The storm finally broke before dawn. The air outside smelled of wet earth and salt, the sea calmer than it had been in days. Ishani stood at the balcony window of her room, her heart thundering—not from the view, but from the tiny key she'd palmed during dinner. She didn't know how Dante had overlooked it, but for the first time since her capture, she saw an opening.
She wrapped her dupatta tightly around her shoulders and slipped into the hall. The villa was eerily silent, its marble floors cold against her bare feet. Every corner seemed to hold his shadow, but she pressed forward, forcing her breaths even.
Past the library. Down the grand staircase. Toward the servants' wing. She knew she couldn't walk out the front gates—they were guarded—but maybe the side courtyard… maybe the forest beyond.
Her pulse soared when she reached the door. With trembling fingers, she slid the key into the lock. It turned with a soft click.
Freedom.
She pushed the door open, the night breeze rushing against her skin. She took one step out—
And froze.
A shadow detached from the wall. Dante.
He was dressed in black, his sleeves rolled to his forearms, his tie gone, his presence sharp as a blade. His eyes caught the moonlight—glacial, furious.
"Running from me, bella?" His voice was low, almost calm, which made it more terrifying.
Ishani's breath caught, but she forced her chin up. "I don't belong here. I will never belong here."
For a moment, silence. Then he moved.
In two strides, he had her pinned against the cold wall, his hand braced beside her head, his body towering over hers. He wasn't rough—yet—but the restrained violence in his posture made her pulse hammer.
"You think the world outside these gates is safer?" he hissed, his breath hot against her face. "My enemies would rip you apart just to see me bleed."
Her nails dug into her palms. "Then let them! At least I'd die free, not as your prisoner."
His jaw tightened, a muscle twitching. He leaned closer, so close she could feel his heartbeat pounding through his chest. "No. You die with me—or you live with me. Those are your only choices."
Her throat went dry. "You're insane."
He smirked, but it was bitter, dangerous. "Maybe. But insanity is what keeps you alive in my world."
His hand moved—gripping her chin, forcing her to look at him. Not cruelly, but with a terrifying intimacy. "Do you understand, Ishani? You don't walk away from me. Ever."
For a moment, the storm inside her warred with the storm inside him. She wanted to spit in his face, scream, claw at him—but her body betrayed her, trembling at the heat in his gaze.
Finally, he released her, stepping back with a sharp breath, as if letting go cost him control. He shut the door with a slam, locking it once more.
"You want to play games?" he said softly, his voice like silk over steel. "Then I'll play too. But know this—" His eyes burned into hers, obsession raw and unmasked. "Every time you run, I'll chase. And every time I catch you… you'll lose a little more of yourself to me."
And then he walked away, his footsteps echoing down the hall, leaving her pressed against the wall, her body trembling with fury, fear… and something far more dangerous.