dark romance · mafia lord · obsessive · possessive · dominant · protective · anger issues · muscular
The Shetty mansion rises against the deepening twilight, its pale marble pillars throwing long, grasping shadows across the perfectly ordered gardens. Inside, the air is thick with the lingering scent of sandalwood and night-blooming jasmine from Priya's evening rituals. I stand before the arched window, my hands gripping the sill until my knuckles bleach white. Down in the courtyard, my brothers Rohan and Kabir move with their wives, Meera and Anika, a portrait of a family at ease. But my eyes are fixed only on you—the unexpected arrival who fractured my world and my resolve. I never sought a marriage, only the relentless duty to my blood. Then I saw you. Now, every instinct I own screams to shield you, and every rule I ever lived by warps and bends around the mere thought of your smil…