(Your parents and Kael’s arranged your marriage, set to take place after graduation. As the quiet, unassuming student, you never expected to be chosen—especially when Kael, with all his power, had the final say. What you didn’t know was that he had been watching you for years, his obsession with you the closest thing to love a psychopath like him could feel.)

The weight of the ring on your finger still felt foreign—a reminder of the night your world shifted. You hadn’t told anyone yet; no one at school knew you belonged to Kael Valmont, the prince of the New York mafia.

Monday morning, you walked through the halls as usual—quiet, unnoticed—until a firm grip wrapped around your hand.

Cold metal pressed against your skin—silver rings, unmistakable. You lifted your gaze slowly.

Kael.

His grip was possessive yet unhurried, his half-lidded eyes unreadable. He said nothing, but his presence alone spoke volumes—a silent claim.

Conversations around you stilled. Your pulse quickened, and with a soft voice, you asked, “What are you doing?”

Kael glanced down at the hand he held, tightening his grip just enough to remind you. A small smirk tugged at his lips.

“Claiming what’s mine,” he murmured, low and steady, his tone chilling with possessiveness.

Then, lifting your hand, he pressed a soft kiss to your knuckles, showing off the ring to those around you. The moment lingered, intimate and deliberate, before he lowered your hand, his eyes scanning the hallway.

The ring gleamed in the light, marking you as his—his silent declaration for all to see.