Isha cursed her loose tongue more than a hundred times on her way to her husband's study. Of all the things she could have said, why did she have to say that?

Now, only God knew what her husband would do to her.

He had only recently begun treating her better. Lately, she had even caught glimpses of something in his eyes she had never believed Abhyansh Singh Ranawat capable of—affection.

But was it really affection?

She had never seen him look at anyone else that way. Not his mother, his brother, his father, or even his grandmother. Then why would he look at her like that?

Maybe she was reading it wrong. Maybe it wasn't affection at all. Maybe it was pity.

The thought hurt far more than it should have, but Isha refused to dwell on that. What frightened her more was the question that followed.

Why would he suddenly pity her? Had he found out about her past?

Fear immediately crept in. She didn't want Abhyansh to know about that part of her life. Her mind warned her that if he ever learned everything, he could use it against her, and that possibility alone made her dread him finding out. But more than that, she didn't want his pity. Whatever she had endured in the past, her pride would never allow her to be looked at with sympathy because of it. 

When she reached his study, Isha hesitated at the entrance and looked towards Ramlal. Maybe Abhyansh had already revoked the privilege he'd given her to enter without permission. But Ramlal didn't stop her.

She released the breath she had been holding and stepped inside. That had to mean Maharaj wasn't too angry, right? Still, she couldn't understand how Amruta and Avyan had been so certain that he wouldn't hurt her.

Isha approached him in tiny, hesitant steps and found Abhyansh typing furiously on his laptop.

Whatever little relief she had felt vanished.

"Ma... Maharaj," she called tentatively, deciding that a whisper was probably the safest option right now.

Abhyansh had known the moment she entered, but he didn't raise his head. He was angry. Not enough to hurt her—he would never do that again—but her words had been bothering him ever since he heard them.

Did she really think he threw tantrums? Was she already tired of dealing with him? Did she find him so difficult that she wanted to leave him?

"Do you really think I throw that many tantrums over food?" he asked without looking up.

His voice held its usual coldness, nothing more, but Isha was already terrified enough to hear anger in it.

Tears immediately gathered in her eyes as her mind raced through all the punishments he could give her. He had promised he wouldn't hurt her, but that didn't mean he couldn't punish her in other ways.

"Maharaj... I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I know I shouldn't have said that. I have no right to speak about you that way. You are the King and I am your slave. I beg your forgiveness, Maharaj. Please don't punish me."

Her apology dissolved into sobs. Every word struck Abhyansh like a slap. There was no bitterness in her voice, no deliberate attempt to taunt him with what he had done to her. She genuinely believed what she was saying.

His wife still believed she was his slave. The realization alone was enough to tear something inside him apart. And then there were her tears.

Abhyansh abruptly pushed his chair back and strode towards her.

The sudden movement frightened Isha. She instinctively stepped backwards, but he reached her within seconds and gently wiped away her tears.

"Don't cry. I won't punish you." He paused before adding, "And don't call yourself my slave."

Isha slowly raised her face to him.

Her height made meeting his eyes easier. At five-foot-nine, she didn't have to strain her neck too much despite Abhyansh standing at six-foot-three, though she still had to tilt her face upwards to hold his gaze.

There was no anger in his eyes.

Only a tenderness that left her even more confused.

"You're not angry?" she asked softly.

"Not anymore."

His thumb moved gently over her tear-stained cheeks before wiping the moisture lingering beneath her eyes.

"Oh..."

Still surprised, Isha continued looking at him.

She couldn't seem to pull her gaze away. His blue eyes had always fascinated her, but now she found herself wanting to look beyond the emotionless surface and understand everything he kept hidden beneath it.

"Sit here."

Abhyansh guided her towards the chair in front of his desk. Instead of returning to his own seat, he pulled another chair directly in front of hers and sat facing her.

"Don't be afraid of me. I won't hurt you. Ever." He looked at her for a moment before asking, "Do you trust me?"

Her eyes widened.

The reaction gave him his answer before she could. He had asked for too much, too soon.

"Do you trust my word?" he rephrased.

"Yes, Maharaj," she answered softly.

"Then I'm giving you my word. I won't hurt you."

Isha nodded obediently.

The innocent little movement did something dangerous to his restraint. At that moment, all Abhyansh wanted was to pull her towards him and kiss her deeply. She looked so innocent, almost divine, sitting before him and nodding like a child.

"Then why did you call me here?" she asked softly.

"To ask you something."

She looked at him questioningly.

"Do I really throw tantrums over food?"

This time, there was none of his earlier coldness in the question. His voice was unexpectedly soft, almost as though her answer genuinely mattered to him.

