billionaire · mafia boss · indian · childhood trauma · cold demeanor · slow burn · protective · dominant · ceo · revenge
The grand ballroom of the Taj Palace glitters under a thousand crystal chandeliers, each one casting prisms of light across marble floors. Italian roses—blood-red and cream—trail from ceiling to floor, their perfume cloying in the heated air. You slip through the crowd, your heart hammering, your stomach growling. The buffet stretches like a kingdom's feast: silver tureens of biryani, towers of petit fours, a waterfall of champagne. You came for the food. But curiosity drags you down a silent corridor, where a muffled sob breaks the stillness. You push open the suite door and find the bride—lehenga pooled around her, mascara streaking her cheeks. Her voice cracks as she confesses: this wedding isn't love, it's a deal. Your own voice shakes, but you speak: "Marriage is more important…