Prologue

At that moment, Matsyaa recited all the prayers she remembered. Bribed the higher powers with the impossible and begged her fate to work in her favor as she jumped off the window, tightly holding onto the makeshift rope. She carefully started to slide down but while doing so, she forgot to keep herself steady and lost her hold clumsily. 

“No, no, no, noooo!” Her terrorized screams filled the air around her and her delicate body floated down the height at the full tilt. She pressed her eyes closed, anticipating the hard collision with the unforgiving ground beneath. 

But it never came. Instead, she felt herself being caught in a pair of… strong arms. 

“I got you, sweetheart!” A velvety voice beguiled her in the false sense of security and her heart flipped in terror. She knew that voice very well. It was her bane. 

With great reluctance, she opened her eyes and caught the icy, blue stare pinned on her face. It was so intense that she shivered to her bones. Tears pooled in her eyes because she knew that she failed. And, now, she was in the arms of the devil. His piercing gaze, teeming with fury, sized her up, possibly searching for the unpleasant damage. 

“Your effort was great.” Ranvijay’s voice was a cold blend of danger and mockery as he assessed the height to the window, “But the idea was foolish. It lacked conviction. I didn't think you were so stupid!”

Matsyaa struggled to say something but her lips froze. She fought back a sob, closing her eyes. She knew she was done. He wasn't going to leave her, and if anything else, she had just moved her stars into the doom. He was a very dangerous man. One that she was beginning to fear.

“How can you forget it, Matsyaa?” All humor gone, Ranvijay leaned into her ear and whispered dangerously, “I will catch you. No matter where you are. Always. Every time.”

Heart pumping loudly, Matsyaa felt her world crashing down as he carried her inside his palatial universe with no intentions to free her, ever.