Page 8 of Trapped By the Maharaja

It was past midnight when Sanjana stepped out of the shower and dressed in comfortable night clothes. She rubbed her arms as she went into the living room. Despite her clothes being warm and dry, the chill still lingered.

The quiet inside her apartment was deafening. She usually felt at peace as soon as she stepped into her home, but now, she felt anything but peace.

Her apartment was small but spotless, with everything in place, books aligned, couch cushions straight, desk stacked with case notes. It was the one part of her life she could still control.

But now even that felt like it was slipping away.

She grabbed a glass of water and drank it, then set it aside with a loud clink. Her hands trembled, and she dug her nails into her palms to steady herself.

Her sides as her eyes swept across the small space. This little apartment was her sanctuary. It didn’t look like much, but it was home.

She never dreamed of a lavish life. Her dream had always been simple: help the people regardless of who they were. And especially heal the ones who couldn’t afford or hope.

The orphanage she grew up in had taught her the true meaning of value, how a single book could be a treasure, how kindness could change the course of a life.

She had never known who funded her education.

She only knew that one day, the orphanage head came to her, letting her know an anonymous patron was sponsoring her medical degree.

The sponsorship came with fully funded tuition and a monthly stipend.

A small, beautifully written note was also handed over.

She still kept the note, although the words in it were embedded in her heart.

“Help others the way someone helped you.”

Right then, she had promised herself she would never forget where she came from. Never chase money or recognition. Never treat medicine as a business.

And she hadn’t. She often got into trouble following her motto, but she didn’t think it would lead her into the trap laid out by one man she never wanted to see again.

Ram Devara.

Damn him.

She closed her eyes and pressed the heels of her palms against them until stars burst behind her lids. The pressure in her chest grew tighter. Familiar.

He had haunted her thoughts for eight years.

Eight years of trying to forget the small, twisted smile on his handsome face, the sound of his deep laughter, the way his gaze could burn through a crowd and settle on her like she was the only one that mattered, and the way his arms wrapped around her, making her feel safe and cherished.

It was all a lie.

She had tried to erase him, cut him out like a tumor, but he always bled back into her mind, uninvited and unrelenting.

And now, he was truly back. And he wanted an heir. A child.

A large part of her was still numb with shock at what he wanted. It was ridiculous and outrageous that he even had a contract drawn up for it.

Her eyes fell on the coffee table, on top of which was the sleek, black folder with the Devara royal crest logo shining in gold. She stared at it like it was a poisonous snake that would bite her.

She walked away and pressed her forehead to the cool glass window, her breath fogging it faintly. Wiping the fog away, she watched the storm continue to rage outside.

Despite everything, despite her fury, her shock, and her exhaustion, she still remembered what it felt like to fall for him back then.

The handsome, intriguing guy who chased after her.

She had rejected his advances, but he was relentless.

He pursued her again and again. Until her common sense was drowned by sweet, thoughtful gestures and stolen glances.

Until she’d stopped listening to the voice inside that warned her, he would destroy her.

And in the end… he had.

She had barely survived the last time. Now, he was back. Colder. Ruthless. And more dangerous.

I won’t let him destroy me.

She sucked in a deep breath and was about to step away from the window when she saw it.

Parked in the shadows across the street was a sleek, black SUV. It was the same SUV that had dropped her from the hospital a couple of hours before.

She recalled when she had stormed out of the conference room and gone down, Rajesh had been waiting for her. He had offered to drop her home. But before she could respond, the door to the hospital lobby had opened, and two burly, unsmiling men in black suits came towards her.

“Dr. Shetty, we’ve been instructed to drop you home,” one of them had said simply, his voice like gravel. “Orders from His Highness.”

Rajesh had tried to protest, but the bodyguards barely acknowledged his existence. She didn’t argue because she was numb with shock and exhaustion. She had followed them as they escorted her to the SUV.

And now, it seemed like they had been ordered to guard her.

Sanjana’s jaw tightened.

Does he think I will run away?

She didn’t plan to run away or escape Ram. This time, she was determined to fight him.

If Ram Devara thought he could simply break her again by trapping her into marriage, then the Maharaja was about to learn a hard lesson.