his mercy was her name

Episode13

Chapter 13: Smiles That Burn & Poison in Silk

Pihu's POV

For the first time in what felt like forever—

My laughter came naturally.

Not forced.

Not fragile.

Just... real.

It startled even me.

Maybe because I had forgotten what it felt like to laugh without immediately feeling guilty afterward.

And unfortunately—

Advik seemed determined to make that happen more often.

---

Hospital – Afternoon

"Doctor Pihu!"

I looked up from patient reports and instantly regretted it.

Advik stood at my office door looking entirely too pleased with himself.

In one hand—

A giant iced coffee.

In the other—

A ridiculously cheerful bouquet of sunflowers.

I blinked.

"No."

He gasped dramatically.

"You haven't even heard my apology speech."

"I don't need to."

"You absolutely do."

Without waiting for permission, he walked in and placed both items on my desk.

"What is this?"

"Peace offering."

I crossed my arms.

"For?"

He leaned forward slightly.

"For being exceptionally handsome and occasionally insufferable."

I stared.

Then groaned.

"You are impossible."

"And yet..."

He pointed toward me proudly.

"You're smiling."

I froze.

Because—

Damn him.

I was.

Not the guarded polite smile I had mastered recently.

But something softer.

Something real.

Advik noticed immediately.

And for once—

His teasing expression softened.

"See?"

His voice was gentler.

"You deserve that smile more often."

My chest tightened unexpectedly.

Not romantically.

Not deeply.

Just...

Because kindness after emotional war feels dangerously healing.

I looked away first.

"Don't get used to it."

He grinned.

"Too late."

---

Rudransh's POV

I should have walked away.

I knew that.

I had business to handle.

Meetings.

Deals.

Threat assessments.

But then—

I heard her laugh.

And every logical thought ceased functioning.

Through the glass panel—

I saw her.

Bright-eyed.

Smiling.

Laughing.

At him.

Advik.

My jaw tightened so hard it almost hurt.

Not because she was happy.

God—

I wanted her happy.

Always.

Even if it destroyed me.

But because another man was becoming associated with the sound I treasured most.

And that—

That was dangerous.

Leo, standing beside me, let out a low warning growl.

I exhaled sharply.

"Quiet."

Leo's tail lashed once.

He disagreed.

Frankly—

So, did I.

Because watching another man make her smile felt far too much like losing territory I never willingly surrendered.

---

Pihu's POV

Later that evening—

I found myself standing inside Rathore Global Headquarters.

Towering glass walls.

Luxury.

Security.

Power.

This place didn't just reflect Rudransh's empire—

It reflected him.

Cold.

Controlled.

Unreachable.

I was here for hospital expansion approvals, but still—

Every step inside his world made me feel slightly out of place.

Not because he ever treated me that way.

But because somewhere deep down—

I wondered if maybe I truly was too soft for the world he ruled.

The private elevator opened.

And immediately—

I regretted coming alone.

"Elena."

She stood near Rudransh's executive office, poised like elegance itself.

Every detail about her screamed sophistication.

Power.

Belonging.

The exact kind of woman people would naturally expect beside someone like Rudransh.

Her gaze swept over me slowly.

Assessing.

Measured.

Sharp.

"Pihu."

Her smile was polished.

But not warm.

"Straight from the hospital?"

I glanced down briefly at my doctor's coat.

"Yes."

"How... admirable."

There it was.

That subtle tone.

The kind designed not to insult directly—

But to diminish.

I remained polite.

"Patient schedules rarely prioritize luxury."

Her lips curved slightly.

"Oh, of course."

A pause.

"Though adapting between vastly different worlds must be exhausting."

I understood instantly.

This wasn't small talk.

This was positioning.

A reminder.

You may matter to him—

But you do not belong here.

My fingers tightened slightly around my file.

For one brief second—

Old insecurities surfaced.

The orphaned little girl.

The child who once felt unwanted.

The woman now standing in a world of polished predators.

But before doubt could settle—

A familiar cold voice cut through the tension.

"She belongs wherever I say she does."

My heartbeat stuttered.

Rudransh.

---

Rudransh's POV

The second I saw uncertainty flicker across Pihu's face—

It was over.

Elena had crossed a line.

Perhaps unintentionally.

Perhaps strategically.

It didn't matter.

No one—

No one—

Was permitted to make Pihu question her place.

Especially not in my world.

I stepped beside her slowly.

Close enough for silent reassurance.

Dangerous enough for Elena to understand.

"She is not a visitor here."

My tone was calm.

But absolute.

"She is not temporary."

Elena's expression shifted almost imperceptibly.

And then—

I said the truth carefully.

"She is family."

The word was safer.

Necessary.

Socially acceptable.

Even if it felt painfully insufficient.

Because Pihu was not merely family.

She was far worse.

Far more dangerous.

She was my weakness.

My constant.

My almost.

And perhaps—

My greatest unfinished war.

---

Pihu's POV

Family.

That word hurt more than Elena's subtle cruelty ever could.

Because family wasn't what my heart wanted.

Family didn't make your pulse race.

Family didn't keep you awake at night.

Family didn't shatter you with silence.

But still—

Despite the sting—

His defense mattered.

Because no matter how confusing he became...

Ansh still appeared when it truly counted.

Just like always.

He turned slightly toward me.

And for one brief moment—

His corporate mask softened.

"Come."

Simple.

Quiet.

But gentler.

Private.

And maybe I was foolish.

Maybe hopeless.

But my feet still followed automatically.

Because no matter how much pain existed between us—

Some part of me still trusted him instinctively.

---

Inside His Office

His office was exactly what I expected.

Massive windows.

Dark wood.

Controlled elegance.

Power.

Yet somehow—

There were subtle traces of me.

My favorite tea.

Medical journals I once mentioned.

Snacks I liked.

Even the soft lavender diffuser scent from home.

I blinked.

My chest tightened unexpectedly.

Because this man—

No matter how emotionally infuriating—

Still remembered everything.

"You came for the hospital proposal."

His voice pulled me back.

Professional.

Controlled.

I nodded quickly.

"Yes."

He reviewed the file silently.

Then signed without hesitation.

Approved instantly.

I stared.

"You didn't even read the financial details."

He finally looked at me.

And God—

That gaze.

Steady.

Certain.

"I trust you."

Three words.

So simple.

So, devastating.

Because trust had never been our issue.

Love had never been our issue.

The issue was everything else.

And suddenly—

That hurt more.

---

As I prepared to leave—

Advik's earlier sunflower bouquet was still in my car.

A harmless thing.

Bright.

Cheerful.

Easy.

But standing in Rudransh's office—

Surrounded by years of silent devotion hidden in detail—

I realized something dangerous:

No matter how hard I tried to move forward...

My heart still measured every man against the boy who once promised I'd never face the world alone.

And perhaps that was my greatest tragedy.

Because Ansh had always protected me.

Just never from himself.