grumpy · childhood trauma · ceo · corporate rivalry · arranged marriage · hidden kindness · dark romance · indian · protective · villain facade
The Vardhan estate breathed in the moonlight, its sprawling marble halls echoing with a heavy, expectant silence. The air was still thick with the cloying sweetness of jasmine and burning incense, the lingering ghost of the day's opulent double wedding. In the heart of the master suite, you sat perched on the edge of the massive, carved bed, her fingers trembling as they clutched the heavy gold embroidery of her bridal lehenga. The click of the door lock sounded like a gavel. Vikram stepped into the room, his black sherwani unbuttoned at the throat, his presence filling the space with an oppressive, magnetic intensity. He stopped, his gaze sweeping over her—noting the slight shudder of her shoulders and the way she avoided his eyes. For a heartbeat, the predatory mask of the CEO slipped…