Chapter 1
The city of Rajvanshpur glittered under thousands of golden lights.
Luxury cars lined outside the magnificent palace of the Rathore Royal Family while politicians, celebrities, royals, and billionaires entered through the massive gates.
Because tonight was important.
After disappearing for five years…
The future king was finally returning home.
Inside the palace ballroom, soft classical music played while servants rushed around carrying crystal trays.
Meanwhile—
“Meera, walk properly. Cameras are everywhere,” businessman Arvind Oberoi whispered tiredly.
“I am walking properly,” Meera Oberoi replied dramatically while adjusting the diamond bracelet on her wrist.
“You nearly hit a reporter with your purse.”
“He deserved it.”
Arvind sighed.
Being the only daughter of the Oberoi empire meant Meera had grown up surrounded by love, luxury, and unlimited freedom. Nobody really controlled her.
And honestly?
She liked it that way.
Tonight she wore a beautiful designer saree with silver embroidery, her soft curls falling over one shoulder while cameras flashed endlessly around her.
Socialites whispered instantly.
“That’s Meera Oberoi…”
She looks gorgeous.”
“She rejected the Malhotra heir last month, right?”
Meera ignored everyone with practiced ease and entered the ballroom beside her parents.
Then—
The palace doors opened.
The entire hall fell silent.
Even the music stopped.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the marble floor.
And he appeared.
Vikram Singh Rathore.
The lost crown prince of Rajvanshpur.
Tall.
Cold.
Dressed completely in black.
His sharp eyes scanned the ballroom once, emotionless and unreadable. A faint scar rested near his jawline, making him look even more dangerous.
Power followed him naturally.
Nobody dared speak.
Meera stared quietly.
Oh.
So the rumors were true.
The prince really was terrifyingly handsome.
As Vikram walked through the ballroom, ministers greeted him nervously while nobles lowered their heads respectfully.
But he looked uninterested in all of it.
Like he hated being here.
Then suddenly—
His eyes met Meera’s.
And for one strange second…
Everything around them faded.
Meera didn’t lower her gaze like others.
She simply looked back calmly.
Curious.
Confident.
Unimpressed.
That caught Vikram’s attention immediately.
Interesting.
Most women tried too hard around him.
This one looked like she was mentally judging everyone in the room.
Meera leaned slightly toward her friend Natasha and whispered—
“He looks like he hasn’t smiled since childhood.”
Unfortunately for her…
Vikram heard it.
His gaze shifted fully toward her now.
The atmosphere tightened instantly.
Natasha nearly stopped breathing.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “He heard you.”
Meera took a calm sip of juice.
“Well… I’m not wrong.”
Then—
To everyone’s shock—
Vikram started walking directly toward her.
One step.
Two.
Three.
The ballroom watched silently as the future king stopped in front of Meera Oberoi.
Close enough for her to notice his dark eyes properly.
Close enough for him to notice she wasn’t nervous.
“You seem very confident, Miss…?”
“Meera Oberoi.”
“The billionaire’s daughter.”
“The same prince everyone’s staring at.”
A faint smirk touched his lips.
First mistake.
Because Vikram almost never smiled.
And now the entire ballroom noticed.
“You judged me within thirty seconds?” he asked.
Meera shrugged lightly. “You judged everyone else first.”
Interesting answer.
Very interesting.
Before Vikram could reply again, a royal minister interrupted carefully.
“Your Highness, Rajmata is waiting upstairs.”
The softness disappeared from his face instantly.
Cold again.
Dangerous again.
Vikram looked at Meera one last time before leaving.
But just as he passed her—
He paused slightly.
Then murmured quietly enough that only she could hear—
“At least you’re not boring.”
And walked away.
Leaving Meera strangely speechless for the first time that night.
For the next ten minutes, Meera Oberoi stood completely still with her juice glass in hand.
Natasha stared at her dramatically.
“You’re telling me the future king flirted with you?”
“He did not flirt.”
“He literally called you interesting.”
“That’s not flirting.”
“That’s royal flirting.”
Meera rolled her eyes and started walking toward the dessert table.
But secretly…
Something about Vikram Singh Rathore felt unsettling.
Not scary.
Just intense.
Like he noticed everything.
And she hated how easily he had disturbed her calmness.
Meanwhile upstairs—
The atmosphere inside the royal council room was ice cold.
Rajmata Rajeshwari stood near the large windows overlooking the palace gardens while ministers sat nervously around the table.
Vikram entered without expression.
“You called for me.”
One minister immediately stood up. “Your Highness, there’s concern regarding the Sharma Group merger—”
“I didn’t ask for business updates.”
Silence.
Even older politicians looked uncomfortable around him.
Because Vikram wasn’t just powerful due to royal blood.
He was ruthless.
In five years, he had expanded the royal empire globally, destroyed rival companies, and become one of the youngest billionaires in the country.
People respected him.
But they also feared him.
Rajmata finally spoke softly.
“You embarrassed Princess Kavya tonight.”
Vikram looked unimpressed. “She embarrasses herself daily.”
A few ministers lowered their heads to hide smiles.
Rajmata sighed tiredly. “The alliance matters.”
“I’m not marrying for politics.”
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Which somehow felt more dangerous.
One minister carefully added, “But the media already assumes Princess Kavya will become the future queen.”
Vikram’s eyes turned cold instantly.
“Then the media should learn not to assume things.”
Downstairs, Meera unknowingly walked straight into palace gossip.
“Oh look,” a royal socialite whispered loudly enough for others to hear. “The prince’s newest entertainment.”
Meera stopped slowly.
Natasha muttered, “Ignore them.”
But Meera smiled sweetly and turned around.
“Sorry, were you speaking to me?”
Three elegantly dressed women stood nearby pretending innocence.
