Page 120 of One Hellish Love

“You’re only seeing one side of things,” he said softly, his words dripping with meaning. “The other side is much more beautiful.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

“There is no other side,” she bit back, her tone harsh.

He leaned in, his voice dangerously low. “Just because you’ve closed your heart doesn’t mean I’m out of your life.”

“It’s pointless talking to you,” she muttered, turning to leave, but he swiftly moved, blocking her exit, his hand pressed firmly against the doorframe.

Kashish’s pulse quickened. Was it a mistake to come here?

“I hate it when you leave things unfinished between us,” he growled. “Stop running away from me.”

She spun back to face him, defiant.

“I’m not going anywhere, Rudra. Not until my time in this house is over, as per the court’s orders. But let me make one thing clear—no matter what you do, I will never accept your proposal. Not in this lifetime.”

Her words struck him hard, his jaw tightening as he stepped back, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“I’m glad my proposal’s occupying so much of your thoughts,” he mocked.

Her teeth clenched. Was he right? Was she thinking about it more than she realized?

“To hell with your proposal! It means nothing to me.”

“Stop lying,” he countered. “The thought of being my wife terrifies you, and that’s okay. But understand this, Kashish—guilt or not, my feelings for you haven’t changed. And one day, you’ll feel the same. I’m certain of it.”

Her throat tightened, words failing her as she met his fierce gaze. How could he be so sure? Could he really break down her walls, turn her resistance into something else entirely?

“You’ve lost your mind,” she spat, storming out of the room.

Rudra watched her leave, a small, satisfied smile curling on his lips. Let her take her time, let her resist all she wanted. He was confident—one day, he would win her over.

From behind a pillar, Daadi silently watched the entire exchange. Her heart twisted with worry. Rudra was determined to win Kashish’s love, and she didn’t know how to help him. But if this woman was her grandson’s only hope for happiness, then Daadi knew she would have to find a way to help Kashish see that too.

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The next day at the office, Kashish was caught off guard by an announcement that Rudra had called an urgent meeting with her team. There was no way to avoid it. She walked into the conference room with the others, taking her seat as they all exchanged curious whispers about the sudden gathering. Soon, the door opened, and Rudra entered, greeting the staff. After a quick glance at Kashish, which she purposefully ignored, he addressed the room.

“Thank you all for gathering on such short notice,” he began. “I have an important announcement. After the successful completion of our last project, we’ve secured a new contract with the Mehta Group.”

The room erupted in applause, but Rudra raised his hand, signaling them to wait until he finished.

“The Mehtas are a key client, and we’ll be designing their summer collection. We have two months to complete it. Some of our team will need to work directly from Jaipur to coordinate with them.”

Kashish perked up at the mention of Jaipur. A new challenge sounded promising—something to focus on, something she could throw herself into. She snapped out of her thoughts when Rudra began listing the names of those selected for the project. But when he dropped the final name, her blood ran cold.

“Kashish Bedi will be leading the team once again and will need to travel to Jaipur.”

Her eyes widened in shock as her heart raced. The room clapped for her, recognizing her talent and success, but she couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that Rudra had orchestrated this to push her away from the family. He wasn’t just sending her to Jaipur for work—he was protecting her, keeping her at a distance to prevent the truth about her father from coming out.

As the meeting ended and her colleagues began to file out, Kashish stayed back, knowing full well that Rudra expected her to confront him. When they were alone, she didn’t hold back.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she stated defiantly.

Rudra leaned against the table, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“You don’t get to decide that. It’s my company, and I choose how to allocate my resources.”

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