Jaya sat on the bed, hugging her knees. The dim glow of the bedside lamp barely illuminated the luxurious room, but she barely noticed her surroundings. It had been only a few hours since she moved into Ajay's penthouse, yet she already felt suffocated. The weight of everything—her secret marriage, her mother's health, and the thought of living under the same roof as Ajay—was pressing down on her.
She had told her family she would be working as a maid to repay the debt, but in truth, she had no idea how she would get out of this mess. Divorce was her only plan. She just needed time.
A sharp knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Jaya, come out. We need to talk," Ajay's deep voice echoed through the hallway.
She clenched her fists. "I have nothing to say to you."
A beat of silence followed. Then, Ajay spoke again, his tone calm but laced with warning. "If you don't come out within ten minutes, I'll post our marriage certificate on social media."
Jaya's breath caught in her throat. Her heart pounded wildly.
"You wouldn't dare!" she shouted.
"Try me," Ajay replied smoothly. "I know you're worried about your family finding out the truth. If you don't come out, I'll make sure the whole world knows before midnight."
Jaya gritted her teeth. She hated how easily he controlled the situation. She glanced at the clock—ten minutes. That was all she had to decide whether she wanted to keep this marriage hidden or have her life turned upside down.
She weighed her options. If she stayed inside, her family would know everything. Her mother, who had just recovered, would be devastated. Chaya would bombard her with questions. If she played along, she could buy herself time to find a way out.
Nine minutes.
Jaya closed her eyes. She had no choice.
With a deep breath, she swung her legs over the bed, straightened her dress, and opened the door.
Ajay stood there, leaning against the opposite wall with his arms crossed. He was still dressed in his formal suit from earlier, the first two buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of his toned chest. His dark eyes held amusement, but there was something else—a flicker of sincerity.
"You really waited until the last second," he said, smirking.
Jaya scowled. "Say what you need to say and leave me alone."
Ajay stepped aside, motioning toward the living room. "Let's talk there."
Jaya hesitated. "We can talk here."
"I don't want to have this conversation in the hallway," he said.
She sighed and walked past him, feeling the weight of his gaze as she moved. The penthouse was spacious, modern, and way too luxurious for her liking. Every piece of furniture screamed wealth—something she had always found unnecessary.
She sat stiffly on the couch while Ajay took the seat across from her. He studied her for a moment before finally speaking.
"I've been pursuing you for two years, Jaya," he began. His voice was softer than usual. "I know you've always misunderstood my intentions. Maybe you thought of me as just another rich, spoiled heir who gets whatever he wants. Maybe you thought I was only chasing you because I was obsessed with winning. But that's not it."
Jaya frowned. "Then what was it?"
Ajay exhaled. "I really like you."
Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress. She wanted to scoff, to tell him that forcing her into marriage was no way to express affection, but he continued before she could respond.
"I know what I did wasn't right. I took advantage of your situation, and I forced you into this marriage." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "But I had to do it."
Jaya's chest tightened. "Had to?" she repeated. "You had to? You had no choice but to blackmail me?"
Ajay met her eyes. "It was the only way to make you see me."
Silence stretched between them. Jaya's throat felt dry.
"You didn't tell your family that we're married," he said after a moment. "I know that you're thinking of a way to divorce me before they find out. But I won't allow that."
Jaya snapped her head up. "You can't stop me."
"I can," he said simply. "And I will."
Jaya's nails dug into her palms. "Why? If you say you like me, why are you keeping me in a marriage I don't want?"
Ajay ran a hand through his hair. "Because I believe that in time, you'll see that I truly care about you. I won't force you to love me, Jaya. I won't even touch you—not without your permission."
Jaya's breath hitched. She wasn't expecting that.
"Take this," Ajay said, reaching into his pocket and placing a black bank card on the table.
Jaya frowned. "What's that?"
"It's a bank card. There's enough money in there for you to use however you want. Buy anything you need."
Jaya glared at him. "I don't need your money."
Ajay smirked. "I knew you'd say that." He slid the card closer to her. "Just keep it. Even if you don't use it, at least you'll have it in case of emergencies."
She crossed her arms. "I have my own salary."
Ajay leaned back, watching her with amusement. "Your salary won't be enough to get you a divorce lawyer strong enough to beat me in court."
Jaya's jaw clenched. She hated that he always had the upper hand.
"Fine," she muttered, snatching the card. "But I won't use it."
Ajay grinned. "We'll see about that."
Jaya shot him a glare before standing up. "Are we done here?"
Ajay studied her, then nodded. "For now."
Without another word, Jaya turned and walked back to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.
Ajay chuckled to himself, shaking his head.
"This is going to be fun," he murmured.