EPISODE 7: BOUND BY DESIRE
1141 Words
The storm from the previous night had passed, but inside Anika’s heart, the turbulence remained.
She stood by the massive floor-to-ceiling window of Rudra’s mansion, staring at the morning sun as it peeked through the clouds. The world outside looked calm, but inside her, a battle raged.
Last night’s closeness with Rudra had shaken her to the core. His arms around her, his breath fanning over her skin, the possessive way he held her—it was too much, yet not enough.
She had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt the ghost of his touch, the way his fingers had traced her waist, the way his voice had murmured, “Stay.”
She had wanted to stay. And that scared her.
A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Come in,” she called, her voice still slightly hoarse from lack of sleep.
The door opened, and a maid entered with a tray of breakfast.
“Good morning, ma’am,” the maid greeted with a polite smile. “Sir Rudra asked me to bring you breakfast.”
Anika’s heart skipped a beat. He had done that?
She sat down at the small table in the room, her fingers playing with the edge of the napkin as the maid set the tray in front of her. A fresh fruit platter, toast, eggs, and a cup of coffee.
Simple. Yet thoughtful.
“Where is he?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
“Sir Rudra is in his study,” the maid replied before bowing slightly and leaving the room.
Anika exhaled, staring at the coffee cup in front of her.
She shouldn’t feel like this.
She shouldn’t be affected by his gestures, by the way he looked at her, by the way he kissed her like she was the only thing that mattered.
She needed to put distance between them.
Determined, she got up and walked toward the study.
---
Rudra was leaning against his desk, his shirt sleeves rolled up, his strong arms crossed over his chest as he studied a file. His sharp jawline was tense, his eyes focused.
He looked powerful. Untouchable.
Yet, when his gaze lifted and met hers, a flicker of something unreadable crossed his face.
“You’re awake,” he stated, setting the file aside.
Anika nodded, stepping into the room. “I wanted to talk to you.”
Rudra gestured for her to sit, but she remained standing.
She took a deep breath. “About last night…”
His expression didn’t change. He simply leaned back against his desk, waiting.
She hesitated. How was she supposed to say this when he was looking at her like that?
“I think it was a mistake,” she finally said, her voice quieter than she intended.
Something flickered in his eyes, but it was gone in an instant.
“A mistake,” he repeated. His tone was neutral, but there was an edge to it.
She nodded. “I don’t want to complicate things. You and I—we come from different worlds.”
Rudra chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s your excuse?”
Anika frowned. “It’s not an excuse. It’s the truth.”
He took a step closer, and suddenly, the air around them shifted.
“You think I don’t know that?” His voice was low, intense. “You think I don’t know that you’re different from the women I’ve known?”
She swallowed hard, but he wasn’t finished.
“You think I don’t know that you make me feel things I don’t want to feel?” His voice dropped even lower, sending shivers down her spine.
Anika’s breath hitched as he reached out, his fingers grazing her wrist.
“Tell me,” he murmured. “When I held you last night, when I kissed you… did it feel like a mistake to you?”
She stiffened.
His thumb traced slow circles on her wrist. “Tell me, Anika.”
She wanted to say yes. She wanted to lie.
But she couldn’t.
Because when she looked into his eyes, all she could remember was the way she had melted into him.
Silence stretched between them.
And then—
A knock on the door.
Rudra didn’t move right away. His eyes stayed locked on hers before he finally stepped back, releasing her.
“Come in,” he called, his voice returning to its usual calmness.
A man entered the study, holding a file. “Sir, the contract you requested is ready.”
Rudra took the file, flipping through it before nodding. “Good. I’ll look at it later.”
The man left, and the room fell silent again.
Anika took a step back, needing distance. “I should go.”
Rudra didn’t stop her this time.
But as she turned to leave, his voice stopped her.
“You can run, Anika,” he murmured. “But you can’t hide from what’s between us.”
She clenched her fists, forcing herself not to turn back.
And then she walked out, not daring to look at him again.
Anika spent the rest of the day trying to avoid Rudra.
She busied herself in the garden, helping the staff with the flowers, anything to keep her mind off him.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t forget his words.
You can run, but you can’t hide.
She sighed, pulling off her gloves. Maybe she needed some fresh air.
Deciding to take a walk outside the mansion gates, she stepped onto the pathway, enjoying the cool breeze against her skin.
That’s when she heard a car pulling up.
She turned, and her breath caught in her throat.
A stunning woman stepped out, her long black dress clinging to her body, her heels clicking against the pavement. She was elegant, breathtakingly beautiful.
And she was walking straight toward the mansion.
Anika frowned. Who was she?
Just as she was about to turn away, Rudra appeared at the entrance.
And then, to Anika’s shock, the woman walked up to him—
And kissed him on the cheek.
Anika’s stomach twisted.
She had no right to feel anything.
No right to feel jealousy.
But she did.
Rudra’s expression remained unreadable as he spoke to the woman, but Anika couldn’t hear what they were saying.
She turned away, feeling something heavy settle in her chest.
She had told herself to keep her distance. She had told herself not to fall.
But the pain in her heart told her—
It was already too late.
---
Rudra watched as Anika turned away.
His jaw clenched.
He had seen the look in her eyes.
The jealousy. The hurt.
And for the first time, a smirk played on his lips.
Maybe, just maybe—
She wouldn’t be able to run for much longer.
To be continued…
- Writer
