Meera knew she was crossing a line she could never uncross. Veer's world was a labyrinth of secrets, danger, and bloodshed. Yet, she couldn't turn away.
Late at night, curiosity gnawed at her. She followed the whispers of his past, piecing together fragments of the truth. A warehouse at the edge of the city held the answers she wasn't sure she wanted.
She slipped inside, the air thick with the scent of gunpowder and smoke. Men in suits murmured in hushed voices, their eyes sharp, their movements precise. Her stomach twisted.
And then she saw him.
Veer stood at the center of it all, radiating an aura of command. His shirt was slightly unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up, revealing the toned muscles of his forearms. A man knelt before him, battered and broken.
"Did you really think you could betray me?" Veer's voice was smooth, almost deadly. He stepped forward, gripping the man's jaw roughly. "Your mistake wasn't trying to run. It was thinking you could escape me."
Meera's breath hitched. This wasn't the man who whispered sweet nothings in her ear. This was the Veer Pratap the world feared.
A gunshot echoed.
She gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth as the man collapsed. Her knees went weak.
Before she could move, strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind. A warm breath ghosted over her ear.
"You shouldn't be here, Meera."
Her pulse skyrocketed. His grip was firm, possessive, trapping her against his body.
"I needed to know the truth," she whispered, her voice trembling.
He turned her to face him, dark eyes burning into hers. "And now that you do?"
She swallowed hard. "I should hate you."
His smirk was wicked. "But you don't."
Meera wanted to fight it, to push him away, but the heat between them was unbearable. His fingers traced her jaw, tilting her chin up.
"You knew who I was, yet you came," he murmured. "You're drawn to the darkness, aren't you?"
She sucked in a sharp breath. "I'm not like you."
He leaned in, his lips a whisper away. "No, but you're mine."
With that, he crushed his lips onto hers. The kiss was raw, demanding, filled with unspoken battles and lost control. Meera clung to him, losing herself in the fire. His hands roamed her back, pulling her impossibly closer, as if he could brand her with his touch.
When they finally pulled apart, she was breathless.
"I'll never be part of this world," she managed to say.
Veer smirked, brushing a thumb over her swollen lips. "You already are."
And she knew, deep down, he was right.