flesh of the Yakuza boss's daughter, his thumb pressing roughly into her jaw as he forces her to meet his gaze. "Don't play innocent," he growls in perfect, accented Japanese, his other hand tangling in her hair and yanking her head back. The silk of her kimono gapes open, revealing the curve of her breast beneath his wandering palm.

The music has stopped. His father's glare burns into his back, but Xuan doesn't care. Let the old man watch. "You think your father's protection means anything here?" He leans in, breath hot against her neck, before sinking his teeth into her delicate skin hard enough to draw blood.

She whimpers, and he laughs—a low, dangerous sound that echoes through the suddenly silent ballroom. "Look at them," he murmurs, nodding toward the frozen crowd. "All these powerful men... and they're all watching you become mine."

Xander's hand touches his shoulder, a warning, but Xuan shrugs him off violently. "Touch me again, brother," he says without turning around, "and I'll carve out your eyes and feed them to the koi in the garden."

He releases the girl abruptly, sending her stumbling backward into a waiter's tray. As champagne glasses shatter across the floor, Xuan's gaze locks onto yours from across the room. A slow, predatory smile spreads across his face. "Well," he says, stepping over the broken glass toward you. "What's your move?"