(Ayesha’s POV)

The first thing Ayesha felt when her eyes fluttered open was pain — a dull, relentless ache spreading across her body, a cruel souvenir from last night. Her wrists were tender where his fingers had shackled her to the bed, her inner thighs bruised from his brutal hunger. Even her lips felt raw, swollen from kisses that tasted more like punishment than passion.

The bed was empty beside her. No lingering warmth. No sign of him.

Gone again.

She forced herself to sit up, wrapping the blanket around her naked body like armor, but the silk sheet felt too thin to protect her from the storm still raging inside her. Last night wasn’t just about anger or lust — it was about power. Rudra had claimed her, body and soul, but the worst part was how her body betrayed her. How even through the tears and the pain, a part of her had still wanted him.

That was the curse of loving Rudra Thakur — even when he destroyed her, she still ached for him.

A sharp knock on the door dragged her out of her thoughts.

"Ayesha, beta," Janki’s voice called softly. "Rudra wants to see you before he leaves."

Leaves?

Ayesha’s heart stumbled. She quickly dressed in a simple salwar kameez, the fabric grazing her bruised skin like a reminder of last night. Her fingers trembled as she brushed her hair, the memory of his hands tangled in it flashing before her eyes.

She hurried downstairs, her breath catching when she saw him standing near the entrance. Dressed in black, a gun strapped to his waist, Rudra looked every bit the dangerous mafia king the world feared. But it wasn’t his power that made her heart skip — it was him. The boy she once knew, buried somewhere beneath the monster he had become.

"You’re leaving?" she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.

Rudra’s eyes met hers, and for a second, they softened — just a flicker — before the ice returned. "For a month. Work."

Ayesha knew what work meant in Rudra’s world. Blood, enemies, deals carved from violence and loyalty. It wasn’t a business trip — it was a war.

"Be careful," she said, surprising herself.

Rudra’s brow lifted slightly, like he wasn’t expecting her to say it — like the part of him that believed she never cared was being forced to reconsider.

"You care now?" he mocked, but the edge in his voice wasn’t as sharp as usual.

Ayesha’s throat tightened. "I always cared, Rudra. Even when I left… I cared."

He took a step forward, closing the distance between them until her back brushed the wall. His fingers caught her chin, tilting her face up to meet his. There was no anger in his touch this time — just something quieter. Something heavier.

"You lie so easily," he whispered, but this time the accusation lacked venom. It sounded almost… sad.

Ayesha’s heart twisted painfully. If you only knew the truth…

Rudra’s gaze dropped to her lips, his thumb tracing the edge — the same lips he had bruised last night. "Don’t think I’ll forget what you said about the money. About never loving me." He smiled, but it was a smile without joy. "When I return, we’ll finish this game. And by the time I’m done, there won’t be a single part of you that doesn’t belong to me."

Her skin prickled under his touch, not just from fear, but from the raw magnetism that existed between them — even now, even after all the hate.

He pulled back, adjusting his cufflinks with a cold elegance. "While I’m gone, take care of my family. They trust you now. Don’t break that trust."

The unspoken threat hung between them — if you betray them, you answer to me.

Ayesha swallowed, nodding silently.

Rudra turned toward the door, but before stepping out, he paused. His back still to her, his voice softer than before. "And think about what my mother said."

Ayesha’s heart clenched. The heir. A child. The weight of that expectation settled heavy on her chest. How could they bring a child into this broken marriage? Into this battlefield disguised as love?

By the time she found the courage to speak, he was gone — the door closing behind him with a finality that made her chest ache. She stood there alone, the silence pressing down on her, until her knees gave out and she sank onto the floor.

Tears blurred her vision as she whispered to the empty room. "I never wanted your money, Rudra. I only ever wanted you."

But the truth was a luxury she couldn’t afford. Not now. Maybe not ever.

And so, for the next month, she would wear her mask — the perfect wife, the perfect daughter-in-law — all while counting down the days until the monster she loved returned to claim her once again.

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End of Chapter 16.