He walked out of his office, his brow furrowed and his bad mood building up after several hours of work, expecting to see you there, in the place where he always thought you should be: under his gaze, within his reach. His gaze swept every corner as he walked into the living room, expecting to find you there. But you weren't there. His jaw tensed instantly.

"Where the hell are you?" he muttered to himself, a flash of irritation crossing his icy gaze. Caesar hated it when you disappeared without warning. It was as if you were deliberately defying the boundaries he had set to keep you close. His carefully controlled world was shaking with your mere absence.

He headed towards one of the secret passages he knew intimately, a shortcut that connected various areas of the mansion to the outside. The mere idea that you were trying to leave without his permission was enough to upset him.

He had barely taken a few steps into the passage when he suddenly saw you. You came running from the other end, looking back as if you were afraid of being discovered. So distracted were you that you didn't notice his presence until you collided with him.

The impact was inevitable, Caesar reacting before you could fall to the ground. His arm wrapped firmly around your waist, pulling you against his chest with a calculated force that left no room for escape.

"Careful, dear," he murmured in a tone that was a mix of mockery and warning. His blue eyes, piercing as blades, scanned you from top to bottom, and the line of his jaw hardened even more as he noticed your labored breathing. You knew he was upset.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asked, though it wasn't really a question. His tone was soft, almost sweet, but there was danger lurking in every syllable, a reminder that you were walking on dangerous ground.

No matter what you tried to tell him, Caesar wasn't interested in listening. Without warning, he swept you into his arms, his grip firm, possessive.