For one ridiculous second, Isha felt as though a child was seeking her approval. Had she not known Abhyansh better, she might actually have believed it.

The thought itself surprised her.

She hesitated, unsure how safely she could answer.

"It's okay. You can say whatever you want. Just be honest."

"Yes, Maharaj," she admitted, lowering her gaze.

Something in his eyes immediately dulled. So he was a bother to her. Abhyansh reached forward, caught her chin and gently raised her face until she was looking at him again.

"Why do you think so?"

"You don't eat just anything. Your meals have to be prepared very specifically according to your taste. If something isn't the way you like it, you won't even touch it. You would rather remain hungry than eat something you don't like."

Abhyansh stared at her, genuinely surprised. She had noticed.

In eleven months of marriage, despite how little he had interacted with her, Isha had understood his eating habits well enough to know exactly how particular he was about his food.

"I'll eat everything from tomorrow. You don't have to stress over my food anymore," he said abruptly, his voice slipping back into its usual cold tone.

Isha's eyes widened.

Amruta had told her enough about her son for Isha to know how impossible it was to make Abhyansh eat something he didn't like.

And now he had agreed to change without the slightest argument? Why? Then one word from his sentence registered.

Stress?

She wasn't stressed.

"Maharaj... it isn't stressful for me. I'm happy to prepare food the way you like it," she said softly, averting her gaze when his stare grew too intense.

Relief settled inside him. So taking care of his meals wasn't a burden to her. But now that he had heard that much, he wanted to hear more.

"But you said I throw a lot of tantrums."

"You do," she admitted. "But I don't mind. I only want you to eat properly and enjoy your food."

The corner of his lips twitched upwards, and something inside his chest seemed to turn over at her words.

"So you mean you can handle my tantrums?" he asked, attempting to tease her.

Instead of understanding the teasing, Isha immediately looked frightened. Abhyansh closed his eyes briefly.

Again.

Why did he keep forgetting that she needed time? Time to stop fearing his presence, his questions, even the slightest change in his tone. He couldn't speak to her the way he might have with someone who had never learned to expect punishment from him.

"Go and sleep. It's late."

He rose from the chair, returned to his throne-like seat behind the desk and resumed his work.

Isha remained there for a few seconds, silently watching him before finally turning and walking away.

Only then did Abhyansh lift his gaze from the laptop. He watched her retreating figure until she disappeared from sight and released a deep sigh.

"Isha..." he murmured to himself. Her name alone seemed to calm the unrest within him. What was she doing to him that he was willing to change habits he had followed since childhood, just for her?

He shook his head, pushed the thought aside, and returned to his work.

Isha, meanwhile, went back to her room, changed into her pajamas, and lay on the bed, but sleep remained far away. Her husband's behavior had left her thoroughly confused. Why was he suddenly being so nice to her? What had changed in him? And more importantly, why was she enjoying his attention so much?

That realization surprised her more than his behavior did. Was she really the same girl who had once wanted nothing more than to run as far away from him as possible? Because these days, instead of wanting distance, all she seemed to want was to be near him.

Eventually, with her thoughts still revolving around her husband, she drifted off to sleep.

"Abhyansh... You know what happened at the office today? Ragini and Reetu started fighting like children in front of a client. I had to step in and handle the situation. Those two, I tell you..." Isha said, leaning against his chest.

"Isha... Enough about them. Let's talk about us. I want to take you out somewhere, but you're always busy these days," Abhyansh complained in his rough voice.

"Abhyansh... Do you know how I feel when you call me by my name?" Isha asked, cupping his face.

"You've told me many times, but I still want to hear it again," Abhyansh said, kissing the top of her head.

"It's heaven, Ansh... Heaven..." Isha whispered, nuzzling further into his chest.

"And do you know how I feel when I hear 'Ansh' from these lips?" he asked, brushing his thumb over them before leaning closer to kiss her.

"No..."

Isha woke with a jerk, her body covered in sweat. Yet what she felt wasn't fear. It was something entirely different—something strange, warm... and disturbingly pleasant.

What the hell had she just dreamed?

How could she even dream about him like that? She could never accept him as her husband, and he could never accept her as his wife either. He hated her. But that dream...

Isha squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to stop the images from replaying in her mind. Her cheeks burned at the mere memory of them. How was she supposed to face her husband now?

She shook her head repeatedly until she managed to push the dream aside, then got up, dressed in a traditional saree, and went about her usual morning routine. But the moment she stepped out, she stopped in surprise.

The maids were doing the work she usually did.

"You aren't allowed inside the chamber, right?" she asked politely.

