(Ayesha’s POV)

The clock ticked loudly, each second scraping her nerves raw. Ayesha stood by the window, fingers gripping the curtain as she stared at the long driveway. His convoy had arrived almost thirty minutes ago, but Rudra hadn’t stepped inside yet.

Three weeks. That’s how long he had been gone. Three weeks without his presence — yet not a day passed without his shadow lingering over her.

Her hand drifted unconsciously to her stomach, where her secret still grew, hidden from the world — hidden from him.

The heavy front door creaked open. Ayesha’s heart leapt to her throat, her breath catching. Boots echoed in the silent hallway, each step slow, calculated, as if the devil himself was walking back into her life.

And then, there he was.

Rudra Thakur.

Dust clung to his black shirt, his face hardened from the battlefield he had left behind — but his eyes were the same. Dark, stormy, and too sharp, like they could strip every secret out of her soul if she let them linger too long.

Ayesha swallowed, her lips parting, but no words came. Rudra’s gaze swept over her body, stopping for a brief second at her stomach before moving up to her face. Something flickered in his eyes, but it was gone before she could read it.

“You’re back…” her voice was soft, uncertain.

Rudra didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he stepped closer, closing the space between them until she could feel the heat radiating off him. His hand came up — for a terrifying second, she thought he might grab her throat, the way he used to when rage consumed him. But instead, his fingers traced her jaw, a feather-light touch that sent shivers down her spine.

“Did you miss me, Mrs. Thakur?” His voice was low, dangerous, but there was a strange softness hiding beneath the sharpness.

Ayesha forced herself to hold his gaze. “You didn’t call. Not once.”

He smirked, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Did you want me to?”

She didn’t answer. She couldn’t. The truth would betray her, and right now, truth was her most dangerous enemy.

He stepped back, shrugging off his jacket, his muscles tense beneath his shirt. Ayesha could see the faint marks on his skin — bruises, cuts, the price of the life he lived. For a moment, worry flashed through her heart, but she buried it quickly.

“Dinner’s ready,” she whispered, eager to escape his intensity.

Rudra chuckled darkly. “Always so obedient.”

But then, just as she turned to leave, his hand caught her wrist. “Ayesha.”

She froze.

He pulled her closer, his lips brushing her ear. “Did anything… happen while I was gone?”

Her heart slammed against her ribs. Did he know? How could he know?

“No,” she lied, voice trembling. “Everything was fine.”

Rudra’s fingers tightened briefly, his thumb stroking her pulse. “Is that so?”

The doorbell rang, breaking the moment. Ayesha stepped back, almost too quickly, and went to answer it.

Rudra watched her from behind, his jaw clenched.

She’s lying.

He knew it. Because before he left, he had ordered a camera installed in their room — hidden from her. Every movement, every tear, every whisper she thought was private… he had seen it all.

Including the moment she held her stomach and whispered "Our baby."

Rudra’s smile was bitter. So this is your secret, my love. Let’s see how long you can hide it from me.

End of Chapter 18