Chapter 4 - ​Chapter 4: The Gilded Cage

​He dragged her into his car, ignoring her pleas. Once they were inside his villa, he locked the doors. "You stay here," he said, his voice a low, dangerous growl. Ning fell to the floor, her hair disheveled. "They are going to think you kidnapped me, Xuan! My family will hate you!" Xuan knelt in front of her, his face inches from hers. "Let them hate me. As long as you are under my roof, I can breathe." His possessiveness was a living thing in the room. He touched her cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear, but his eyes were hard. "I saw the way Wei Chen looked at you. I wanted to gouge his eyes out." Ning shuddered. This was the man she loved—the man who would burn the world for her, but who was currently burning her. "I love you," she whispered, her voice breaking. "But this is wrong." Xuan laughed, a hollow, jagged sound. "Love is never right, Ning. It's a war." He stood up and walked to the window, watching the gates like a hawk. He was ready for the Wei family to come. He was ready for anyone to try and take her. He would never let her go again.