Vaishali's POV -

The first thing I felt was warmth.

The car hummed softly as I slowly opened my eyes. My head was still resting against his chest.

I froze. Panic surged through me. I had fallen asleep there... on his lap.

I tried to sit up quickly.

"Vaishu..."

His voice was soft but firm. I froze again.

He leaned closer from behind, wrapping his arms gently around my waist. His chest pressed softly against my back.

"This... this is peace, Vaishu," he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. "Please... don't move like that."

I could feel his warmth, his steady heartbeat. A strange calm washed over me.

I wanted to pull away, to tell him I didn't belong here, that this wasn't real.

But my hands fell to my lap, and I stayed still.

His hand reached up, lightly grazing my hair, inhaling softly.

"Mmm... this... this is mine," he murmured possessively.

My breath caught. My heart raced.

I wanted to run. I wanted to pretend none of this was happening and yet... my body refused to obey.

The car stopped. Outside, the gates of the Rathore Mansion loomed.

Rudraksh's POV -

She tried to move.

Her instinct was to run, to put distance between us.

But I wouldn't let her. Not yet.

I hugged her from behind. Felt her warmth. Her scent - calm, faint, and intoxicating.

"This is peace, Vaishu..." I whispered again. "Don't move like that."

She stayed still, trembling slightly, but I could feel her letting go, even just a little.

Every instinct screamed to protect her, to shield her from the world. And yet, even in this small, quiet moment, my possessiveness surged.

She belonged to me. Not because I wanted her. Because no one else ever would.

Vaishali's POV-

The mansion was enormous. My hands shook as I walked inside, wrapped in his coat. Guards moved like shadows, saluting him, but none dared approach me.

I whispered softly, almost to myself, "Why am I here? Men like him... don't care."

He noticed my hesitation and touched my chin gently, tilting my face toward his.

"Stop calling me sir," he said. His voice was soft but unyielding. "You are not a servant here. You are under my protection."

I could barely speak.

"And soon... you will be my wife," he added, dark and possessive.

I shivered. My mind screamed to say no. But my body... my heart... betrayed me.

Rudraksh's POV -

She walked through my mansion like a tiny, fragile bird.

Every hesitant step, every glance, every tremble....it was all mine to protect.

The doctor, a woman with calm eyes and gentle hands, was already waiting.

"Sir... I'll need to examine her properly," she said softly.

I nodded once, silently telling her to do her job. My eyes never left Vaishali.

She insisted she was fine, that she didn't need help. But her body told the truth before she could.

As the doctor's fingers traced the dark bruises along her forearms, the swollen marks on her shoulders, the faint cuts on her side, I saw her hands tremble.

"Oh... my God," she whispered, almost to herself, her voice shaking. "This... this isn't just abuse... this is systematic."

I tightened my grip around Vaishu from behind, feeling the slight tremble of her frame.

"Look at these marks," the doctor continued, her hand shaking as she pointed them out. "The healing isn't complete... deep contusions under the skin... she's lucky she hasn't broken anything."

My jaw clenched. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, her small hands pressing weakly against my chest.

I leaned closer from behind, resting my chin lightly on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Vaishu... I see it now," I whispered softly. "No one will touch you again."

The doctor swallowed hard, her hands still trembling.

"Sir... whoever did this... they should be stopped immediately. I've never seen someone this young with injuries this severe..."

I ignored her trembling and focused on Vaishali. Every mark on her body was a story of pain, fear, and survival - and every story burned in me.

"No one will ever hurt you again," I said quietly, almost to myself, tightening my hold.

Vaishu leaned slightly into me. She didn't pull away. Her small hands weakly held my shirt, and for a second, I let myself breathe.

I inhaled her scent, possessive and protective. Every tremble, every flinch - it belonged to me now.

"Sleep now... let this night be the first time you've felt safe," I whispered softly. "I won't let anything touch you. Not ever."

Her breathing slowly steadied. For the first time in years, she felt... safe. And I would make sure she stayed that way.

Her body relaxed against mine. Her breathing slowed.

I kissed the top of her head softly, possessive and tender all at once.

"And one day... you'll understand why I can't let you go."