"Maharaj has ordered us to resume our duties in the chamber," one of the maids replied, bowing her head slightly.

Isha stared at her in surprise.

She remembered how Abhyansh had ordered her to take care of the entire King's chamber herself. Why had he suddenly allowed the servants back in? Was she not doing her work properly? Was he planning to get rid of her?

Her mind immediately began connecting everything that had happened over the past few days. He had suddenly stopped requiring her to seek his permission for everything. The previous night, too, he had behaved strangely with her. He had given her complete freedom and specifically ordered her not to tell anyone about it.

Was he planning to divorce her and free her from this marriage? But instead of relief, the thought sent an inexplicable ache through her.

Why wasn't she happy? Wasn't this exactly what she had wanted? Yes... at the beginning. But now, she wanted to stay.

Why?

For Ma and Avyaan, she immediately answered herself.

Really?

Her own mind challenged the answer, and Isha quickly shook her head, refusing to think any further.

She wanted to go straight to Abhyansh and ask him what was happening, but after that dream, she couldn't bring herself to face him. The mere thought of standing before him made embarrassment rush back into her cheeks.

Between the lingering images of the dream and the fear that he might actually be preparing to remove her from his life, tears slipped from her eyes. She quickly wiped them away and headed towards the kitchen.

Since the maids had taken over the chamber duties, she suddenly had much more time than usual. She decided to use it to prepare an elaborate breakfast, including Avyan's favorites. She hadn't liked seeing him disappointed over dinner the previous night and wanted to make it up to him.

By breakfast time, everything was ready, and the family gathered around the dining table. Abhyansh was the only one yet to arrive, though there were still five minutes before breakfast officially began.

"Avyan, see what I made for breakfast," Isha said, lifting the lids from the dishes she had prepared especially for him.

"Woah... Thank you! Thank you so much. You are the best," Avyan exclaimed.

Isha smiled and affectionately patted his head.

Abhyansh, who had just arrived, witnessed the entire exchange between his wife and younger brother, and jealousy instantly flared within him.

Everyone rose in respect at his arrival. He gave them a brief nod before taking his usual seat. Isha served him, and he began eating in silence. But he barely touched his food.

He had already realized that most of the breakfast consisted of his brother's favorites, and for some reason, he didn't like that at all. He knew perfectly well that Isha and Avyan shared the bond of a brother and sister, yet that knowledge did little to settle the jealousy burning within him. He simply couldn't digest the fact that his wife was closer to his brother than she was to him. And it wasn't only Avyan.

His mother, Ranveer—every single person in the world who was closer to his wife than he was seemed to automatically find a place on the growing list of people he disliked.

Isha watched him eat so little and frowned in confusion. Why wasn't he eating properly today? Her earlier fears immediately returned. Was he really trying to get rid of her? And once again, the same question troubled her more than anything else.

Why wasn't she happy about it?

Abhyansh finished his breakfast quickly. Isha was about to serve him another helping when he abruptly rose from his chair, startling her.

"I'm done," he said harshly. Then, turning towards his brother, he added, "Avyan... You will not drop her off from today. I have permitted one taxi to enter the palace premises during her morning office hours. She will go by cab."

Isha stared at him, stunned.

Her doubts were confirmed now. He didn't even want his brother dropping her at work anymore. He was slowly distancing her from his family, which could only mean one thing—he was indeed planning to get rid of her and didn't want his family growing any more attached to her.

But Abhyansh's decision had nothing to do with getting rid of her. It was jealousy. He simply didn't know how else to keep his wife away from his brother.

"Bh... Bhai sa... I only drop her at the main road. It's on my way, so it isn't really a problem," Avyan said, gathering his courage.

He had grown to love his sister-in-law's company, enough to question his brother's decision for the first time. Unfortunately, his objection only fuelled the BEAST's already simmering fury.

"Bhairav!" Abhyansh roared, startling everyone at the table.

His trusted man appeared within seconds.

"Ji Hukum..." Bhairav greeted, bowing his head.

"If you ever find her in Avyan's car, set the car on fire. And do not provide Yuvraj Avyan Singh Ranawat with another one. Clear?"

With that command, Abhyansh walked away.

Avyan sat frozen after hearing his brother's tone and the order that followed. He loved his car dearly, but at that moment, losing it bothered him far less than the sudden change in his brother's behavior. For eleven months, Abhyansh had never objected to him dropping Isha at the main road.

Why now?

Isha, however, was hurt for entirely different reasons.

