Chapter 13 — Morning After The Devil

The next morning, soft sunlight slipped through the glass windows of the penthouse.

Poornima slowly opened her eyes, expecting heaviness, regret, or guilt.

Instead—

Peace.

A strange, unfamiliar peace.

For a few seconds, she simply lay there staring at the ceiling, realizing something shocking.

She had slept beautifully.

No nightmares.

No painful memories replaying in her mind.

No episodes.

No waking up in panic.

And for the first time in months, she hadn’t taken sleeping pills.

A faint smile appeared on her lips unconsciously.

Last night, for a few hours at least, she had truly forgotten everything.

Then she noticed the empty side beside her.

Veeresh wasn’t there.

Something inside her unexpectedly felt disappointed.

Poornima slowly sat up, wrapping the duvet around herself before walking outside the room. The penthouse remained silent except for the distant sound of the city waking up.

And there he was.

Veeresh Dreewan stood near the kitchen counter in a black shirt, holding two cups of tea like the dangerous mafia king hadn’t destroyed lives before breakfast.

Poornima stared at him quietly.

He looked up at her.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Veeresh walked toward her and handed her a cup.

“Tea.”

She accepted it silently.

His gaze moved across her face carefully before he spoke in an unusually calm voice.

“Sorry for being rough.”

Poornima immediately frowned.

“Don’t say sorry.”

Veeresh raised an eyebrow.

“And don’t regret it either,” she added honestly before taking a sip of tea. “I liked it.”

For the first time that morning, Veeresh smirked faintly.

Poornima looked down at the cup in her hands. “And thanks.”

“For what?”

“I slept peacefully.” Her voice became softer. “I didn’t even take sleeping pills to sleep.”

Something dark shifted in Veeresh’s eyes at that confession, but he hid it quickly.

Then Poornima inhaled deeply and looked at him again with her usual composure returning.

“Now,” she said calmly, “we’re back to being enemies.”

The words should have sounded simple.

But neither of them looked convinced.