The grand living room of the Deewan mansion had transformed into an arena of playful dominance, much to the astonishment of Veeresh’s guards. The dark, ruthless king of the underworld — the man who commanded fear across nations — was now on the polished floor, doing sit-ups under the watchful eyes of his intern-turned-wife.

Poornima stood beside him, arms crossed, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. She pointed toward one of the guards.

“Count for me,” she said, her voice soft but authoritative.

The guard nodded, hesitated for a fraction of a second, then began.

“One… two… three…”

Veeresh continued, his muscles taut, jaw clenched, the slightest glimmer of amusement crossing his otherwise stoic face as he heard the guard’s counting. Poornima watched him carefully, her lips twitching into a small, satisfied smile.

“Now, push-ups,” she said after he finished sit-ups.

Veeresh stood, removed his coat, and assumed the position. Poornima hopped behind him, her weight settling lightly on his back, a giggle escaping her lips as she leaned forward, enjoying the rare moment of intimacy and control.

“Ruby… you’re enjoying this too much,” Veeresh muttered, gritting his teeth slightly.

“Maybe a little,” she admitted, giggling again.

The guard continued to count, the numbers ringing through the quiet mansion.

“One… two… three…”

Veeresh pushed through, his body straining but steady. Poornima laughed, her eyes sparkling, and for a moment, the ruthless Veeresh Deewan seemed almost human — playful, tired, and alive in a way no boardroom, no deal, and no empire could ever give him.

Finally, when the last push-up was done, Poornima slid off his back, landing gracefully beside him, her laughter echoing softly through the room.

“Not bad,” she said, smiling. “You can bear my weight. Next time you forget…”

Veeresh caught her gaze, dark eyes flashing, lips curling into a small, amused smirk.

“Never… Ruby,” he said, voice low but steady.

She grinned, victorious, watching the man who had once terrified her now obeying her with a rare, playful submission.

For the first time in a long while, the mansion was filled with laughter, lightness, and the quiet magic of two people finding each other in their own strange, twisted way.

And in that moment, both of them knew:

This was just the beginning.