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Veeresh sat alone in the dimly lit study of his Mumbai penthouse, the faint glow of the city lights spilling across the room. A crystal glass of whiskey rested in his hand, the amber liquid catching the light. The silence of the night pressed against him, but inside, his mind was a storm of memories, anger, and the faintest trace of disbelief.

He remembered the vow he had made to Poornima — the promise that no one would ever harm her again, that he would protect her at all costs. His jaw tightened as he sipped the whiskey, recalling her words from London.

> “Veeresh… don’t hurt Simon,” she had said softly, her eyes pleading. “He may have done wrong… but his children are young. I don’t want them to lose their father.”

Veeresh had stared at her, dumbfounded.

Her forgiveness, her compassion… it was almost alien to him. How could she think good for him — the man who had cheated her at the beginning, who had tried to kill her in London, who had shattered her trust and almost taken her life?

He set the glass down, the sound sharp against the wooden table.

> “She actually wants me to spare him,” he muttered under his breath, a bitter laugh escaping him. “The same snake who tried to end my Ruby… and now she wants me to think of his children?”

Veeresh leaned back, eyes narrowing as the memory of Simon’s betrayal flickered in his mind — the lies, the cheating, the bullets fired at Poornima, the near-death. Rage threatened to ignite again, but he restrained it, recalling his promise to her.

> “I promised you, Ruby,” he whispered to himself, staring at the empty city beyond the glass. “I won’t touch him… not for you, not for your heart. Only a warning. That’s all. You wanted him alive for his kids… and I’ll honor that.”

His hand brushed over the glass of whiskey again, the liquid catching the faint reflection of his hardened face. A man who could command empires, crush enemies, and survive betrayals now found himself wrestling with restraint, all because of the woman who had returned life to his heart.

> “How could someone so cruel… make me care about mercy?” he asked the empty room, voice low, almost incredulous. “She survived him, and yet… she survived me too.”

Veeresh leaned forward, placing both elbows on the table, his head in his hands. The underworld king, the man who feared nothing, now felt the weight of a single promise — to protect the woman he loved, without crossing her wishes.

Outside, the city buzzed, oblivious to the storm within its most feared ruler.

Inside, Veeresh made a vow again, silently, fiercely:

> “I will protect her. I will keep my promise. But Simon… I’ll be watching. One wrong move, and the devil will rise.”

And with that, he lifted the glass, letting the amber liquid burn its way down his throat, and stared into the night — a man of power, obsession, and love, bound now by the one force he had never conquered before: Poornima Chowdary’s heart.