Claimed by The Big Shot

October, nightfall.

New York City was unusually drenched in a heavy downpour, as if the sky had cracked open, letting endless rain pour over the entire city.

A dark green sports car, ostentatious even after modifications, slowly pulled up in front of a six-star hotel in the city center.

Mity lifted her gaze and looked through the rain-misted car window, catching the reflection of her own profile on the glass.

She hadn't had time to dress up tonight-her delicate, palm-sized face was almost bare, with no makeup, appearing slightly plain.

Because of her nerves, her soft eyes glistened with moisture. Her two fair and slender hands rested on her lap, her fingertips unconsciously twisting together.

"Mity..."

The man with black hair and pale skin tapped the steering wheel lightly, his long fingers adorned with a few black rings knocking out a rhythmic sound.

Mity snapped out of her tense thoughts.

"Hmm?"

She turned to look at the driver's seat.

Under the silver starry roof lights of the car, the man in the driver's seat raised an eyebrow. Two black eyebrow piercings on his brow bone connected with a row of studs lining his ear, making his already striking features appear even more wild and rebellious.

This was Mity's boyfriend of one year-Alan.

The second son of New York City's prestigious Raven family, a man of distinguished background and status.

Even without considering his family name, just his face alone was enough to be a feast for the eyes. It wasn't uncommon for girls on the street to mistake him for a celebrity, secretly snap pictures, or blushingly stop him to ask for his Facebook.

Yet, he was known to be an indifferent, aloof troublemaker, often carrying a world-weary expression, his long, narrow eyes drooping lazily, unwilling to engage with people.

Except when it came to Mity-he would talk a little more.

"Don't be nervous when you go in..." Alan shifted slightly, his fingers casually playing with a lock of her jet-black hair, his tone relaxed. "It's just a simple meeting."

"Whether they approve or not won't affect the engagement."

Mity's breath hitched. "..."

Would it really not matter?

She looked at Alan with some doubt.

But he didn't glance at her. After speaking, he picked up his phone and started texting someone-probably informing the people upstairs that they had arrived.

The dazzling lights outside the hotel reflected off the windshield, slicing his striking features into different patches of light and shadow.

As he looked down, his light brown eyes were hidden under the dim glow, making him appear indifferent and distant, as if he truly didn't care about what he had just said.

Well...

Rumor had it that the elders of the Raven family treated Alan, their youngest grandson, like a treasure.

As long as he wanted something, he could get it.

She shouldn't have doubted him.

Mity pursed her lips and softly replied, "Okay."

*

As soon as they got out of the car, they were met by the Raven family matriarch's personal secretary, accompanied by two assistants, who walked out from the hotel lobby.

The secretary was a middle-aged man with a square face.

Secretary Colin took a glance at the girl following behind Alan, dressed in a plain white cotton dress, and immediately withdrew his gaze without much interest.

"Second Young Master, the people upstairs have been waiting for you for quite some time. They've already changed the tea twice."

A subtle reminder that Alan was late.

What Secretary Colin didn't know was that Alan had been racing cars with his friends until early morning, only waking up in the afternoon. He then called Mity out at the last minute, and after picking her up, they got caught in the heavy rain and rush-hour traffic.

But since it was this young master, they were lucky-if it had been anyone else, Mrs. Old Raven would have left long ago.

"Traffic."

Alan found Secretary Colin's nagging annoying. When he noticed Mity had been left outside the group, he turned around and saw the assistants unintentionally blocking her from stepping forward.

"Come here. Why are you standing so far away?" He extended a hand, and the girl in the white dress obediently moved closer, holding onto his outstretched hand.

This was the first time Secretary Colin had seen this young master actually care about a woman. His gaze finally landed on Mity.

She was a gentle, quiet-looking girl with delicate, fair skin. A faint beauty mark at the corner of her left eye made her almond-shaped eyes look soft and timid.

Her long, straight black hair cascaded down her back. She wore a simple, ankle-length white dress, and her canvas shoes were spotless.

She looked like the type of girl who was a top student in school-timid, rule-abiding, and well-behaved.

Secretary Colin was a little surprised. He found it hard to imagine that this mischievous second young master would be into such a soft and quiet type.

Like someone who had always excelled in school but was too timid to break the rules.

As if displeased by others prying into his private matters, Alan subtly moved to shield Mity with his body. "Enough, I'll go up myself."

