“Marry me, little vixen,” he said, his tone cold and demanding as if it were a command rather than a request. She raised an eyebrow, her face betraying no hint of surprise or shock. “And why should I marry you?” she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Because I want you,” he said, his tone low and dark. “I want you to be mine. Completely and utterly mine.” Sara's expression remained stoic, her back straight and her chin raised defiantly. “I'm not a possession, Ishaan Maheswari,” she said coolly. “I'm not some trinket you can claim and put on a shelf.” His lip curled into a sardonic smile, his gaze never leaving Sara's face. “Correction,” he said, his tone dismissive. “You're not a possession. You're a prize to be won.” As Sara stood up, she gave him a smug look and said, “You'll be the last person on this earth that I'd ever marry.” Her hand was on the door handle, ready to walk out when his words stopped her in her tracks. “Don't you want to find out who killed your parents and why?” he said, his tone deceptively casual. She froze, her hand trembling ever so slightly. The mention of her parents was like a knife twisting in her gut, reopening a wound she had tried so hard to keep closed. He took a step closer, his gaze locked on hers. “You've spent years looking for answers,” he said, his tone low and dangerous. “Don't you want to know who robbed you of your family? Who took away your chance at a normal life?” Sara's heart was racing, her mind flooded with memories of her past. She had spent years trying to forget, to move on, but the pain was always there, lurking just beneath the surface. And now, he was offering her the one thing she had always desired - answers. “What do you want in return?” she said, her voice steady despite the emotions swirling inside her. His lip curled into a smirk, his gaze never leaving hers. “I want you to be my wife,” he said, his tone cold and calculated. “I want you to be the perfect wife in front of the world, to belong to me completely. By the time I find the truth, I want your loyalty, your obedience, and your surrender.” Sara's heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing with conflicting emotions. She hated him, despised him with every fiber of her being, but a part of her couldn't deny the truth in his words. The desire to know the truth was a burning flame within her, consuming her from the inside out. Her face was stoic, her expression betraying none of the turmoil churning inside her. “Okay,” she said finally, her tone flat and emotionless. Little did she know, that single agreement had set in motion a chain of events that would consume her entire life. Her world was about to be shaken, her life turned upside down. She was about to find herself in a web of lies and deceit, trapped in a game she couldn't escape. And the man who stood before her, the man she had just agreed to give herself to, was at the center of it all. He was a twisted, dark, and obsessed man who would stop at nothing to possess her completely. ____________________________ “Do you always insist on getting your way?” she asked, her voice steady despite the trembling inside. His eyes darkened as he stepped closer, his proximity overwhelming. “When it comes to you, I will make sure I get what I want.” “And if I resist?” she challenged, her chin lifted defiantly even as her lips trembled. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he leaned even closer, his breath hot against her skin. “You won't,” he said, his tone confident, his eyes glittering with something that looked a lot like possession. Her body was betraying her, responding to his nearness in a way she couldn't control. “And why is that?” she managed to ask, her voice betraying just a hint of desperation. He raised his hand and traced a finger along her jawline, his touch a whisper of promise and threat. “Because, sweetheart, you belong to me,” he said, his voice a low rumble that sent a wave of heat pooling in her abdomen. ________________________ “You've been avoiding me,” he said, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down her spine. “I haven't been avoiding you,” she said, her voice steady despite the flutter in her chest. "I've just been busy." He stalked closer, his movements fluid and controlled, like a predator closing in on its prey. “Is that so?” he asked, his eyes locked on hers, a hint of mockery in his tone. “Yes,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, her throat dry. “Liar.” “I'm not lying,” she protested weakly, though the tremor in her voice gave her away. That was it. He leaned in, his gaze never leaving hers, and captured her lips in a searing kiss. She melted against him, her body responding to his touch without thought or resistance. As he broke the kiss, he whispered against her lips, “You can lie to yourself all you want, but your body betrays you every time I get close.”