Enticing Kiss: The Cold CEO's Ultimate Trapping

Midsummer in New York, the air was thick with a sweltering heat.

Elena Lu dragged her suitcase, standing before the heavy carved iron gates of the Qin family mansion, her palms damp with a thin layer of sweat.

After three years, she was finally back.

"Miss Elena, you're finally back. The old lady has been talking about you every day." Uncle Chen, the butler, smiled as he took her luggage and led her inside.

Passing through the corridor, the cool air of the main hall hit her face.

Elena immediately saw the man sitting in the primary seat.

Julian Qin wore a sophisticated dark gray suit, his tie fastened perfectly, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, adding a touch of coldness that kept people at a distance. He held a white porcelain teacup, his eyes lowered as he listened to Old Mrs. Qin speak. His profile was deep and picturesque, so noble that one dared not look directly at him.

He was the youngest patriarch of the Qin family and Elena's nominal uncle.

Elena's heart skipped a beat, and her fingertips instinctively curled into her palms.

"Grandma, I'm back," she spoke softly, her voice still carrying a hint of hoarseness from her long journey.

Old Mrs. Qin beamed with joy, beckoning her over. "Elena, come here quickly. Let Grandma see if you've suffered abroad. Why have you lost so much weight?"

Only then did Julian Qin look up, his gaze falling on Elena.

Three years had passed, and the timid little girl who used to follow him and call him "Uncle" had blossomed. She wore a simple white shirt and a pleated skirt. Her skin was fair, and her features were clear and ethereal, exuding a purity untouched by dust. Yet, her eyes were captivating; when they moved, they seemed to have invisible hooks.

"Julian, you're her uncle; why don't you say hello?" the old lady chided.

Julian put down his teacup, his cold gaze lingering on Elena's face for a moment before he spoke indifferently, "Welcome back."

His voice was deep and pleasant, like the strings of a cello sweeping across the heart.

Elena lowered her head slightly, hiding the five-year-old turmoil in her eyes. "Uncle, long time no see."

In the evening, the Qin family held a welcome banquet.

Elena sat opposite Julian, almost afraid to look up. She could feel the man's gaze occasionally sweeping over her, carrying a scrutinizing, highly oppressive power.

After the banquet, Elena went to the kitchen to pour some water. Passing the study, she saw light leaking from the crack in the door.

She stopped in her tracks and, as if possessed, walked over.

In the study, Julian had taken off his suit jacket and was wearing only a white shirt, his sleeves rolled up casually to reveal his firm forearms. He was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, his tie slightly loose, exuding a captivating decadence amidst his abstinence.

Elena watched, somewhat entranced.

"Have you seen enough?" the man's low, raspy voice suddenly sounded.

Elena was startled and was about to turn and run, but the study door was opened from the inside.

Julian stood at the door, his tall figure completely enveloping her in shadow. He looked down at her, his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses as deep as ink.

"You left so decisively three years ago. Now that you're back, you don't even dare to look at your uncle?"

He leaned in slightly, and the cold, woody scent with a hint of tobacco instantly invaded all of Elena's senses.

Elena's heart pounded like a drum, and she forced a smile. "How could that be... I was just afraid of disturbing your work, Uncle."

"Is that so?" Julian's long fingers reached out, seemingly brushing past the tips of her hair, creating a faint current of electricity. "Elena, you've grown up."

His tone was ambiguous, and his gaze fell on her earlobes, which had turned slightly red from tension. His eyes darkened.

This forbidden game called "Uncle" seemed to have truly begun the moment she returned.

Julian Qin was an extremely self-disciplined person.

In New York's elite circles, he was famous as the "flower on the high ridge"—cold and abstinent, with no woman ever by his side. Some even whispered that the Qin family's patriarch was born without emotions.

Elena Lu, however, knew that it was just a perfect mask.

On the third day after her return, because Elena needed to prepare a gown for her university's graduation party, Old Mrs. Qin arranged for her to go pick one out with Julian.

In a top-tier haute couture shop, Elena changed into a dark green backless gown.

This color was extremely difficult to pull off, yet it complemented her skin, making it look as fair as congealed fat. The design of the dress was bold, with the back almost entirely bare, save for a few slender black silk ribbons crossing over each other—it was incredibly seductive.

Elena walked out somewhat uneasily, standing before the fitting mirror.

Julian was sitting on a single sofa not far away, flipping through a financial report. Hearing the movement, he slowly looked up.

At that moment, his fingers paused on the page.

The dark green silk fabric hugged the girl's graceful curves, rippling as she moved. She stood under the lights, her pure face and the enchanting gown forming an ultimate visual conflict.