Secretary Colin immediately pressed the elevator button for them.

Just then, the atmosphere in the hotel lobby suddenly shifted-becoming urgent and restless.

A black, limited-edition Rolls-Royce pulled up at the hotel entrance.

Two rows of well-trained, burly men in black suits swiftly got out of the accompanying vehicles, forming a tight perimeter to block any onlookers from approaching.

Each of them stood straight and alert, as if awaiting the arrival of an important figure.

Even the hotel executives hurriedly rushed to the entrance, lining up respectfully.

Alan glanced over with mild disinterest. "Who is it? Such a big scene."

"Looks like... The Adam family's car." Secretary Colin turned his head and carefully examined the vehicle before hesitating. "It should be him... Should we wait?"

Everyone knew that the Raven family and the Adam family were closely tied.

More specifically, Alan's elder brother, Alexander, and the head of the Adam family, Stuart, had a close relationship.

After all, Stuart's late mother and Alexander's mother were cousins, and the two men had been close since childhood.

Hearing this, Mity instinctively looked toward the entrance as well.

But all she saw was a fortress of towering bodyguards, blocking every possible angle-there was no way to catch a glimpse of the man inside.

"Wait for what? Am I close with him?" Alan raised an eyebrow, clearly impatient.

Secretary Colin, "..."

He wanted to say-maybe you aren't, but your older brother definitely is.

Mrs. Old Raven had originally planned for the eldest young master to meet Miss White as well.

Unfortunately, Alexander was currently out of the country.

Now that they had run into Mr. Adam, the matriarch would probably be more than happy to have him take a look at Miss White on behalf of the family.

But Secretary Colin wouldn't dare say this outright to Alan. Just as he was about to subtly remind him, Alan cut him off.

"Did my girlfriend say anything? You sure talk a lot."

Secretary Colin shut up.

Alan ruffled Mity's hair, as if rewarding her. "See? You're the obedient one."

Mity, "..."

In truth, she had no idea who this Mr. Adam they were talking about even was.

Having only returned to the country a year ago, she wasn't familiar with New York City's elite families-let alone the dynamics between them.

Besides, with her awkward background, she had never been part of this world in the first place.

She no longer paid attention to their conversation. Her mind was preoccupied with the meeting ahead.

Alan had only told her about it at the last minute, and after picking her up, he had been on the phone the entire time. He hadn't explained anything about tonight.

She didn't know who she would be meeting or what the Raven family elders thought of her.

This was her first time meeting his family-she hadn't had any time to prepare.

Taking a deep breath, her heart clenched with anxious anticipation.

She could only hope that the elder she was about to meet would be easy to talk to.



The elevator reached the fifth floor, and Alan led Mity out.

The attendant, who had been waiting for them, stepped forward to guide them, but Alan impatiently dismissed him.

He took Mity through a long, dimly lit corridor, heading deeper inside.

Mity noticed that the walls on both sides were covered with amber-colored luxurious stone, with a few wall lamps casting a soft glow, creating an intimate and private atmosphere.

Just then, a work call came in.

Alan didn't avoid Mity and led her back toward the terrace area to take the call.

Mity stood quietly beside him, as usual.

As if she didn't mind at all that Alan had pulled her-wearing only a thin white dress-into the cold night breeze.

By the time the chill had seeped through her skin and her teeth were faintly chattering, the call finally ended.

She pressed her cold lips together, thinking they could finally leave, but then another call came in.

Alan glanced at the number on the screen but didn't immediately answer. Instead, he muted the call, turned to her, and said, "The private room at the end-go in first."

He wanted her to go in alone.

Mity suddenly felt uneasy, forgetting about the cold wind. She instinctively grabbed his hand. "I'd rather wait for you here. I'm not in a hurry..."

"I am." He interrupted, lowering his gaze. His light tea-colored eyes stared at her seriously. "I said I don't care about their opinions, but I still want my family to accept you. Be good. Don't keep the elders waiting-go in first."

Mity, "..."

She wanted to back out, but she knew she couldn't. Lowering her eyes slightly, she hesitated before speaking again.

Alan cut her off, "Mity, don't you want to be engaged to me?"

She instinctively lifted her head, staring at him in a daze, then shook her head.

Of course not...

She wanted it very much.

