𝐈𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐚~𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞 | 𝟐𝟏+

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫|𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐢𝐬𝐬

The moonlight filtered through the dense canopy of trees, casting fragmented silver patterns on the forest floor. Aadhisha moved cautiously, her ears straining to catch even the faintest sound of pursuit. The chilly night air nipped at her skin, but the oppressive silence of Sunhara Mahal had been too much to bear. She needed to escape its suffocating walls, even if only for a fleeting moment.

The stillness around her was deceptive, a tension that clung to the air like a predator waiting to pounce. Just as she paused to catch her breath, the crunch of a deliberate footstep shattered the quiet.

Her heart froze.

"I should have known you wouldn't stay put," came the low, familiar voice. Smooth yet edged with steel, it sent a shiver down her spine.

She turned to face Shivaay, his tall figure emerging from the shadows like some avenging god. The moonlight kissed the sharp planes of his face, making his expression unreadable yet compelling. His presence was magnetic, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto hers.

"I wasn't running," she said, her voice steady despite the hammering in her chest.

"No?" His brow arched, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Then what do you call sneaking out of the Mahal in the dead of night without informing anyone?"

"I needed space," Aadhisha retorted, lifting her chin in defiance. "Not that I owe you an explanation."

Shivaay stepped closer, his movements fluid yet deliberate. "You owe me far more than that," he murmured, his voice quiet but heavy with authority. "And I've grown tired of waiting."

She tried to step back, but he was faster, his hand shooting out to grasp her wrist. The warmth of his touch burned through her skin, igniting a trail of sensations she wished she could suppress.

"Let go," she demanded, though her voice wavered.

"Not until you stop lying," Shivaay said coldly, his grip firm but not painful. His other hand lifted to tilt her chin upward, forcing her to meet his gaze. "The woman you saw, the man she met-there's more to the story, isn't there?"

"I told you everything," Aadhisha snapped, her voice sharp, masking the panic rising within her.

"Liar," he hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You think I can't see it? The way you avoid certain questions, the way you hesitate just long enough to make me doubt you?"

Aadhisha's pulse quickened, but she refused to show fear. "You see what you want to see, Shivaay. You've already judged me, so why ask questions you've already answered in your mind?"

Shivaay's smirk vanished, replaced by a hard, unforgiving expression. "You don't get to turn this around on me," he growled, stepping even closer. "If you won't talk, I'll find other ways to get the truth out of you."

Before she could respond, he tugged her closer, their faces mere inches apart. His dark eyes bore into hers, searching, probing, and demanding submission.

"I hate you," she whispered, the words trembling as much as her resolve.

"Good," Shivaay murmured, his tone low and intimate. "Hate me all you want. But don't think for a second you can escape me."

And then, without warning, his lips crashed against hers, stealing the air from her lungs. The kiss was a battle, fierce and unrelenting. Aadhisha's first instinct was to push him away, but her traitorous body betrayed her, melting under the heat of his touch.

Shivaay's grip loosened slightly, but he didn't let her go. His hand slid to her waist, pulling her flush against him as his lips claimed hers with a hunger that bordered on desperation.

She gasped against his mouth, and he deepened the kiss, his dominance absolute. Aadhisha's mind screamed at her to resist, but her heart, her body-they seemed to have a will of their own.

When he finally pulled back, his breath was hot against her skin, his eyes blazing with an intensity that left her breathless. "You can fight me all you want," he said softly, his voice rough with restrained emotion. "But we both know you'll give in eventually."

Aadhisha glared at him, her chest heaving. "You're insufferable."

"And yet," Shivaay replied, his lips curling into a smug smile, "you're still here."

She wanted to deny it, to throw his arrogance back in his face, but the truth lodged in her throat like a stone. He was right. Despite everything-his ruthlessness, his arrogance, his unrelenting control-she couldn't seem to break free of the pull he had over her.

Shivaay released her wrist but didn't step back. "This ends now," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You're coming back to the Mahal with me. No more wandering, no more secrets. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear."

"And if I refuse?" Aadhisha challenged, though the defiance in her voice was half-hearted.

Shivaay's smile turned cold. "Then I'll drag you back myself."

The weight of his words settled over her, and she knew he meant every one of them. For all her bravado, she was no match for him-not physically, not emotionally. And so, with a reluctant nod, she allowed him to lead her back through the forest, his grip on her arm firm but not painful.

As they walked, the silence between them was heavy, fraught with tension and unspoken words. Aadhisha's mind raced, searching for a way to regain control, to turn the tables on him. But Shivaay was an enigma, his motives and emotions impossible to decipher.

By the time they reached Sunhara Mahal, the first rays of dawn were breaking over the horizon, bathing the palace in a soft golden light. Shivaay guided her inside without a word, his expression unreadable.

Aadhisha hesitated as they entered the grand hall, her instincts screaming at her to retreat. But there was nowhere to run. She was back in the lion's den, and the predator was watching her every move.

Shivaay finally broke the silence, his voice softer but no less commanding. "Go to your chambers. Rest. We'll continue this discussion later."

"And if I choose not to comply?" She asked, her tone laced with defiance.

His smile was slow, almost cruel. "Then you'll find out exactly what happens when you test my patience."

She bit back a retort, knowing it would only provoke him further. Without another word, she turned and made her way to her room, her mind spinning with plans and contingencies.

But as she lay in her bed that morning, sleep eluding her, one thought echoed louder than all the rest:

She was trapped, and the only way out was through him.

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