After Karan left that morning, silence once again claimed the apartment. It wasn’t peaceful - it was too quiet. The kind that hums in your ears, making you painfully aware of every breath, every heartbeat.

Aira wandered through the place, bare feet against the cold marble. The apartment was massive, luxurious, and suffocating all at once. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a breathtaking view of the city. But she didn’t care for views. Not when the glass felt more like bars.

Maya showed her around briefly, pointing out the private library, a gym, a guest lounge, and even a personal spa. A cage with velvet walls, Aira thought.

She tried to pass the time reading a book she found in the library, but the words refused to stay on the page. She made herself some tea in the sleek kitchen, but it didn’t taste like home. She even took a shower, letting the hot water numb her skin, trying to wash off the coldness of the night before.

But nothing helped.

When the clock struck 7 p.m., the front door clicked open.

Karan was home.

Aira was curled on the long couch in the living room, watching the city lights blur behind the glass when he walked in, tossing his phone on the table.

“You didn’t try to run,” he said without looking at her.

“I don’t run,” she replied.

He glanced at her, removing his jacket. “Good. I hate chasing.”

She stood up, eyes steady. “I’m not your prisoner.”

“No, you’re my guest.” He poured himself a drink, the clink of ice echoing in the silence. “A very reluctant guest.”

She crossed her arms. “You act like you’re doing me a favor, dragging me into your messed-up deal.”

He stepped closer, drink in hand, voice low. “You agreed to it.”

“For my family,” she shot back. “Not for you.”

He stopped in front of her. Close. Too close. That damn cologne again.

“Then let’s not pretend this is anything more than a transaction,” he murmured, leaning down just a little. “You stay. You follow my rules. And I give your mother what she needs.”

“And after a month?” she whispered, eyes not backing down.

“That depends on you.”

There was something dangerous in the way he said it. A dare. A threat. A promise.
She stepped back. “You won’t break me, Karan.”

He smirked. “Oh, Aira… I’m not trying to break you love.”

He turned away before she could respond, his shadow long under the city lights. And once again, she was left wondering -

Was the danger in being under his roof?

Or in how part of her didn’t entirely want to leave?

Author :- Excited for the next part ??

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