Page 42

I know my grip is too tight, and I see the marks forming on her delicate wrist, but before I can adjust my hold, we’re at her door.

The door opens, and Claire stands there, her eyes widening at the sight of us—both of us looking dishevelled, emotionally drained, yet crackling with unresolved tension. I don’t give her time to process the scene. In one swift movement, I push Simran through the doorway and slam the door shut, staying outside myself. I look around and release a deep breath.

Just then, Abhay steps out from the elevator, and I turn to him, my voice coming out as a harsh command. “Keep a close watch on her. She’s not stepping her foot out of this place until she has my permission.”

The door reverberates with a loud bang as Simran pounds on it from the other side. “Vishnu, what the hell? You can’t do this to me!” Her scream is muffled but clear enough to make my jaw clench tighter.

Ignoring her protests, I turn away from her door and stride toward the apartment across the hall where my team is stationed. I need space. I need to breathe. I need to process everything that’s happened in the last hour.

I lean back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling. No matter how much I want to be angry with her, no matter how much I want to distance myself from her, I can’t. We have a son together. Our lives are intertwined now. The thought of losing either of them—Simran or Veer—it’s unbearable. I need to figure out what the hell to do next. Because right now, everything feels like it’s spiralling out of control.

CHAPTER 12

SIMRAN

I pace restlessly around the living room, my head swirling with everything that happened today. Vishnu has always been a force of nature, but today... today, he revealed something else entirely. A side of himself I hadn’t anticipated. If I hadn’t pulled that stunt—escaping from the boutique like that—he wouldn’t have come to confront me so easily. As he said, he would have punished me by keeping his distance for months just to make me pay for what I’d done to him.

That confrontation, though, was inevitable. It had to happen, even if there was no real solution. But the way it played out, right there in the middle of the street, with his guards forming a circle around us, witnessing our explosive exchange, was something I never could have predicted. We unleashed all the frustration, anger, and deep-seated pain we’d been holding in for so long, and even now, I’m still shaken by how raw it all was.

My heart races with the memory of our heated exchange, every word, every charged moment playing on loop in my head. He was hurt, deeply hurt, and his anger was like a storm threatening to destroy everything in its path. But underneath it all, I saw the pain. He’s not just angry—he’s devastated. And I don’t know if there’s anything I can do to fix it.

The way he then dragged me back here, holding me captive with his fury, still sends shivers down my spine. His final words to Abhay—that I wasn’t to leave the apartment without his permission—cut deep, their meaning sinking into my bones. He’s treating me like I’m fragile, as though I don’t understand the danger I am in. But I do. I’m not stupid. I know the threat is real, but this? Stripping me of my freedom? Locking me away like this?

It infuriates me.

Does he really think locking me up will keep me safe? As if I’m some helpless damsel in distress? I scoff, shaking my head at the absurdity of it all.

And yet, a part of me... a small, nagging part, is unsure. What happens now? Will Vishnu ignore me again like he did for the past three days, leaving me to stew in my anger and confusion? Or will things change for us after today?

I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s been hours since the confrontation, yet there’s still no sign of him. He must be across the hall in the rented apartment with his men, probably planning their next move for me. I let out a frustrated sigh, running my fingers through my hair.

What now, Vishnu? Will you keep ignoring me? Or is this just the calm before another storm?

Post-dinner, the silence in my apartment feels heavier than usual. Veer is asleep in my bedroom tonight, not his nursery. I needed him close to me after everything that’s happened. Claire and I finish tidying up the kitchen when the doorbell rings, startling us both. Claire looks up from the dishes, her brows knitting together in confusion.

“I’ll get it,” she says, wiping her hands on a towel before heading for the door.

A knot tightens in my stomach. Who could it be at this hour? I dry my hands quickly, deciding to follow her. Just then, she returns.

“It’s Vishnu. He’s here,” Claire says softly.

Vishnu?My heart leaps into my throat. I wasn’t expecting him to show up now. After all, for the past few days, he’s been avoiding me, only coming by to see Veer when I wasn’t at home. But Veer is already asleep, so why is he here now?

I wipe my hands again nervously on my dress, suddenly unsure of what to do with myself. What does he want now?

I walk down the hallway, but he isn’t at the entrance. I notice the door to my bedroom slightly ajar, and it clicks. I march toward the room, and there he is—standing by Veer’s crib, his tall, imposing figure casting shadows in the dim light. His presence is almost overwhelming, suffocating, but as I watch him, something in me shifts. He gently strokes Veer’s cheek, and his expression softens.

It’s the first time I’ve seen them together like this—Vishnu and Veer in one frame—and the sight tugs at something deep within me. I can’t tear my eyes away, watching the way Vishnu looks at his son, our son. It’s as if Veer is already the centre of his universe, and it makes me feel all the more guilty for keeping them apart for so long. I swallow the lump in my throat, trying to push the raw emotion down.

And then, in that same instant, I see Vishnu struggling too. He pulls his hand back from Veer, his face softening for a fleeting moment before his eyes lock on mine. Instantly, his expression hardens, and the wall between us slams back into place. The softness that was there just a moment ago is gone, replaced by that infuriating coldness. Suddenly, the room feels much smaller with him in it.

“What are you doing here?” My voice is steady, but inside, I’m trembling.

Vishnu’s lips curl slightly, almost a smirk, but not quite.

“For three days, you didn’t like me ignoring you, did you? Now that I’m here, you’re still not happy?”

His cutting voice hits me like a slap.