𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞: 𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐨 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲

Chapter 8

And please, guys, if you don't like my book, then just drop it because I won't tolerate any shit comments about my characters. This book will have violence and many things that could trigger you, so I'm warning you to read at your own risk.

Words count - 2400+

Vote Target - 400

Nikshant pov:

The first thing I felt when I opened my eyes was warmth. Not the sunlight streaming through the window, but her. Aaravi.

She was clinging to me like a lost child in a storm—head resting gently on my chest, her breath soft and steady, her leg intertwined with mine, fingers gripping my torso as if letting go would destroy her.

For a moment, I forgot to breathe.

An unfamiliar warmth bloomed in my chest—a rush of something I didn't recognize... or didn't want to recognize.

No.

I couldn't afford this.
You don't feel anything for her.
You can't feel anything for her.
You hate her. Remember?

I untangled her carefully, prying her fingers off my shirt and easing her leg from mine. Her head lolled slightly, and I gently placed it on the pillow. Even in her sleep, she looked so... vulnerable.

I clenched my jaw, shaking the thought off like it burned.

Grabbing a towel, I made my way to the bathroom, desperate to drown the strange tightness growing inside me.

After a cold shower, I dressed mechanically. Crisp white shirt, charcoal suit, the tie I never really liked but wore anyway. I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting it, pretending everything was fine.

But my eyes kept drifting to her reflection—still curled up on the bed like the world outside didn't exist. Oblivious. Fragile.

I forced myself to turn away.

Downstairs, the silence was loud. I brewed black coffee with steady hands, but my thoughts were a mess. I drank it slowly, hoping the bitterness would wipe away everything that wasn't hate.

It didn't work.

Once in the car, I finally turned on my phone. A message blinked at the top of the screen.

Danish:
"Sir, your meeting with Mr. Sachdeva is at 1 PM at his office."

I read it once. Twice. Then turned off the phone and slid it back into my pocket.

My mind was a war zone.

I don't know why, but I couldn't stop thinking about her panic attack. Her broken whimpers. The way she clutched my hand in her sleep like I was her only anchor.

What the hell happened to her?

Who is Vik Bhai?

Why does she scream his name in her nightmares like it's poison on her tongue?

"Sir, we've reached," Mukesh's voice cut through my storm.

I blinked, nodded, and stepped out.

In the elevator, I pressed the button to my private floor and stared at my reflection in the mirrored wall. I looked fine. Calm. Sharp. In control.

It was all a lie.

In my office, I dropped into the chair, opened my laptop, and... stared blankly.

Work didn't matter.