Chapter 12: The Storm Within

Reyaansh’s POV

The ride back to my home was quiet. My parents were talking about trivial matters, but I barely listened. My thoughts were elsewhere, still lingering in that house and on her. Kiara Malhotra. The girl was a walking contradiction—fiery yet vulnerable, defiant yet undeniably captivating.

I replayed the moment she walked into the living room in those ridiculous bunny slippers, completely unaware of my presence. She’d looked so carefree, so unguarded. And then, when she returned in that black anarkali, all grace and elegance, she was like an entirely different person. It was fascinating to see both sides of her—the innocent girl and the fierce woman.

But it wasn’t just her appearance that intrigued me. It was the way she spoke, the way she challenged me without even realizing it. Most people cowered in my presence, but Kiara? She stood her ground, even if she was nervous. That fire in her eyes was something I couldn’t ignore, something I didn’t want to ignore.

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“Reyaansh, are you listening?” My mother’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. She was sitting beside me, her expression expectant.

“Hmm?” I glanced at her, realizing I had missed whatever she’d just said.

“I said, the girl seems lovely. Kiara will make a wonderful addition to the family,” she repeated, smiling.

I nodded absently. “She’s... interesting,” I said, keeping my tone neutral. My mother didn’t need to know how much Kiara had already gotten under my skin.

Dad chuckled from the front seat. “Interesting, huh? That’s not a word I’ve heard you use often. Maybe this marriage is a good idea after all.”

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I didn’t respond, leaning back in my seat and looking out the window instead. They didn’t understand what was happening in my mind. Kiara wasn’t just some arranged bride for me to accept or reject. She was a challenge—a puzzle I wanted to solve.

The image of her fiery gaze as she stood in the garden came back to me. She’d been so adamant, so determined to push me away. But she didn’t realize that her resistance only fueled my determination. I wasn’t one to back down, especially not when I saw something I wanted.

And I wanted her. Not just for this marriage, not just to fulfill some family obligation. No, I wanted to unravel every layer of Kiara Malhotra, to see what lay beneath that defiance. She was mine, whether she realized it or not.

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As the car pulled into the driveway of my home, I stepped out and headed straight to my study. I needed a plan. Kiara wasn’t like the others—she wouldn’t fall in line just because I told her to. If I wanted her to truly accept me, I’d have to approach this differently.

A smile tugged at my lips as I poured myself a glass of whiskey and sat down at my desk. This wasn’t just about winning her over. It was about making her see that she belonged with me, that no one else could handle her fire but me.

Reyaansh Rathore never lost, and this time wouldn’t be any different.

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I swirled the whiskey in my glass, the amber liquid catching the dim light of my study. My mind raced with strategies, scenarios where Kiara’s resistance would crumble, and she’d see things my way. I wasn’t going to force her, though. No, that wasn’t my style. Kiara Malhotra was the kind of woman who needed to feel like she was in control, even when she wasn’t.

My thoughts drifted back to the way she had spoken to her family earlier, her voice light and teasing, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. And then, the way her tone had changed when she looked at me—defiant, guarded, like a warrior preparing for battle. She intrigued me in a way no one ever had before.

I set the glass down and leaned back in my chair, a smirk playing on my lips. This wasn’t going to be easy, and I liked that. Kiara wasn’t someone I could buy or charm with half-hearted attempts. She was fire and chaos, a storm I wanted to stand in the middle of. She’d challenge me, push me to my limits, and I welcomed it.

Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through my contacts until I found the number I needed. I had plans to make, ways to integrate myself further into her life. Whether she liked it or not, Kiara was about to see a lot more of me.

As I placed the phone on the desk, I allowed myself one last thought before heading to bed: Kiara Malhotra didn’t know it yet, but she was already mine. And I’d do whatever it took to make her realize that—on her terms, or mine.