Alan's light-colored pupils warmed slightly as he lowered his voice. "I want to make it official soon too."

Mity gently bit her lip.

"Alright..." She gathered her courage. "Take your call first, I'll go in by myself."

Alan patted her head before stepping onto the terrace to answer his phone.

Mity turned to face the long corridor behind her, took a deep breath, and walked toward the private room at the far end.

She curled her fingers and knocked lightly before pushing the door open-

The room inside was lavishly bright, creating a stark contrast with the dimly lit hallway.

A magnificent crystal chandelier cascaded from the high ceiling, and the floor-to-ceiling glass windows offered a stunning view of the city lights twinkling beyond the open-air terrace.

Mity was momentarily dazzled by the luxurious scene.

She instinctively lowered her gaze, but when she looked up again, she was caught off guard by the tall, commanding figure seated at the round table.

It was a completely unfamiliar man.

He was dressed in a tailored black suit, the fabric fitting his broad shoulders and lean waist perfectly-exuding nobility and elegance.

He was on the phone, facing the window as he spoke.

His short black hair framed strikingly defined features. The chandelier light cast shadows over his deep-set eyes and sharp jawline. Even in profile, his bone structure was impeccable-perhaps even more refined than Alan's.

Mity's heart clenched.

She hadn't expected to see such a scene when she walked in.

Her gaze drifted toward the items on the table, an open cigar box, an almost untouched glass of whiskey...

Then, her eyes fell on a casually discarded pair of gold-rimmed glasses, some documents, and the glimpse of a wrist beneath the cuff of his black shirt.

His wrist was elegantly structured, veins faintly visible beneath his pale skin. His fingers were long and slender, idly holding a lit cigar between them as it burned quietly.

She instinctively held her breath, afraid to disturb him.

At that moment, the man seated at the head of the table seemed to notice her presence.

He set down his phone and lifted his gaze-dark eyes locking onto her.

"You're late."

His voice was deep and magnetic, yet cold and emotionless.

As his long, dark lashes lowered slightly, a fleeting chill passed through his eyes.

Mity startled.

Her heart pounded heavily.

She hadn't done anything, yet she felt as if those dark eyes had already seen through her.

She had never seen eyes like his before-black as the abyss, unfathomably deep.

Like a vast ocean at night, calm on the surface but hiding the most dangerous, untamed undercurrents.

"..."

Mity's breath hitched, an inexplicable fear creeping over her, making her instinctively take a step back.

"Sorry, there was traffic..."

As soon as she spoke, she realized something was off.

This man seemed too young-The Raven family shouldn't have such a young elder.

Had she entered the wrong room?

Mity's thoughts were momentarily jumbled. She hesitated, then murmured, "Sorry, I think I-"

Was in the wrong place.

Before she could finish the words, something struck her, and she quickly looked up.

No, she wasn't in the wrong place.

This man's age, the aura he carried...

A sudden realization hit Mity-

He was Alexander.

Alan's older brother.

Her heart felt as if a giant hand had clenched around it, squeezing tightly.

She was completely caught off guard.

She hadn't expected that the family member Alan wanted her to meet tonight would be the Alexander of The Raven family-the esteemed, unattainable eldest son.

But then again, it made sense.

Alexander held absolute authority in the family business, and his words carried weight at home. If Alan wanted The Raven family to approve of their engagement, winning over this older brother was the best approach.

However, Alexander seemed different from the rumors.

He didn't look like a refined, noble gentleman.

He looked cold and unapproachable-dangerously so.

Mity's heartbeat quickened uncontrollably, her nerves tingling with fear.

But she couldn't back out now.

Forcing herself to ignore his overwhelming presence, she stiffly found a chair and sat down.

Alexander raised an eyebrow.

The red ember at his fingertips flickered through a haze of smoke, his gaze deep and unreadable as he observed the girl before him, who looked as if she had something to say.

Mity, meanwhile, had finally composed herself.

She knew she couldn't make a bad impression in front of Alan's brother.

Suppressing the panic in her heart, she lowered her head slightly, took a deep breath, and softened her voice.

"...Hello, brother."

Her voice was soft and delicate, gentle to the extreme, as if trying to win the favor of an elder.

For a moment, the air in the private room felt eerily still.

A few seconds of silence passed.

Then, Mity heard a deep, magnetic voice respond-

"What did you just call me?"