“The room was cloaked in darkness, save for the faint glow of moonlight slipping through the gaps in the curtains. Aarohi’s breath hitched as she felt the unmistakable heat of his presence behind her, his shadow stretching over her like a storm cloud.

“You’re trembling,” Riaan murmured, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that sent a shiver down her spine.

“I’m not afraid of you,” she lied, her voice steadier than she felt.A soft chuckle escaped him, dark and predatory. “Such a bold little liar.”

Before she could move, his hands were on her, one circling her waist and the other brushing a strand of hair from her neck. The touch was firm but surprisingly gentle, a contradiction that unnerved her more than his cruelty.

“You think you can challenge me? Take me down?” His lips hovered near her ear, his words a velvet threat. “You don’t even know what kind of devil you’ve provoked.”

“I’ll expose you for what you are,” she shot back, tilting her chin defiantly even as her pulse raced.

Riaan’s grip tightened, pulling her closer until her back pressed against his chest. The air between them sizzled with tension, electric and suffocating.

“You want to expose me?” he whispered, his breath hot against her skin. “Go ahead, little dove. But remember, if you play with fire…” His lips brushed the shell of her ear, leaving her breathless. “You’ll burn.”

Aarohi’s resolve wavered as his words sank in, his presence both a cage and a temptation. The man was darkness incarnate, and she had walked straight into his trap.

But if he thought she would break easily, he was sorely mistaken.