Chapter 59 — Don’t Touch Me

Poornima reached the Rathore mansion in a rush, her emotions already breaking under the weight of everything that had happened.

The moment she stepped inside, her father’s anger hit her immediately.

“Why are you back here?” he demanded.

Poornima tried to speak. “Dad—”

SLAP.

Her head turned slightly from the force.

Before she could recover, another sharp slap followed.

“Don’t call me ‘dad’ and stand here!” he shouted.

Poornima’s eyes filled instantly, but she said nothing. She didn’t argue anymore. She simply turned and walked upstairs, her steps unsteady.

Her room felt smaller than before.

Heavier.

She shut the door and collapsed onto the floor.

And then it broke.

Everything she had held inside—trust, hope, confusion, fear—it all came out at once.

“Why…” she whispered, shaking.

Tears came uncontrollably now.

“I believed him…”

Her hands trembled as she covered her face.

“I thought he was different…”

Her breathing started to turn uneven.

Panic rising.

Too fast.

Too familiar.

“Salvatore…” she whispered brokenly. “I trusted you…”

The more she tried to breathe, the harder it became.

Her thoughts scattered.

Her chest tightened.

And then—

Footsteps.

She froze.

Veeresh.

He had followed her.

Poornima looked up immediately, eyes red and broken.

“Why are you here?” she asked, voice shaking. “To see me suffer?”

Veeresh stepped closer carefully. “Poornima, please—”

“Don’t!” she snapped instantly.

Her voice cracked but carried anger.

“I told you that night should have stayed between us!”

A pause.

“But you had to send the video!”

Veeresh’s expression changed slightly. “I didn’t—”

“Why, Salvatore?” she interrupted, tears falling faster now. “Why would you do that?”

She took a step back.

“I believed you,” she said brokenly. “I felt safe with you.”

Her voice rose slightly.

“I thought you weren’t like them. Not like my family. Not like anyone.”

A bitter laugh escaped through tears.

“But you’re worse.”

Veeresh stood still, absorbing every word without interrupting.

Poornima shook her head rapidly.

“I don’t want to see you,” she said firmly. “I don’t want to stay with you.”

Her breathing turned uneven again.

Her body swayed slightly.

“I feel like I’m going crazy…” she whispered. “My head is spinning… just leave me…”

Veeresh stepped forward instinctively.

Poornima immediately pushed him away.

“Don’t touch me!”

Her voice broke into panic.

“Leave from here, Salvatore!”

Silence.

Heavy.

Raw.

Her eyes were trembling now, not just with anger—but fear, confusion, and emotional overload all collapsing at once.

Veeresh didn’t move closer again.

But he didn’t leave either.

Because he could see it clearly now—

this wasn’t just anger.

It was a breakdown.

And for the first time, Salvatore Dreewan didn’t know how to fix something without risking breaking her even more.