Page 34 of One Hellish Love

Her blood boiled. “Don’t cross your limits, Rudra.”

“Drawing boundaries has never been my style,” he shot back, his voice teasing.

Kashish became even more furious by his comebacks. Her rage intensified. “I always knew you were trouble.”

“Glad I’m on your mind,” he said with a sly grin.

Kashish’s jaw clenched in fury this time.

“Of course. My father’s murderer is the only one on my mind.”

Her words hit him like a blow, silencing him. His face fell, the smirk wiped clean. Maybe he did have something to say - that what happened that night wasn’t on purpose - but he couldn’t find the courage to speak up for himself. He just stood there, his face empty of any expression.

Kashish felt a rush of power seeing him like this. His usual smirk was gone, and she had made that happen. But before she could enjoy her small victory, something changed. Rudra started walking toward her, catching her off guard.

Even though her heart started beating faster, Kashish didn’t back away. She kept her eyes locked on his, refusing to show any fear as he stepped toward her, closing the distance between them.

“Why don’t you punish me all at once?” he asked. “Why torture me piece by piece?”

“Punishment? Huh!” she scoffed; her voice venomous. “You deserve endless torture for ruining my life.”

Her words, filled with hatred, pierced his heart, but he didn’t flinch. His eyes darkened, locked onto hers, unwavering.

“I agree,” he replied slowly. “I’m ready for whatever torture you want to give me if that’s what it takes to ease your pain.”

Any other woman would have recoiled at the cold, intense look in his eyes. But Kashish stood her ground.

“But there’s still one truth, Kashish,” he continued. “It was an accident. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. If I could, I’d go back and undo everything that happened that night.”

His confession threw her off guard. She hadn’t come here expecting to hear those words. And yet, despite the sincerity she read in his eyes, her pain didn’t subside.

She let out a bitter laugh. “That changes nothing. You destroyed my life.”

“My life hasn’t been a bed of roses either, since that night,” he said, the regret heavy in his voice. “I lost my family, even if not physically.”

“You deserved that. In fact, you deserve worse. What’s been so bad for you, Rudra? You still got the best education, you live in luxury, you have your family’s support, and you’re a billionaire. What’s missing in your life?”

“You,” he replied. “And your forgiveness,” he added, the intensity of his gaze not faltering.

Rudra’s eyes blazed as he said two words that left her frozen in place. She stared at him, stunned.

Her mind raced to process what he had just said.You?Andyour forgiveness?Was he serious? What did he even mean? It was irrational, confusing. Unable to bear his piercing stare any longer, she stormed out of the room, his words echoing in her head. She had to figure it out—before it was too late.

CHAPTER 13

Rudra wasn’t someone who needed to control everything, but he certainly preferred it. Precision, focus, and an iron grip over the details—these were his strengths. Unpredictability was his trait, and he always gave his complete attention to anything that mattered to him. But today, none of that was working. Sitting in the most important meeting with his key client, he was strangely quiet, unfocused, barely glancing at the screen where Shekhar and others led the presentation. His mind kept circling back to last night’s conversation. Did he reveal too much to her? What if she deciphers the deep meaning behind his words?

The conversation had ended abruptly, leaving him exposed, vulnerable—something he had never intended. If she realized what he meant, she would use it against him, he was sure of it. This wasn’t the kind of mess he ever thought he’d find himself in.

The lights in the conference room flicked on as the meeting concluded. People began to gather their belongings, but Rudra remained seated, lost in thought. Shekhar had noticed his behavior throughout the entire meeting again and wasn’t going to let it slide. After the room had emptied, Shekhar walked over and shook his brother’s shoulder.

“You need rest, Rudra,” Shekhar said, concerned.

Rudra blinked, pulling himself out of his haze, and stood up. “I slept well last night, thank you.”

“When are you going to stop lying to me?” Shekhar asked, exasperation creeping into his voice.

Rudra sighed; a weight heavy in his chest. “Look, Bhai. I know we used to share everything once, but I don’t see that happening now. I don’t need people digging into my head, analyzing my thoughts, and lecturing me about it. I prefer to avoid unnecessary pain. I don’t enjoy lying, but if you keep prying, I’ll have no choice. So, please stop caring so much.”

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