Drenched in Betrayal

His voice was hoarse as he whispered against my ear, "Shh, love. Stop being so irresistible. I want to give you something." He pulled his fingers out of my pants, leaving me empty and frustrated. My eyes snapped to his instantly, a soft whimper escaping my lips.

He took out a small, velvet box from his pocket, holding it out to me silently. Curiosity piqued, I opened it to reveal a pair of delicate gold anklets, tiny diamonds and rubies scattered along the chain. I looked up at him questioningly, but he just smiled softly, taking my left foot gently in his hand.

He wrapped one anklet around my left ankle, securing it with a gentle click. Then he picked up my right foot, his touch reverent. "Fuck, love," he murmured, "You look even more beautiful with these."

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my left ankle, right above the anklet. I gasped, he smiled against my skin before kissing my right ankle as well. "Perfect." he whispered.

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Aarohi Arora, a soft-spoken, seemingly fragile girl with quiet strength buried deep within her. She carries the unhealed wounds of her mother's death and the weight of her own father's resentment, learning early that love often comes with conditions.

Dhruv Malhotra, a man forged in power and darkness. Cold-hearted, arrogant, and ruthlessly feared, he rules both boardrooms and blood-soaked shadows without mercy. Haunted by the brutal loss of his sister, guilt has hardened him into someone who destroys before he can feel.

A wedding with no answers.
A bond neither of them chose.

Thrown into a mansion ruled by control and shadows, she becomes the wife he refuses to accept and the truth he can't ignore.
In his eyes, she's a lie.
In hers, he's a storm she never learned how to survive.

AAROHI x DHRUV

Book one in the burnt crown series (CAN BE READ STANDALONE)