Page 136 of Wasted Grace

Arms circling his neck, I use my momentum to throw him off balance. He startles—his only mistake. And itcostshim.

We crash to the ground, his knees hitting the floor as I lock my arms tighter. My legs wrap around his thighs, jiu-jitsu-style—muscle memory taking over.

Viraj and I have sparred before. Many times. But I’ve never tried toactuallysmother the man. Right now? I don’t fucking care.

“Fucking hell—st-stop,” he croaks, tapping my arm like that’s going to get him out. It’s not. This isn’t a tap out, sweetheart.

He fights back, trying to pry my arms off. He’s stronger,sure. But I don’t let go.

I squeeze harder—compressing the sides of his neck. Cutting off blood flow to his overconfident,overreachingbrain.

My own blood is thundering. Rage boiling through every vein.

He knows this move. And I know what it forces him to do—to hurt me if he wants to break free—get out of my hold. And I’m banking on the fact that he won’t be able to.

Notreally.

A few more seconds and... he goes slack.

I release him. Letting his unconscious body slump to the carpet.

When he wakes up, he’ll know exactly what this was.

My act ofdefiance.

Myrefusalto kneel.

My final goodbye.

The scuffle must’ve alerted Dev. Because when I look up, he’s frozen at the hallway—wide-eyed, staring at me and Viraj’s limp form on the floor.

“I...” he rasps. “I thought I heard something. Wanted to check if—uh—you guys were alright. Clearly...”

“Clearly we are,” I say with a smile that doesn’t meet my eyes.

Leaving Dev behind with Viraj’s knocked-out body, I head to Advik’s room.

I think I’m walking in to bringanother mandown a peg.

But that’s not what happens.

If I had known what was waiting for me in the next ten minutes...

I wouldn’t have stepped inside.

THIRTY-EIGHT

Greesha

The silence holds a different kind of oppression this time.

It’s not burdening. It isn’t agitating. It’s just... silence born out ofacceptance. I stare at him—leaning against the door I just shut.

“He just won’t let you... be.”

Advik’s whisper is a mix of excruciating realization andpain. He’s sitting at the edge of his bed, gazing at nothing. His eyes flitting about—as if trying to find a viable reason. But he won’t turn his eyes to me.

I also notice how he doesn’t say,‘he just won’t let you go’.Justbe. And it’s the truth. Viraj has probably concocted a reality that doesn’t include my wishes anymore.