Chapter 1: The Eyes of a Stranger

The air in Shanghai felt heavier than she expected.

Not suffocating-just thick, charged, like the sky before a storm. Mei Ling tightened her grip on the handle of her suitcase as she stepped into the arrival hall of Pu dong International Airport, her boots clicking on the polished floor. The terminal buzzed with life: languages she didn't understand, fast footsteps, neon sighs and the scent of cologne, jet fuel and unfamiliar spices. Even if she was herself a Chinese girl, She was raised by a foster family in the UK from the age of 2.

This was supposed to be a journey. An escape. A month abroad to find clarity after years of running in circles. A solo adventure across China, just her and her camera, where no one knew her name or what she was trying to leave behind. China was just a place on the map until it became her escape plan.

She was ready for a fresh start.

She didn't expect her entire life to shift in a single moment.

It happened as she was reaching for her suitcase at baggage claim.

It started with a feeling.

That pricking sensation along her spine, like she was being watched, not in passing, but like someone had locked onto her. She adjusted the strap of her backpack and glanced up instinctively.

And then... everything stopped.

He stood just beyond the glass that separated the private arrivals' section from the general public. Still. Silent. Watching her like a predator waiting to strike. Dressed in black, immaculately tailored, with an open collar that revealed a silver of ink curling along the edge of his throat. He was too far away to see clearly-yet somehow, his eyes met her like he had summoned her gaze.

Dark. Intense. Possessive.

The world around her blurred. The rush of travelers, the hum of announcements, the buzz of life-it all faded until only he remained.

He didn't blink. He didn't move.

But something in her did.

Her stomach fluttered. Her breath stilled. Furthermore, her skin flushed with heat, like her body recognized something her mind hadn't caught up with yet.

Three seconds.

That's all it took.

Three second of eye contact, and something inside her had shifted. Frightening. Unexplainable. Electric.

Then a family of tourists pushed a luggage cart through her line of sight-and when she looked again, he was gone.

Her heart thudded hard in her chest, a delayed reaction to... Whatever that had been.

Who was he?

She didn't even know his name. But that stare had branded something into her-something she couldn't shake, no matter how hard she tried.

"Miss Ling?" a man asked, breaking the spell. A driver in a crisp black uniform held up a sign with her name on it. "Your car is ready."

She nodded quickly, pulling her attention back to the real world.

Across the city, high above the skyline in a sleek glass tower, Xiang Yu stood in silence before a wall of windows. Below him, Shanghai sparkled-modern, alive, chaotic. But he didn't see it.

He saw her.

"Mei Ling," he murmured, his voice quiet but edged in steel.

He turned to the man standing behind him-his assistant, waiting for orders.

"She landed fifteen minutes ago," the assistant said in Mandarin. "No security. Traveling alone. No connections in China. It's her first time."

Xiang's lips curved, not in a smile-but in something darker. "Perfect."

"Do you want us to approach her?"

"No." His tone was final. Cold. "Not yet."

He turned back to the window, his reflection staring into the night.

"I saw her," he said softly. "And I knew."

The assistant hesitated. "Knew what, sir?"

Xiang's eyes narrowed, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

"That I would never let her leave."

A small, cruel smile touched his lips. " She'll come to me."

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