The room smelled of expensive cigars, whiskey, and sin. Bright lights blinded her as she stood on the platform, her wrists bound, her body trembling. Murmurs filled the air, numbers being thrown like she was nothing more than merchandise.

“Five million.”
“Ten.”
“Fifteen.”

Her breath hitched. She wanted to scream, to run, but the chains of her fate held her in place.

And then, a deep, bone-chilling voice silenced the room.

"This deal will only happen if the girl belongs to me—forever."

The room fell into a suffocating silence.

Aaradhya’s heart pounded against her ribs, her breath trapped in her throat. She dared to look up, her blurry vision focusing on the man who had just spoken.

He sat in the shadows, his presence demanding attention without effort. Midnight-black suit, broad shoulders, and a posture so effortlessly dominant it sent chills down her spine. But it was his eyes that held her captive—dark, unreadable, laced with something far more dangerous than the lust-filled stares of the other men in the room.

Possession.

"Sold," the auctioneer declared, his voice breaking the trance.

Aaradhya stumbled back, her legs refusing to hold her weight. No. No, no, no.

She was being dragged toward him, her captors tightening their grip as she thrashed in desperation. "Please, no! Let me go!"

But her struggles were useless. In the next breath, she was thrown at his feet.

Rudra Veer Rathore.

He leaned forward, his fingers gripping her chin, forcing her to look up.

"Fighting is useless, little dove," he murmured, his voice smooth yet lethal. "You belong to me now."

Tears burned in her eyes, but she held them back. She refused to break, not in front of him.

He smirked, as if reading her silent defiance. "Don’t worry," he whispered, his thumb brushing over her trembling lips. "I don't break my toys too soon."

Aaradhya’s breath hitched as his fingers traced the curve of her jaw, his touch featherlight yet suffocating. The air between them crackled—an invisible chain tightening around her throat, binding her to him.

She jerked her face away, her pulse hammering in defiance. "I don’t belong to you," she spat, her voice shaking.

Rudra chuckled, low and menacing. His grip on her chin tightened just enough to remind her of the power he held. "Oh, sweetheart," he mused, his dark eyes glittering with something unreadable. "You belonged to me the second I laid eyes on you."

Her stomach twisted. This was different from the other monsters who had tried to buy her. There was no lust clouding his gaze—only raw possession. As if he wasn’t claiming her body but something far deeper, far more terrifying.

He stood to his full height, towering over her like a shadow she could never outrun. "Take her," he commanded, and within seconds, strong hands yanked her up. She struggled, kicking and thrashing, but it was pointless.

Panic clawed at her chest as they dragged her toward the exit. The room was suffocating, filled with murmurs of disappointment and amusement. She could hear the murmurs—lucky girl, she got a powerful one—but all she felt was dread.

The doors slammed shut behind them. The cold night air slapped against her skin, but it did nothing to numb the terror sinking into her bones.

A sleek black car stood waiting, its back door open like a predator’s mouth ready to consume her whole.

"No!" Aaradhya screamed, fighting harder. "Please, don’t do this!"

Her captors barely flinched. "She’s feisty," one of them muttered. "Should we sedate her?"

"Not yet."

Rudra’s voice was smooth, absolute.

He stepped closer, his tall frame casting her in shadow. Slowly, he reached out, brushing a stray tear from her cheek with the back of his knuckles. His touch was gentle—too gentle for the kind of man he was.

A shiver ran down her spine.

"Listen carefully, gattina," he murmured, the Italian endearment rolling off his tongue like silk laced with steel. "You can scream, you can fight, but the outcome won’t change." His fingers slid down to her throat, pressing lightly. "You are mine."

(In the Italian language gattina means young cat)

Aaradhya trembled, her knees nearly giving out.

And then, with effortless strength, he lifted her into his arms.

She gasped, thrashing wildly, but he held her as if she weighed nothing. Without another word, he stepped into the car, pulling her with him. The door slammed shut.

Darkness swallowed them whole.

Her nightmare had only just begun.

________________________________

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