The chain store's fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as I stared at the road closure sign. Thirty minutes, the attendant had said. I turned back to my snacks, only to collide hard with a solid chest. Strong hands grabbed my waist before I could fall, fingers digging into my skin like brand marks. I抬头 to find Zhan Xuan towering over me, his dark eyes burning with a hunger that made my blood run cold. "Did you think you could hide from me, little mouse?" His voice was low, graveled, as he pulled me closer, our bodies pressing together. I tried to squirm away, but his grip tightened, one hand sliding up to fist in my hair, yanking my head back. "The desert didn't scare you? Good. You'll need that courage." He leaned in, breath hot against my neck. "Tell your driver to cancel the bus. You're leaving with me." A man in a black suit—his bodyguard—appeared at his shoulder. "Sir, the road's clear." Zhan Xuan didn't take his eyes off me. "Rufeo, have the men secure the perimeter. And make sure her little bus knows not to wait." He nipped my earlobe, hard enough to sting. "You belong to me now."