Chapter 1
"You were never meant to escape me, Shruti."
The words slithered down her spine, a whisper laced with obsession, hunger, and a darkness that had no end.
Her body was trembling—whether from fear or something far more dangerous, she didn’t know anymore.
The room was dimly lit, the scent of whiskey and expensive cologne suffocating her senses. His scent. His presence. His trap.
She should have fought harder. She should have never let him catch her.
But here she was, trapped between cold walls and his burning body.
Vyom stood in front of her, danger wrapped in designer perfection, control stitched into every inch of him. His dark eyes were unreadable, but his touch—oh, his touch—was anything but.
"You ran from me once." His fingers traced a slow path down her wrist, gripping it with just enough pressure to remind her that he was in control now.
"You won’t run again."
Her pulse hammered against her ribs. She knew this game. Knew him.
But she had never seen him like this before.
This wasn’t just Vyom, the man who had watched her from the shadows for years. This was Vyom, unchained. Vyom, no longer pretending to be patient.
He leaned in, his lips grazing her ear. "Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited to have you like this?"
A shiver ran down her spine.
"I never wanted this," she whispered, but even she could hear the lie laced between her words.
His grip tightened—just a little. A silent warning. A silent promise.
"Liar," he murmured against her skin.
Then suddenly, he yanked her forward—forcing her against him, their bodies colliding.
"You don’t get to lie to me, Shruti." His voice was low, deadly. Possessive.
"You are mine."
His lips crashed against hers, stealing the breath from her lungs. There was nothing soft about this kiss—nothing gentle.
It was raw. A punishment. A claim. A war she had already lost.
But the true horror?
A part of her had been waiting for this moment just as much as he had.......
