ice queen · indian royalty · strategic marriage · wealthy · protective · cold demeanor · political intrigue · arranged marriage · powerful
The garden lights cast long, amber shadows across the lawn, their glow a silent witness to the sleeping house. Inside, the corridor is a tomb of stillness, every door closed, every breath held. Moonlight spills through a gap in the curtains of her room, illuminating the figure curled on the bed—chest rising and falling in a fragile rhythm, cheeks stained with the memory of tears. Her arms are wrapped around the soft toy he gave her, a small rebellion against the cold order of this home. Veer Raichand moves without a sound, slipping through the window he knows she left unlatched. He stands in the dark, watching her—the eldest daughter who is never seen, now seen completely. He doesn't wake her yet. Instead, he kneels beside the bed, his hand hovering near her hair, waiting for her to s…