Julian's Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably, and a hidden layer of dark desire flickered in his eyes.

"Uncle, is this one okay?" Elena turned around cautiously, showing that smooth and delicate back to him.

Julian stood up, approaching her step by step.

He stopped behind her, his long fingers resting on her bare shoulder. His fingertips were slightly cool, and as they brushed against her skin, Elena couldn't help but develop a layer of tiny goosebumps.

"The back is too exposed," Julian's voice was pressed very low, carrying a hint of unnoticeable hoarseness.

He reached out, slowly and methodically helping her adjust those silk ribbons, his fingertips seemingly brushing against her spine. That tingling sensation traveled up from her tailbone to the top of her head, making Elena's legs feel a bit weak.

"But... the shop assistant said this one suits me best," Elena bit her lower lip, her voice soft and sweet, as if she were acting spoiled.

Julian suddenly pressed against her from behind, his chest against her back.

Through the thin fabric, Elena could feel the oppressive heat from his body and his steady, drum-like heartbeat.

He leaned down, his lips close to her ear, his warm breath fanning in. "Elena, you haven't even graduated yet. Dressing like this—who do you want to show it to?"

His tone carried a frightening sense of possessiveness. He applied pressure with his fingertips, tightening one of the ribbons.

Elena could almost hear her own heart thumping like thunder.

"Change it." Julian let go and took a step back, regaining his cold and noble demeanor as if the moment of loss of control had never happened.

He restrained himself exceptionally well—so well that Elena thought the ambiguous touch just now was merely her hallucination.

But when he sat back on the sofa and picked up the financial report again, Elena clearly saw his fingers trembling slightly.

Beneath that abstinent shell, a beast was clearly locked away, on the verge of breaking out of its cage.

Elena Lu's secret crush began when she was seventeen.

At that time, the Lu family suffered a sudden misfortune, and she was taken into the Qin family for foster care. On that stormy night, Julian Qin brought her home, wrapping her shivering body in his large suit jacket and telling her: "Don't be afraid, this will be your home from now on."

That hint of cold fragrance became the most secret dream of her teenage years.

Five years had passed. She had filled her diary with his name, yet when facing him, she had to repeatedly check if even her breathing was appropriate.

The night before the graduation party.

Elena was packing her luggage in her bedroom. She planned to move out of the Qin family mansion after the party and stay in the small apartment she had rented off-campus. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, the love in her eyes would become impossible to hide and would be seen through by that shrewd and cold man at a glance.

"Knock, knock."

The door was knocked.

Julian Qin pushed the door open and entered. He had already changed into loungewear—a black silk robe, the belt tied loosely, revealing a large expanse of his firm chest, hopelessly sexy.

"Moving out?" He saw the suitcase on the floor at a glance, his tone cool.

Elena stopped her movements and stood up awkwardly. "Yes, the school is closer to the company, so it's more convenient for work."

Julian walked up to her, his long fingers picking up a sketchbook on the desk. It was what she usually used for drawing.

He flipped it open nonchalantly, and Elena's breath instantly hitched.

In that book, there were only sketches of him.

The way he looked reading in the sunlight, the way he frowned on a rainy day, the way he fell asleep tired in the study... Every stroke was poured with her intense, almost humble love.

Julian's flipping speed grew slower and slower, and the air in the bedroom seemed to freeze.

Elena was so ashamed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. She rushed over to grab it. "Don't look! Give it back to me!"

Julian stepped aside to avoid her, one hand gripping her waist and pressing her against the edge of the desk.

The sketchbook fell to the floor, flipping exactly to the last page. On that page was a drawing of a kiss she had made. The man in the drawing was clearly Julian Qin, and the girl was her profile.

"Elena Lu, is this the 'Uncle' you speak of?" Julian's voice was deep and magnetic, carrying an extreme sense of danger and temptation.

He leaned down, his nose almost brushing hers, his eyes burning as he stared at her flushed face. "Five years. You hid it deep."

So he knew all along.

Elena's eyes reddened, and she simply threw caution to the wind. "Yes, I just like you! I just want to kiss you! Julian Qin, if you have the guts, then kick me out!"

Before she could finish her words, the man's hand had already gripped the back of her head.

He didn't kiss her, but he stared at her with a gaze that could melt a person, his voice startlingly hoarse. "Elena, do you think... you're the only one who's been holding back?"

He gave her a restrained kiss on the forehead, then quickly let go and turned to leave.

That night, Elena didn't sleep at all.

She clearly saw that at the moment he turned around, the desire in his eyes was a hundred times more crazed than hers.