LUST ROYALE

Chapter-10

-----Chapter-10----

The morning after their kiss, Nandita awoke feeling a strange lightness, an unfamiliar sensation of peace in her chest. It had been years since she had allowed anyone to get close enough to touch her heart, to make her feel anything beyond the calculated coldness she had adopted as a shield. But now, as sunlight poured through the windows of her penthouse, the memory of Ekaksh's lips on hers lingered, warm and electric.

Nandita lay in bed for a moment longer, replaying the events of the previous night in her mind. Ekaksh had seen through her defenses, had pulled her close despite the walls she had erected around herself. He had shown her that perhaps she didn't have to face this war alone, that perhaps love could exist even in the darkest of places.

But as much as she wanted to bask in the glow of that realization, the weight of her responsibilities tugged her back to reality. The Circle was still out there, plotting and moving against her. And now that she had shown her hand—now that she had aligned herself with Ekaksh and Vidyut—their enemies would undoubtedly come at them harder, with greater force.

She sat up, running a hand through her hair, determination settling over her. There was no time for hesitation. Love or not, they had a war to win.

In the days that followed, the dynamic between Nandita and Ekaksh shifted. They were still focused on the mission, still consumed by their plans to take down The Circle, but now there was an undercurrent of something deeper, something more intimate, that thrummed between them.

It was in the way their hands brushed when they passed each other files, the way their eyes met and held for just a moment longer than necessary. It was in the quiet moments late at night when they would sit together, discussing their next moves, only for the conversation to drift into softer, more personal topics—memories of their pasts, their fears, their hopes for a future that wasn't clouded by violence and bloodshed.

Despite the growing tension of the looming battle, there was an undeniable connection that had begun to blossom between them, and it felt like the calm before a storm.

One evening, after a particularly intense strategy session, Ekaksh stood by the large window in the living room, staring out at the city below. His expression was hard, his mind clearly preoccupied with the upcoming confrontation. Nandita watched him from the doorway, her own thoughts tangled in the weight of what lay ahead.

She approached him quietly, placing a hand on his arm. "You're worried."

Ekaksh didn't look at her, his jaw tight. "I've never faced an enemy like this before. The Circle... they're relentless. Every step we take, they seem to anticipate it."

Nandita nodded, understanding his frustration. "They've been operating in the shadows for years. But we've already shaken them. They're not invincible."

He finally turned to look at her, his eyes dark with concern. "You're not invincible either, Nandita."

She smiled softly, stepping closer until their bodies were only inches apart. "Neither are you. But we'll face them together."

Ekaksh's gaze softened as he reached up to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing over her skin. "I don't want to lose you in this war."

Her heart fluttered at the sincerity in his voice, the vulnerability he rarely showed. "You won't."

For a moment, they simply stood there, the city lights reflecting off the glass behind them, the weight of their unspoken emotions hanging in the air. Nandita leaned into his touch, savoring the quiet before the storm.