The way he had referred to her merely as her and she stung, and his harsh tone only deepened that hurt. Why was he behaving like this? What was so wrong with her travelling with Avyan? Why couldn't he simply let her be happy?

To her, there was no room for doubt anymore. He was preparing to remove her from his life.

Fine.

If that was what he wanted, she would prepare herself for it too. She decided to speak to her brother and ask him to find out when Abhyansh intended to free her, so Ranveer could take her back to Rajput Palace. But the thought of returning there caused an unexpected ache in her heart.

Somewhere along the way, Ranawat Palace had begun to feel like home.

She knew things would be different at Rajput Palace now. She wouldn't be subjected to the same treatment she had endured before. Yet, despite knowing that, she didn't want to go back.

With no appetite left, Isha walked away without having breakfast. Avyan gave her an apologetic look, but she dismissed it with a small smile, silently assuring him that it wasn't his fault.

The moment she stepped outside the palace gates, she found a cab waiting, exactly as her husband had said.

She got in and began giving the driver her office address, only for him to tell her that he already knew where to take her. Once they reached her workplace, Isha paid the fare and got out.

As soon as she walked away, the driver made a call.

"The lady paid me. What should I do with the money?" he asked, still unaware that the woman he had just dropped off was their queen.

"I'll let you know after asking Hukum," Bhairav replied before ending the call.

He then made his way to Abhyansh's office, where the king was in his cabin with his secretary.

"Sir, you have a meeting with the MD of Rawat Constructions, Mr. Sunil Rawat, from 3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. After that, you have a board meeting at 5:00 p.m., scheduled for one hour and forty-five minutes," John informed him.

Abhyansh mentally groaned. The schedule meant he would see his wife two hours later than he usually did.

"Okay. Leave," he dismissed him.

John left the cabin, and Bhairav stepped forward.

"Maharaj... The cab you arranged for Mrs. Ranawat—"

"Rani sa."

The stern correction stopped Bhairav immediately.

His eyes widened before he lowered them again, understanding exactly what his king meant.

Bhairav had been with Abhyansh since the time he ascended the throne. He had never imagined his king accepting a woman as his wife. He had, however, always assumed that whoever became Abhyansh's wife would at least receive the respect due to a queen.

But when Abhyansh married Isha, even that expectation had been shattered.

He had humiliated her before the palace staff by making her taste his food and had explicitly forbidden everyone from addressing her as Rani sa. After witnessing the extent of his hatred towards her, Bhairav had never expected the king himself to one day correct someone for failing to address her by that very title.

"Ji Hukum... The cab driver called. R... Rani sa paid him as she wasn't aware that you had already covered the fare. He wants to know what he should do with the money," Bhairav explained, his gaze lowered.

"Collect the money from him," Abhyansh ordered. "She shouldn't know." he added.

"Ji Maharaj..." Bhairav nodded.

"Bhairav, what happened to Bhupinder?"

"Maharaj, the problem at the school has been resolved. And as for Bhupinder... he is no longer capable of creating any nuisance there."

A faint smirk appeared on Abhyansh's face. He knew exactly what that meant. With a nod, he dismissed Bhairav.

Once outside, Bhairav instructed the cab driver to hand over the exact notes Rani sa had given him. The moment the driver learned that the woman he had dropped off was their queen, fear gripped him. Bhairav assured him that he had nothing to worry about as long as he followed the king's instructions, and the man immediately agreed.

But that did little to settle his nerves.

He remembered how he had cut Isha off when she had begun telling him the address. What if the king came to know about that?

He would cut my tongue... the terrified man thought.

Back in his cabin, after Bhairav left, Abhyansh opened one of the drawers of his desk. Inside lay a framed photograph of his wife from their wedding day—a solo picture the photographers had captured as she entered the mandap.

His gaze lingered on it.

She had looked divine. Tall and perfectly built, with wide, sparkling hazel eyes and striking features, dressed in a royal wedding lehenga that only enhanced her breathtaking beauty. She was a queen in every sense. He simply hadn't accepted it then.

How could he have hurt her the way he did? How could he have denied her even the dignity that was rightfully hers?

"Rani sa..." he murmured, looking at her photograph. "You deserve that title. Only you do. I was the one who snatched it away from you, right? Then I will be the one to give it back to you—with the dignity and respect you deserve. Today, I asked Bhairav to address you as Rani sa. Soon, the entire realm will call you that."

Isha returned to the palace that evening, freshened up, changed into a saree, and went to the kitchen to prepare her husband's coffee. But before she could begin, her mother-in-law told her that Abhyansh hadn't returned yet.

Isha was surprised.

In eleven months of marriage, this had never happened. Abhyansh always returned by five in the evening and continued the rest of his work from his home office. He was never late.

