Part 10: Among Predators
The hall seemed to shrink with every step Aarush took. His shadow stretched long and jagged across the marble, swallowing Bhuvanya in darkness. Her chest tightened; every instinct screamed to run, but her body was trapped by exhaustion, fear, and the overwhelming presence of the Virk brothers.
Aarush bent slightly, so close that she flinched instinctively. Her eyes darted to the floor, refusing to meet his.
"Welcome to the family," he murmured, his voice smooth but sharp like a blade.
"Never be," Bhuvanya spat, voice trembling, but her glare was lethal.
Aarush chuckled low and dangerous. "Huh? Attitude. I like that. Makes this fun."
From the shadows, Kabir appeared. Shirtless, his tattoos twisted like dark flames across his chest and arms. Every step he took resonated like a predator stalking its prey. His smirk was cruel, teasing, and utterly merciless.
"She's going to be paid from me, I guess," Kabir said, voice smooth, yet venomous.
Bhuvanya's pulse surged. Her eyes flicked to him—danger radiated from every inch of his body. He didn't smile warmly. He didn't pretend to be kind. But there was something in the way he looked at her that made her skin crawl… and her stomach twist.
Aarush's gaze swept over her, dark and calculating. "Careful, doll. You're standing in the den now. The walls have eyes. The men in them… have teeth. And you…" He stepped closer, so close her breath caught, "you'll learn that submission isn't a choice here. It's survival."
The air thickened. Her senses screamed danger. Every muscle in her body tensed.
Kabir moved closer, slow, deliberate, like a shadow merging with hers. His eyes burned into hers. "Resisting won't help," he whispered, voice low and dangerous. "You think you can last in this house? In our world?"
Bhuvanya swallowed hard. The room felt like a cage. Her stomach churned with hunger and fear. Her mind raced for a plan, but the gravity of the mansion—and the men in it—pressed down like stone.
Aarush circled her slowly, predator and master, each step measured, eyes never leaving hers. "I warned you, didn't I?" His voice was ice and fire. "The walls of this house… the rules of this family… they're not made for the weak. And you, my dear, are testing every limit."
Kabir smirked from the shadows, flexing his arm casually. "Limits? What limits? She's just getting started."
Bhuvanya's knees threatened to buckle. Her heart raced like a trapped bird. But beneath the fear, a spark of defiance flared.
I won't bow. I can't.
Even surrounded by predators, even knowing the odds were stacked, even knowing Aarush and Kabir were capable of horrors she couldn't yet imagine…
She would survive. Somehow.
And she would fight.
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