forced marriage · billionaire · mafia boss · mma champion · possessive · ruthless · dominant · dark romance · indian setting · dangerous
The South Indian night breathed a fragile peace—temple bells tolling softly in the distance, the air thick with the scent of night-blooming jasmine and warm, damp earth. Lantern light spilled into the small courtyard of a weathered home, painting long, dancing shadows. Inside, Anya perched on the edge of her old childhood bed, her travel bag still clutched to her chest like a shield. For the first time in days, she had drawn a shallow, hopeful breath. She was safe. She was home. Her mother's voice floated in from the kitchen, asking about tea, about her job, about anything but the truth she had fled. Anya's fingers trembled as they traced the bare skin of her ring finger—the mangalsutra she had left abandoned in a Mumbai hotel safe. Then, the courtyard gate groaned. Not the wind. A fo…