One of them laughed softly. “Nothing serious. We were simply surprised His Highness noticed someone outside royal circles.”
Ah.
One of those conversations.
Meera crossed her arms lightly.
“That’s funny.”
The woman frowned slightly. “What is?”
“The way rich people think crowns automatically create personalities.”
Natasha nearly inhaled her drink.
The women looked offended immediately.
Before another argument could start—
A deep voice interrupted behind them.
“She’s right.”
Everyone froze.
Because Vikram had returned downstairs.
And unfortunately for the gossiping women…
He had heard everything.
The prince walked forward calmly, adjusting the cuff of his black sherwani while his sharp eyes landed on the women.
“If you have enough free time to insult guests,” he said coldly, “perhaps I should involve you in palace charity work.”
Their faces went pale instantly.
“No, Your Highness, we—”
“You may leave.”
They disappeared almost immediately.
Meera watched the entire scene with amusement.
“You terrify people.”
“I save time.”
“That’s concerning.”
“And yet you’re still talking to me.”
Good point.
Vikram picked up a champagne glass from a passing waiter before looking at her again.
“You don’t seem impressed by titles.”
“I grew up around politicians and billionaires,” Meera replied casually. “Power stops looking magical after a while.”
Most people tried to flatter him.
But she spoke honestly without hesitation.
And somehow…
That made him want to continue the conversation.
Dangerous thought.
Before either could speak again, the ballroom lights dimmed slightly as music began playing again.
A royal announcer stepped forward.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the opening dance will now begin.”
Instantly, excitement spread across the hall.
Several royal women straightened hopefully.
But Vikram’s eyes remained on only one person.
Meera noticed immediately.
And so did everyone else. ✨
The ballroom suddenly felt warmer.
Or maybe it was just the way Vikram Singh Rathore kept looking at Meera Oberoi.
Around them, whispers spread rapidly among the guests.
“He’s going to ask Princess Kavya.”
“No, maybe Princess Aadhira…”
“Wait—why is he looking at Meera Oberoi?”
Meera noticed the attention immediately and sighed internally.
Fantastic.
Now half the country would create fake relationship rumors by midnight.
The royal announcer smiled formally.
“For the first dance of the evening… His Highness, Crown Prince Vikram Singh Rathore.”
Soft music filled the ballroom.
Every eligible royal woman looked hopeful.
Meanwhile Meera quietly picked up another dessert.
Because clearly food was less stressful than princes.
Then—
Vikram started walking toward her.
Directly toward her.
Natasha grabbed Meera’s arm dramatically. “HE’S COMING HERE.”
“I can see that.”
“No, you don’t understand. He’s actually coming here.”
The prince stopped in front of Meera while the entire ballroom watched shamelessly.
His expression remained calm.
But his eyes held amusement.
“Dance with me.”
Not: Would you like to?
Not: May I have this dance?
Just—
Dance with me.
Typical prince behavior.
Meera raised one eyebrow. “That sounded less like an invitation and more like a royal command.”
A faint smirk appeared on his lips again.
“And yet you haven’t refused.”
“That’s because everyone here looks one inconvenience away from fainting.”
For the first time in years—
Vikram laughed openly.
A low, genuine laugh.
The ballroom collectively stopped breathing.
Because nobody remembered the last time the crown prince laughed in public.
Meera noticed the shocked faces around them and whispered—
“Did I accidentally fix the kingdom?”
“You’re overconfident.”
“You’re emotionally unavailable.”
His eyes narrowed slightly with amusement.
Dangerous girl.
Then slowly, Vikram extended his hand toward her again.
This time Meera placed her hand in his.
And the ballroom exploded into whispers.
The prince led her toward the center floor beneath the massive crystal chandelier while cameras flashed around them endlessly.
Some people looked curious.
Some shocked.
Some jealous.
And from the staircase above—
Princess Kavya Rathore watched silently with fury burning in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Vikram placed one hand lightly on Meera’s waist as the music slowed.
“You seem calm,” he murmured.
“I’m trying to decide if this is a dance or a political scandal.”
“Probably both.”
Meera laughed softly despite herself.
And unfortunately—
Vikram noticed how beautiful she looked while laughing.
The thought irritated him slightly.
He didn’t notice people.
Didn’t care about them.
Especially not women constantly chasing his attention.
But Meera?
She challenged him without fear.
Spoke honestly.
Looked at him like a normal man instead of a crown prince.
And somehow that felt dangerously addictive already.
As they danced slowly across the ballroom, Meera glanced around.
“Everyone here is terrified of you.”
“They should be.”
“That’s not a normal answer.”
“I’m not a normal person.”
There it was again.
That coldness beneath his calm voice.
Like something inside him stayed permanently guarded.
Meera studied him carefully.
“You hate this place, don’t you?”
For the first time since meeting her—
Vikram looked genuinely surprised.
Because nobody usually noticed things that quickly.
After a few seconds, he answered quietly—
“Yes.”
Not denial.
Not sarcasm.
Just honesty.
And strangely…
That single word made Meera’s chest tighten a little.
Suddenly the music slowed further as the dance ended.
The applause slowly faded across the ballroom after the dance ended.
But somehow—
Meera Oberoi still felt the warmth of Vikram Singh Rathore’s hand on her waist.
Which was annoying.
Very annoying.
Because she had known this man for less than one evening.
And yet he somehow kept disturbing her peace.
Meanwhile, the entire ballroom continued whispering shamelessly.
“That was definitely not a normal dance.”
“Did you see the way he looked at her?”
“Princess Kavya looks furious.”
Honestly?
Accurate observation.
Across the ballroom, Princess Kavya Rathore stood beside several royals looking elegant and absolutely murderous.
Meera noticed immediately.
