BEYOND UNFINISHED✔️

Chapter 35. Lines That Shouldn't Blur

Song:- I love you. (Bodyguard)

Some people make the world special.
Just by being in it.....

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Third POV.

The night had wrapped the mansion in silence, but Anaya's sleep broke abruptly. Something stirred beside her.

As her drowsy eyes opened, she found Arjun Rajvansh sitting quietly by her side, lost in shadows. His face—haunted, tired, hollow. The weight of something unspoken sat heavy on his shoulders.

She sat up, her voice soft as the night air.

"What happened, Mr. Rajvansh?"

He didn't answer immediately. Just looked at her with tired, unreadable eyes. There was pain in that silence—regret, maybe even guilt.

With a faint shake of his head, he muttered,

"Nothing... go back to sleep."

But she could see through the façade.

"You're upset... about something." Her words were laced with concern.

He inhaled slowly, exhaled like he was burying everything inside.

"Nothing to worry about. I just came to check on you. And tomorrow..." He paused. His voice dropped to a monotone, detached. "You'll get the apology. In front of everyone."

Her brows knit. Apology? What happened? Why now?

She gently took his hand in hers—cold, lifeless in her warmth. The moment her fingers touched his, a familiar spark travelled up her spine, that strange electricity she was beginning to dread... and crave.

And when she tried to pull back, his grip tightened.

"Don't," he whispered, his voice hoarse and low, heavy with a kind of broken desperation.

Something was wrong. Deeply wrong. But she didn't push. She simply gave him the silent promise that she was there—for him.

"Don't worry, Mr. Rajvansh. I'm okay now. And I don't need any apology. I don't even want to see him again... I just want to forget it. I'm happy that you, Krish bhai, and Vedika believed me. That's enough."

His jaw tightened, and his eyes darkened.

"No, Anaya. Everyone believes you. You don't know, but it was Dada Sa who ordered Viraj to apologize. And not just him. Even Aunt and Shruti... they will ask for your forgiveness for the filth they said about you."

He paused, then said with an edge in his voice that made her heart twist—

"I promise... from now on, no one will dare raise a finger at you. You're my responsibility."

That word stung.

Responsibility.

So that's all she was to him?

Her heart clenched. The possessiveness... the way he fought for her... the way he looked at her—it all pointed to something else. But now...

Just a responsibility.

She forced a laugh, hiding the pain behind a tight smile.

"Ah... right. Responsibility. You should rest too, Mr. Rajvansh. It's late."

Why was she hurt? Why did that one word feel like a wound?

But the way he looked at her... the care in his silence... it wasn't just duty, was it?