The Forced Fate

Part 12

**Chapter: Trapped in the Shadows**

***Inaya's POV***

"Arnav??" I yell.

He stepped out of the shadows, and my heart sank at the sight of him. Taller, more dangerous than I remembered. His dark eyes gleamed with something terrifying, something possessive. His gaze roamed over me, lingering on the heavy, intricate bridal jewelry adorning my body. His lips twisted into a smirk.

"Did you really think I'd let you marry him?" His voice was low, each word dripping with venom. "Did you really believe I'd just watch you become someone else's?"

I took a step back, my feet dragging against the floor as the weight of the lehenga and jewelry threatened to pull me down. "Arnav, this isn't the way—"

His hand shot out, gripping my chin roughly, forcing me to look up at him. His touch was cold, firm. "This is the only way. You're mine, Inaya. You've always been mine."

His thumb grazed my lip, his eyes dark with intensity. My breath caught in my throat. The boy I had once known, once loved, was gone. In his place stood a man consumed by obsession, one who had no intention of letting me go.

Suddenly he  harshly untie my hands.

"Do you remember?" he murmured, his lips brushing dangerously close to my ear. "Do you remember how it was between us?"

I flinched, my pulse racing, but his grip on me tightened. "It wasn't real, Arnav," I breathed. "It was toxic. We were toxic."

He laughed softly, his breath hot against my skin. "It was real, Inaya. You just don't want to admit it."

My body trembled as his hand slid from my chin to my waist, pulling me closer. His fingers traced the edge of my bridal dupatta, lifting it slightly before letting it fall. My breath hitched as he leaned in, his lips brushing the side of my neck.

"Look at you," he whispered, his voice a dark mix of admiration and possession. "Dressed like this. You look like a queen. My queen."

I shivered under his touch, the  fabric of the lehenga brushing against his body. The weight of the jewelry around my neck and wrists felt even heavier now, like chains holding me captive. I couldn't move, couldn't think. His presence overwhelmed me, consumed me.

"Tell me you don't feel it," he whispered, his lips brushing dangerously close to mine. "Tell me you don't feel the same pull."

I tried to speak, to push him away, but my voice failed me. His hand tangled in my hair, tugging just enough to make me gasp. My body was betraying me, every nerve on edge. The years of unresolved tension between us erupted, blurring the line between fear and desire.

"Arnav, stop," I whispered, but my voice is weak, a shadow of the fight I should have had.

He smirked, his lips brushing mine in a kiss that sent shockwaves through my body. 

It is rough, desperate, and all-consuming. I tried to resist, but my body responded to him against my will, the heat between us undeniable. The heavy jewelry weighed down my every movement, making escape impossible, but part of me wasn't sure if I even wanted to escape.

His hands roamed my body, possessive, demanding. Each touch ignited a fire within me that terrified me. His lips trailed down my neck, sending shivers down my spine as my dupatta slipped off, falling to the floor in a soft heap of fabric.

"You're mine," he growled against my skin, his voice dark and full of twisted desire. "No one else will ever have you, Inaya. Not Zayn. Not anyone."

Tears blurred my vision, but I knew deep down he was right. There was no escaping Arnav. Not from the darkness between us. Because, in the deepest part of me, I knew—I was his. And I always would be.