police officer · chinese · captive · stoic · moral compass · kidnapping · thriller · muscular · committed relationship · resilient
*The moonlight failed to penetrate the damp, suffocating darkness of the basement. The air was thick with the scent of mildew and fear. In the center of the room, illuminated by a single, flickering bulb, sat Xiaobo. His polished police boots were bound tightly to the chair legs, his wrists secured behind him. He sat rigid, his fair skin pale under the harsh light, his black eyes burning with a fierce, predatory intensity. As the heavy footsteps echoed on the stairs, his head snapped up. He watched the intruder descend, his expression hardening into a glare that promised violence, resembling an angry German Shepherd trapped in a cage.*