Nowhere to Run
584 Words
Her wide, clear eyes collided with his dark, unreadable gaze.
Her voice dropped to a trembling whisper.
“What… what are you doing?”
She instinctively tried to push him away.
The arm around her waist tightened instantly, locking her in place like iron. The distance between them vanished completely, his presence overwhelming, inescapable.
Her face burned with both humiliation and fury.
This man was shameless.
Unhinged.
Did he even know where they were?
This was the Jiang family’s kitchen—right under everyone’s noses.
He could afford recklessness.
She couldn’t.
His hand slid up her back slowly, deliberately, sending a chill racing through her spine. Su Nian’en shuddered.
“Han Xi Cheng,” she warned in a low voice, fear barely contained, “don’t push your luck.”
Before he could respond, a soft voice floated in from the hallway.
“Xi Cheng? Where did you go?”
Jiang Qing Wan.
Su Nian’en’s heart slammed violently against her ribs.
She pressed her palms against his chest, trying desperately to push him away—but he caught both her wrists in one swift motion and pinned them behind her back. The pressure was merciless, forcing a sharp gasp from her lips.
“Mr. Han,” she hissed, panic breaking through, “you care about my cousin, don’t you? If she walks in and sees this… what do you think she’ll believe?”
She stopped struggling.
She gambled instead.
“Is that so?”
A faint, mocking smile curved his lips. His grip tightened, dark eyes boring into her pale face.
“Isn’t that exactly what you want?”
Her blood ran cold.
She stared at him, disbelief flashing across her features.
“I’ve never wanted anything that belongs to her.”
Her voice hardened.
“Control yourself.”
His answer came without warning.
He lowered his head and silenced her completely.
Her mind went blank.
The shock hit first—pure, blinding panic. She froze, breath stolen, thoughts dissolving into white noise.
Then—
“Has anyone seen Mr. Han?”
Jiang Qing Wan’s voice echoed from the living room.
Reality crashed back.
Footsteps approached. Voices followed.
Su Nian’en struggled frantically, but the difference in strength was absolute. Her resistance only tightened his hold, trapping her further as her muffled cry escaped.
Then—
Crash!
Glass shattered violently against the floor.
The sudden noise cut through the tension like a blade.
“Xi Cheng?” Jiang Qing Wan gasped.
The kitchen door swung open.
Inside, Su Nian’en was crouched on the floor in shock, her face pale, eyes wide. Han Xi Cheng stood calmly by the counter, shards of glass scattered near his polished shoes.
“Brother-in-law!” Jiang Qing Wan rushed over. “Are you hurt?!”
Only then did she notice the shattered fruit platter.
More footsteps thundered in.
Song Wan Zhi’s face darkened instantly, though she forced a strained smile.
“I’m so sorry. Nian’en has always been careless. She never had proper upbringing.”
Jiang Qing Wan glanced at Su Nian’en, then gently said,
“You just got back from a long flight. You must be exhausted. Go upstairs and rest.”
It sounded kind.
It wasn’t.
Su Nian’en didn’t hesitate.
Like a rabbit escaping a hunter’s grasp, she fled.
She dragged her suitcase upstairs, ignoring the ache in her arms, the shaking in her hands.
When she finally shut the door of her tiny room behind her, she collapsed against it, gasping for breath.
Her heart still hadn’t slowed.
- Writer
