Chapter 2: The Edge of the Blade
The twenty minutes felt like twenty seconds.
I stood in my bedroom, the air thick with the smell of old wood and my own mounting panic. I didn't pack a suitcase. I didn't grab my favorite books or the photos of my mother. Instead, I tucked the silver dagger into the waistband of my salwar, the cold steel biting into my skin—a reminder that I was still alive. Still fighting.
"Time's up, Ananya."
The voice didn't come from the door. It came from the balcony.
I whirled around. Advik was leaning against the doorframe, his silhouette framed by a jagged bolt of lightning that turned the sky a bruised purple. He hadn't waited for me to come down. He had come to claim me.
"I'm coming," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. I wrapped a heavy dupatta around my shoulders, hiding the hilt of the knife.
He walked toward me, his movements predatory and silent. He stopped just inches away, his shadow looming over me like a dark shroud. "You're hiding something," he murmured, his eyes scanning my face with terrifying precision.
"Only my hatred for you," I spat.
Advik let out a short, dry laugh that didn't reach his eyes. "Hatred is a strong emotion, Jaan. It's almost as passionate as love. I'll take it for now."
He grabbed my arm—not roughly, but with an unshakable grip—and led me down the stairs. My father was still on the floor of the study, weeping, but Advik didn't give him a second glance. We walked out into the rain, the black SUVs idling like hungry beasts.
The Lion's Den
The Malhotra Estate was a fortress of glass and steel perched on the cliffs of Pali Hill. It was beautiful, expensive, and utterly soulless.
As soon as the heavy iron gates clicked shut behind us, the reality sank in. I wasn't just in a new house; I was in his territory. Here, Advik Malhotra was the law, the judge, and the executioner.
He led me into a vast, dimly lit foyer. "The wedding will take place in an hour," he said, finally letting go of my arm. "The priest is already here. My staff will help you dress."
"I won't marry a murderer," I said, my hand instinctively moving toward the hidden dagger.
Advik turned, his eyes narrowing. The air in the room seemed to turn cold. "You'll marry whoever I tell you to marry. Tonight, that happens to be me. Unless, of course, you'd like to see your brother's finger delivered to your father's doorstep by midnight?"
My blood turned to ash. "You wouldn't."
"Try me." He stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "I have built an empire on 'wouldn'ts,' Ananya. Do not mistake my patience for weakness."
He signaled to two women dressed in black saris who appeared from the shadows. "Take her. Make her look like a Malhotra bride. And search her—properly."
My heart stopped.
The women stepped forward. I had one chance. As they reached for my arms, I didn't think—I reacted. I pulled the silver dagger from my waist, the blade flashing in the chandelier light. I didn't go for the women. I lunged for Advik.
I wasn't a fighter, but I was desperate. I aimed for his chest, wanting to puncture the cold heart that beat beneath that expensive shirt.
In a blur of motion too fast for my eyes to follow, Advik moved.
He didn't flinch. He didn't even look surprised. He caught my wrist in mid-air, his grip so tight I heard the bone groan. With a sharp twist, he forced me against his chest, my back pressed to his front, while his other hand clamped over mine, pinning the dagger inches from his own throat.
"A knife, Ananya?" he whispered into my ear, his voice a dark, thrilling caress. "I expected a little more creativity from a Mehra."
"Let me go!" I thrashed, but he was like a mountain.
He leaned down, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. "You want to kill me? Fine. But learn the first rule of this house: If you come at the King, you better not miss."
He effortlessly pried the dagger from my shaking fingers and tossed it across the marble floor. It clattered into the darkness.
"Now," he said, his voice turning to ice as he addressed the servants. "Dress her. Use the red silk. I want her marked in the color of the blood she's so eager to spill."