Chapter 11
A fortress built for a king.
A prison built for a queen.
And tonight?
Tonight, it was a battlefield.
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Anvi’s breath came in shallow gasps as she stood in front of Agastya Singh Rathore, his hand wrapped around her wrist in an unrelenting grip.
Outside, gunshots echoed through the estate. Footsteps pounded against the marble floors.
Her brother was here. Aarav had come for her.
Hope flickered in her chest, wild and desperate.
But then she looked up—into Agastya’s eyes.
And hope shattered.
Because the man in front of her wasn’t just angry.
He wasn’t just furious that someone had dared enter his home.
He was terrified.
Not for himself.
For her.
“You planned this, didn’t you?” His voice was dangerously soft, his fingers tightening around her wrist.
Anvi wrenched her arm, trying to pull away. “I didn’t know he was coming,” she whispered. “But I’m glad he did.”
Agastya’s jaw ticked. “You’re not leaving.”
She lifted her chin. “Watch me.”
A muscle in his jaw jumped, but before he could speak, the door burst open.
And there he was.
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The moment she saw him, the last piece of her control cracked.
“Bhai!”
She ran.
Straight into his arms.
Aarav caught her, his grip tightening as he held her close.
“Pari,” he murmured against her hair. “I’ve got you.”
For the first time in weeks, she felt safe.
Her brother was here. He would take her away from this nightmare. From the cage. From Agastya.
But just as she thought she was free—
A gun clicked behind them.
Her heart stopped.
Slowly, she turned.
And her breath caught.
Agastya stood there, a gun in his hand, aimed directly at Aarav.
His face was blank. His body still. His hands steady.
But his eyes—his eyes burned.
With fury. With possession.
With something close to heartbreak.
“Let. Her. Go.” His voice was ice.
Aarav shifted in front of her, shielding her with his body. “She’s coming with me.”
The room thickened with tension.
For a long moment, no one moved.
And then, Agastya tilted his head slightly.
A dangerous smirk tugged at his lips, but his eyes remained cold.
“You don’t get it, do you?” His voice was eerily calm.
He stepped closer.
“You can take her from this house, Oberoi.”
Another step.
“You can take her to the ends of the earth.”
Another step.
Until he was close enough for Anvi to see the crack beneath his armor.
The slight tremble in his grip.
The torment he was trying to hide.
Then—his voice dropped to a whisper.
“But you will never take her from me.”
And in that moment, Anvi realized the terrifying truth.
She had thought she could escape him.
But there was no escaping Agastya Singh Rathore.
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Aarav moved first.
With one swift motion, he grabbed Anvi’s wrist and yanked her toward the door.
And this time, Agastya didn’t stop her.
This time, he let her run.
Because he knew it didn’t matter.
She could run.
She could flee.
She could cross the oceans and hide in shadows.
But she would never be free of him.
Because Hukum always got what was his.
And Anvi Singh Rathore was his.
Whether she liked it or not.