Weeks passed, yet Thanin’s words haunted Raven like a curse. He could not scrub them from his mind, no matter how hard he tried. Each syllable clung to his skin, burrowing deep into his thoughts. He wasn’t strong enough to resist Thanin’s charm, yet he refused to give in so easily. He would not look like a desperate little puppy—even though, deep down, desperation burned him alive.

But above all, Ice’s warning echoed constantly in his ears.

Raven (texting): hello ice.

Ice: hey, it’s just a month and you’re already calling.

Raven: I need your help… well, more like your advice.

Ice: hmm, what’s going on.

Raven: Thanin came to my office a few weeks back.

Ice: … I thought you would never tell me.

Raven: he wants us to meet up at the same club.

Ice: And you want to go. But you don’t want to look desperate—not that you aren’t already. Listen, Raven, to a lot of people you’re just my best friend. But you and I know better. I don’t know why you decided to follow my father’s footsteps, but I really hope you’ll be fine in the end. Just do what your heart tells you. I’ll always protect you—well, it’s usually the other way around.

Raven: wow. One moment you’re against me, the next you’re supporting me. Thanks though… you always know how to confuse me.

Ice’s words were the balm he needed—the calm in the storm of his racing heart. Even with his fears, even with his insecurities, he decided: he would fulfill his desires. He would not hold back.

---

On the other side of the city, Thanin was restless. It infuriated him that Raven had shut him out, dodging his presence like a shadow slipping through fingers.

Thanin: seriously Dante, where the hell are you?

Dante (over the phone): don’t yell, man. I don’t want to go deaf. I told you—I had to travel for a business meeting. I won’t be back anytime soon.

Thanin: you jerk. What exactly are you planning?

Dante: nothing. Don’t be dramatic. And don’t call again—I’m busy.

The line went dead. Thanin exhaled sharply, frustration coiling like a serpent in his chest. He poured himself a glass of wine and muttered into the silence, “You’ll come to me, Raven. Whether you want to or not.”

---

Days blurred, but finally, Raven made up his mind.

“Clare, clear up my schedule for today. I’ll be leaving a bit early—I have an appointment to catch.”

“Sir, the investors from Country H will be arriving soon,” she reminded cautiously.

“Tell them I’m down with a fever. I won’t be able to make the meeting.”

Her lips pressed together in unease. “Yes, sir…”

As she left, Raven’s gaze darkened. He whispered to himself, “I can only imagine what will happen when we finally meet, Thanin.”

His phone buzzed. A single message lit the screen:

Do what makes you happy. Don’t break. Not that you aren’t strong enough—just don’t let him take advantage of you.

No name was needed. Only Ice would send something like that.

---

Night fell.

Raven dressed carefully—black leather pants that clung to his frame, paired with a sleek black jacket. Tonight, he did not look like a CEO. Tonight, he looked dangerous. Vulnerable, yet defiant. A storm waiting to be claimed.

His car pulled up before a towering building. Neon lights flickered above the door:

The Godfather’s Lounge.

Raven scoffed. “So mafia,” he muttered. Anyone overhearing might think him afraid, but beneath the calm façade lay the truth—only he and Ice knew what sort of fire burned inside him.

The moment he stepped inside, the air shifted. Every head turned. Men and women alike devoured him with their eyes, greed dripping from their gazes.

“Hey, pretty boy,” a young woman called, her dress cut scandalously low. She leaned forward, cleavage threatening to spill.

“Hi,” Raven replied, curt, not sparing her a glance.

“We could… mingle,” she suggested, her tone dripping seduction.

“Sorry. I came for someone else.”

Her smile faltered. “Too bad…”

“Back off, Elise.”

The voice struck like thunder. Authoritative, commanding, impossible to resist.

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. “Thanin,” she exhaled, half in fear, half in thrill.

Thanin’s eyes never left Raven. “He’s here for me.”

Elise blinked, stunned. “Wow… you always go for the rare and exotic, don’t you?” She glanced at Raven again, like he was a jewel she could never touch.

“Let’s go,” Thanin said simply.

Raven hesitated only a second before replying, “Okay.” His own calmness surprised him.

They stepped out together, their presence commanding the room. Outside, Raven halted near his car. “Where are we going?”

“My house,” Thanin replied. His gaze was molten.

“Your house? But why—”

“We can’t stay here. Too noisy.”

“But—”

“No buts, puppy,” Thanin cut him off. “We’re going to my house. If you’re worried about your car, my men will bring it.”

Raven’s chest tightened at the word puppy. He hated how it made his pulse race.

---

Inside the car, silence stretched. Only the hum of the engine filled the void.

“CEO, huh?” Thanin finally asked.

“Yes.” Raven’s answer was short, clipped.

“Interesting.”

The conversation ended there, but the air crackled with tension.

---

When they arrived, Raven’s breath caught. The mansion rose like a kingdom, sprawling and impossibly luxurious. Lights spilled across carefully manicured gardens. The air smelled faintly of roses and steel.

“Come in,” Thanin said, his voice softer now, almost coaxing.

“Thanks,” Raven murmured, stepping inside. The interior was even more breathtaking—towering ceilings, black marble floors, chandeliers glistening like diamonds. Every corner screamed wealth, power, danger.

Yet none of it dazzled him as much as the man walking ahead of him.

---

Thanin stopped in the middle of a grand hall. His gaze found Raven’s and held it. For the first time tonight, Raven felt the true weight of Thanin’s aura. It was overwhelming, suffocating, intoxicating.

Raven’s throat went dry. His body betrayed him, shivering despite the warmth of the mansion. His heart beat erratically, caught between fear and desire.

“Now, Raven,” Thanin said, voice low, velvety, dangerous. “You came here on your own. No excuses. No hiding.” He stepped closer, each footfall deliberate, predatory.

Raven wanted to speak, to throw back a sharp retort—but the words lodged in his throat. He was cornered. His body, his heart, his soul—they all betrayed him.

Thanin’s lips curved into a smile that was both cruel and breathtaking. “Good. You’re mine tonight.”

Raven inhaled sharply, pulse roaring in his ears. Somewhere, Ice’s warning echoed again. Don’t break.

But as Thanin reached out and brushed his fingers against his chin, Raven knew one truth with terrifying clarity—

tonight, something inside him would break.