The heat was suffocating, like a living thing that wrapped around Maya’s body, pushing against her skin, making her feel like she was suffocating in a world far from the bustling streets of Mumbai. She had only taken a few steps into the palace when the realization hit her: she was no longer in control of her own life. The engagement was not just a formality—it was a trap.

She tried to keep her head high as she moved through the grand entrance, her steps echoing off the marble floors. The opulence around her was breathtaking, and yet it felt as if the palace itself was a gilded cage.

Zayed Al-Fahim stood near the grand staircase, observing her with a cool gaze. His dark eyes didn’t hold the warmth of a greeting. There was nothing friendly about the way he looked at her—just an unreadable coldness. A man of tradition, the rumors said. Unyielding. A prince who had seen and conquered all, but never once bent.

The air between them crackled with unspoken tension, and for a moment, Maya felt the weight of the centuries-old customs bearing down on her. This wasn’t her world. It never would be.

“Shall we?” Zayed said, his deep voice cutting through the silence, like a command masked as an invitation.

Maya met his gaze head-on, refusing to be intimidated. “Lead the way,” she replied, her voice as steady as she could make it.

As she walked beside him, the silence stretched, but it wasn’t uncomfortable—not with Zayed. He seemed the kind of man who believed that silence was a weapon, as powerful as words. And Maya, despite herself, found the quiet unsettling.

They reached a grand dining hall, the table set for two. The sheer extravagance of it made her stomach churn. The fine china, the sparkling crystal glasses—everything screamed that she wasn’t just a guest in this place. She was a prize. A possession.

“Sit,” Zayed gestured toward the seat opposite him, his voice still carrying that firm, commanding tone. She could tell he wasn’t used to being questioned, let alone defied.

Maya sank into the seat, her fingers tightening around the delicate edges of the chair. She wasn’t going to let him see how rattled she was. She wasn’t going to let him have that satisfaction.

He sat down across from her, his piercing gaze never leaving her face. “I imagine you have questions.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “A few.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Then ask.”

For a brief moment, Maya hesitated. What did she even want from him? To beg him to annul this madness? To make him understand that she had no intention of being part of his world?

“You’re not interested in marriage, are you?” she asked, her voice quiet but laced with sharpness.

His expression didn’t change. “Marriage is a matter of duty. I have no interest in it beyond that.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “And yet you’re willing to marry me.”

“I’m not willing. I’m required.” His voice was matter-of-fact, a hard truth she wasn’t prepared to hear. “This engagement was set long ago. It’s not up for discussion.”

Maya sat back, her heart pounding in her chest. “So, I’m just a formality? A deal between two men who have long since passed?”

Zayed didn’t flinch. “Tradition is not something that can be dismissed. If we are bound by it, then so be it.”

The words hung in the air like a shackle, heavy and unyielding. She had no idea what to say. Part of her wanted to lash out at him, to make him see how ridiculous this was, but the coldness in his eyes made her pause. This was a man who didn’t bend, didn’t compromise. A man who had been groomed to lead, to rule, to uphold the laws of tradition—even when they were centuries old.

But Maya wasn’t that woman. She wasn’t someone who could just submit to what she was told. And yet, in the face of him, in the face of his unrelenting authority, she felt small. She wanted to stand her ground, but she knew that the weight of this engagement was more than just the man before her—it was everything her grandfather had built. Everything that had been promised.

“And what do you expect from me?” Maya asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Zayed leaned forward, his gaze piercing. “You are free to do as you wish. But understand this—you are mine now, Maya. Whether you choose to accept it or not.”

Her heart skipped, but her resolve remained. “We’ll see about that.”