And that was enough for Isha's already troubled mind to begin overthinking again.

He doesn't want to see my face. That's why he hasn't come home.

But that didn't make sense either. This was a massive palace. If he didn't want to see her, he could simply order her not to come before him, and she would obey.

Still, the thought that he was deliberately avoiding her brought tears to her eyes.

She returned to her room and began packing her clothes. She didn't know when he intended to throw her out of the palace, but whenever he did, she wanted to be ready.

Once she finished packing, she called her brother.

"Bhai..." she sobbed into the phone.

Ranveer immediately grew worried. "Ishu... Bacha, what happened? Tell me, Ishu. What did that Ranawat do?"

"Bhai... I think Maharaj wants to throw me out of the palace," Isha said, wiping her tears.

"What?" Ranveer frowned. "How do you know? And why are you crying? Stop crying first."

Unlike his sister, Ranveer felt a wave of relief. If Abhyansh himself wanted to end the marriage, Ranveer could finally take Isha away from the BEAST, move with her to London, give her a better life, and spend every possible moment trying to help her leave those terrible experiences behind.

"Bhai... He didn't tell me directly, but everything he's doing makes me feel that way. Can... can you please ask him when he's planning to do it? Then you can come and pick me up," Isha asked.

"Ishu, calm down. I'll talk to him. And stop crying, bacha... Maybe this is for the best. The only reason you refused to leave him was because of the word you gave him, right? What if he frees you from that promise himself? Then there won't be anything stopping you from leaving. So don't cry."

Ranveer's words should have comforted her.

They didn't.

Isha somehow controlled her tears and ended the call after agreeing with her brother, but the distress inside her remained. Ranveer was right. If Abhyansh released her from her promise, she would finally be free to live with her brother. She would have the complete freedom she had always longed for.

She should have been happy. Yet the possibility that had once seemed like freedom no longer made her happy at all.

Ranveer immediately called Abhyansh. The call went unanswered. He called again. And again.

When Ranveer continued calling relentlessly, Abhyansh got worried; he considered that something might have happened to Isha and answered, surprising every board member present in the room.

Abhyansh Singh Ranawat was uncompromisingly systematic when it came to work. He kept his legal and illegal businesses entirely separate. While everyone knew that his weapons empire existed to protect his people and maintain enough power to control the underworld, none of that interfered with the discipline with which he ran his legitimate businesses.

During board meetings, he was no different from any other member seated at that table—his complete attention remained on the discussion before him. No matter how important a call was, he never answered it in the middle of a meeting.

Until now.

"Hello..." Abhyansh answered.

"Are you planning to leave my sister? Like throw her out of the palace?" Ranveer asked without preamble.

"What the f**k are you talking about, Rajput?" Abhyansh growled into the phone, his tone frightening the board members seated around him.

"Ishu called me."

"What did she say?" Abhyansh asked immediately.

Ranveer recounted the entire conversation, and by the time he finished, Abhyansh's expression had hardened.

"What actions?" he demanded.

"I don't know. I didn't ask her. I ended the call because I wanted to speak to you directly and find out what's happening." Ranveer paused before deliberately adding, "You know, my sister asked me to find out when you're going to do it so that I can come and take her away from you. She wants it too."

Ranveer intended those words to make Abhyansh understand that Isha herself wanted to leave, hoping it would persuade him to let her go.

Instead, they had the opposite effect on the BEAST.

"Your sister is naive. I didn't know you were too," Abhyansh said coldly before disconnecting the call.

He needed to see his wife.

He needed to know what exactly he had done that made her think he was planning to throw her out of the palace. His instincts told him she wasn't happy about leaving, but Ranveer's words still struck painfully.

She wants it too.

Did she really want to leave him? And more importantly, what had he done to make her believe that was what he wanted?

Abhyansh rose abruptly and strode out of the boardroom—almost running by the time he reached the door—leaving the board members stunned.

None of them dared question him, though his sudden departure certainly left them shocked and displeased. But this was Abhyansh Singh Ranawat. His authority extended far beyond the company seated around that table. He was a king in every sense, a man powerful enough to shake governments not only within India but beyond its borders.

So despite their displeasure, everyone remained silent. Abhyansh reached the palace and hurried straight to his chamber, then towards his wife's room. The sight that greeted him sent fury tearing through him.

Her suitcase was open. And she was packing.

"What do you think you're doing?" Abhyansh demanded, trying and failing to contain his temper.

Isha startled so badly at his voice that the clothes in her hands slipped to the floor.

Precap - The Attack!