Instead, he did the opposite.Why?
The SUV finally rolls through the gates of RK Estate and stops outside the villa. I immediately push the door open, having no intention of standing here and explaining myself to him. But as soon as my feet touch the ground, his strong hands grip my arms.
My breath catches, and before I can react, Raghav spins me around and pins me against the closed car door. The impact makes me gasp. His palms cage my arms on either side, trapping me between his body and the SUV while he stands far too close, far too imposing.
“Whatever happened tonight is never happening again,” he warns, his fingers tightening around my arms. “You want to leave the estate, you tell me. I’ll arrange the vehicle and your security.”
His eyes lock onto mine as he takes another step closer.
“But you do not disappear on your own, Siya.”
I open my mouth to argue, but he doesn’t let me.
“You’re my wife now. And before you start fighting me on that, understand one thing.” His gaze darkens. “There are people who would use you to get to me. People who know exactly who you are and what you mean to me.”
Her nostrils flare.
“I will not have you driving around alone while half the underworld would celebrate finding you unprotected.”
His thumb presses a little more firmly into my arm.
“If something happens to you because I failed to protect you, I’ll never be able to forgive myself. Defy this rule again, and you’ll find out exactly how serious I am.”
Nowthat’sa warning.
I should argue, or at the very least, throw another sharp jab at him. I should remind him that marrying me doesn’t give him the right to dictate my life. Normally, I would. But tonight, the words don’t come. Because standing this close and looking into those dark eyes, I can see something I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge before.He’s genuinely worried about me.
My heartbeat stumbles. The truth is, I already knew he cared, even before I became his wife. Back when I was merely a guest at RK Estate, he had watched over me with the same maddening intensity. At that time, I had convinced myself it was only because of who I was. Because if something happened to me inside his estate, the underworld would come looking. Questions would be asked. His identity, his past, everything he had carefully hidden here could be dragged into the light because of me.
But now I know that was never the reason. If protecting his secrets was all he cared about, he would never have married me knowing exactly what would follow.
He knows I can fight and take care of myself. He knows I don’t need saving here. Yet he still wants to protect me.It’s either madness or something more.
Slowly, Raghav releases my arms and takes a step back, giving me space. Then, without another word, he turns and walks towards the villa. For several seconds, I simply stand there, watching his retreating figure before following him inside.
The irony of it all is almost funny.
The man who turned my life upside down is also the same man who calms every storm inside my head.
Tonight, I left the villa determined to take back a piece of my freedom from him. Going to that pub, defying him, and dancing like I didn’t care about the consequences had almost felt like a victory, even if only for a while.
But what surprised me the most is how he handled my reckless stunt.Not once did he try to cage me. He gave me space and allowed me to deal with things my way when everything turned ugly back on the dance floor. And when it was finally over, he brought me home with the same dignity I had walked out with.
My head held high.
My pride intact.
As if I was still a princess worthy of respect, protection, and pampering.
It’s ridiculous, really.
Every time I decide I hate Raghav Kundra, he goes ahead and gives me another reason not to.
CHAPTER 29
SIYA
Later that night
