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The music slowed, soft and sultry, wrapping the grand hall in a velvet rhythm. Veeresh extended his hand to Poornima, and she placed hers in his, letting him guide her to the center of the dance floor. The crowd faded away as they moved together, perfectly in sync — two souls orbiting a world of their own.

Veeresh’s hand pressed firmly against her waist, guiding her through twirls and spins, his other hand steady, controlling yet gentle. Poornima’s laughter bubbled softly, her head tilting to meet his gaze as they moved as if the world belonged only to them tonight.

The final note of the music lingered in the air, the last twirl slowing to a gentle stop. Veeresh held her close, the warmth of his body a contrast to the darkness everyone else associated with him.

> “Can I… kiss you?” he asked, voice low, rough around the edges, yet tinged with something softer than usual.

Poornima’s lips curved into a teasing, confident smile. Without a word, she leaned in first, pressing her lips to his.

The moment broke the space around them. Veeresh’s hand tightened slightly on her waist, grounding her as he deepened the kiss, letting the world slip away. The chaos of his empire, the whispers of deals and danger — nothing mattered anymore. There was only her. Only Ruby.

Her small, fearless surrender contrasted with the intensity of his dark, smoldering passion, and for the first time that night, Veeresh allowed himself to be lost in her completely, abandoning control not out of weakness, but out of trust, desire, and obsession.

The guests watched from afar, some frozen, some whispering — but Veeresh and Poornima didn’t care. The underworld king and the spirited Ruby had carved out a moment that belonged entirely to them, a delicate and dangerous merging of fire, shadow, and light.

As they slowly pulled back, foreheads touching, breaths mingling, Veeresh’s voice was almost a growl.

> “You’re mine… Ruby.”

She smiled, eyes glinting with playful defiance.

> “And don’t you forget it, Veeresh Deewan.”

The hall around them continued, the party alive with whispers and glances, but in the center, two hearts — dark and daring — beat together in a rhythm only they could feel.