His POV
The moment I step out of her office, I know two things.
One—my wound hurts more than it should.
Two—she noticed.
Doctors always notice.
But Riya doesn't just look at injuries.
She looks at people.
I flex my fingers slowly, ignoring the dull throb in my arm.
That cut wasn't an accident.
And I didn't come here today for a check-up.
I came because I wanted to see if she would still look at me the same way—
After last night.....
I try to distract my mind, so I head to the backyard.
The stables greet me with familiar silence. The smell of leather, hay, and steel grounds me better than any drink ever could.
My gaze lands on him—and a slow smile curves my lips.
Black.
Shining.
Muscular.
Power coiled beneath skin and bone.
My horse lifts his head the moment he senses me, dark eyes sharp and alert. He's the finest in my collection.
The most expensive.
The most dangerous.
Just like his owner.
I unlock his chain, my fingers brushing against his warm skin.
"Let's go," I murmur.
There's no saddle.
No helmet.
No protection.straighten my posture, he understands.
Control.
I press my heels in, and he takes off—fast, wild, untamed.
The wind slashes against my face, sharp enough to clear my thoughts, but not sharp enough to erase her. For a few seconds, there is only speed, power, and the thunder of hooves against the earth.
This is the only place where I don't have to pretend.
Where nothing questions me.
Yet, even as the night blurs around me, her face intrudes.
Calm hands. Sharp eyes.
A voice that didn't tremble—even when it should have.
I tighten my grip on the reins.
People think control is about strength.
They're wrong.
Control is about knowing exactly what can break you—
and choosing to ride it anyway.
The horse thunders across the open field, his muscles rippling beneath me. I don't use a saddle; I need to feel the raw power, the vibration of every step. It's the only way to silence the noise in my head.
I pull the reins sharply, bringing the beast to a sudden, dusty halt. My arm stings—the fresh gash Riya cleaned today is protesting the sudden movement.
Riya.
I can still feel her fingertips on my skin. Professional, yet they held a warmth that I haven't felt in years. She's becoming a habit I don't want to break.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I slide it out, my eyes narrowing at the
Dev number.
"Speak," I command.
"Sir," a low voice crackles through the line. "The person you asked us to watch... he's at her apartment building right now."
My grip on the phone tightens until my knuckles turn white. Alex. I know exactly what kind of man he is. He's the kind who hides behind a smile, the kind who thinks he owns her because he's 'safe.'
"Is he inside?" I ask, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"No, sir. He's waiting in his car. But he's been there for two hours."
I feel a surge of possessive rage. He's not just a boyfriend; he's a stalker who doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as her.
"Don't touch him yet," I say, turning my horse back toward the stables. "I want to see the look on his face when he realizes he's not the only one watching."
I jump off the horse, ignoring the sharp pain in my side. I have power, I have money, and I have a darkness that men like Alex can't even imagine.
Riya thinks she's safe in her little world. She doesn't know that she's caught between two monsters.
But only one of us will let her live.
HER POV – RIYA
The hospital shift felt longer than usual. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Rishabh's dark, piercing gaze. And every time my phone buzzed, I feared it was Alex with another one of his cold, interrogating questions.
I reached my apartment building, the streetlights flickering overhead. As I walked toward the entrance, a familiar car caught my eye.
Alex's BMW M5
He wasn't supposed to be here. He said he would call tomorrow. My stomach did a nervous flip.
I walked up to the driver's side window. It rolled down slowly, revealing Alex's face. He looked... different. His usual kind eyes were shadowed, and his smile didn't reach his ears.
"Alex? What are you doing here?"
"I missed you, baby," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "And I didn't like how our last call ended."
He stepped out of the car, his eyes scanning my face, my uniform, my hands. "You look tired. Was it a busy day? Lots of... patients?"
The way he said the word made my skin crawl.
"Just the usual," I lied, stepping back.
"Is it?" He reached out, his hand brushing a stray hair from my forehead. His touch felt cold. "Then why do you look like you've seen a ghost, Riya?"
Suddenly, the roar of a powerful engine drowned out the silence of the street.
A sleek, dark SUV pulled up right behind Alex's car, its headlights blinding us. My heart stopped. I recognized that car.
The door opened, and a man stepped out.
Rishabh Malhotra.
He stood there, silhouetted against the bright lights, looking like a god of destruction. He wasn't in a hospital gown anymore. He was in a tailored black suit, his presence commanding the entire street.
"Doctor," Rishabh's voice echoed, deep and mocking. "You forgot your medical report."
He held up a folder, but his eyes weren't on me. They were locked onto Alex.
The air between the two men turned electric. Alex's posture stiffened, his hand dropping from my face. Two predators had finally met, and I was the prize in the middle.
"And who is this?" Rishabh asked, stepping into the light, a dangerous smirk on his lips.
"I'm her boyfriend," Alex said, his voice trembling slightly despite his effort to sound brave.
Rishabh chuckled, a sound that made my blood run cold. He walked closer, stopping just inches away from Alex.
"Is that so?" Rishabh whispered. "Funny... she didn't mention you had a habit of lurking in the dark."
Alex's jaw tightened. I could see the sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool night air. He wasn't used to people standing up to him, let alone a man who looked like he could snap him in half without breaking a sweat.
"I don't know who you are," Alex said, trying to regain his composure, "but you're overstepping. Riya and I were having a private conversation."
Rishabh didn't flinch. He took another step forward, entering Alex's personal space. The height difference was intimidating. Rishabh leaned in, his voice a low, dangerous rumble.
"Private?" Rishabh repeated, his eyes scanning Alex's sedan. "Is that what you call sitting in a dark car for two hours, watching a woman's window like a vulture? In my world, we call that a target."
My breath hitched. How did Rishabh know Alex had been there for two hours? I looked between them—Alex, the man I thought I knew, and Rishabh, the man I was terrified of understanding. Both were looking at me now, but their gazes were entirely different. Alex's eyes were full of a desperate, suffocating need for control. Rishabh's eyes… they were full of a dark, possessive hunger.
"Rishabh, please," I whispered, my voice trembling. "It's late. Just… leave the report and go."
Rishabh's gaze snapped to mine. For a second, the coldness vanished, replaced by something so intense it made my knees weak. He held out the folder. As I reached for it, his fingers brushed against mine. The contact was like an electric shock—hot and bruising.
"As you wish, Doctor," he said softly, his voice only for me.
He turned back to Alex, the mask of a predator returning instantly. "Be careful on your way home, Boyfriend. The streets are dangerous for people who don't know who they're dealing with."
Without another word, Rishabh climbed back into his SUV. The engine roared to life, a low growl that vibrated in my chest, and he sped off into the night, leaving a trail of dust and silence behind.
Alex turned to me immediately, his hands grasping my shoulders.
"Riya! Who was that? Why are you seeing him? He's dangerous, can't you see that?"
I pulled away, his touch suddenly feeling claustrophobic. "He's a patient, Alex. Nothing more."
"A patient who follows you home? A patient who talks to me like that?" Alex's voice rose, losing its practiced sweetness. "I'm doing this for your own good. You can't trust anyone."
I looked at him, really looked at him, for the first time. The man who claimed to love me was the same man who had been watching my apartment in the dark.
"Go home, Alex," I said, my voice cold and hollow.
"Riya—"
" Just Go. Home."
I didn't wait for him to respond. I turned and ran into the building, my heart hammering against my ribs. As I reached my door and locked it behind me, I collapsed against the wood, gasping for air.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. A new message from an unknown number.
"He's still outside. Don't worry. My men are watching him. Sleep well, Riya. You're safe... with me."
I dropped the phone as if it had burned me. I wasn't safe. I was caught in the middle of a war I didn't even know was happening.