The years from his childhood to his youth had never wavered Jatin Singh’s hatred for you. Whether it was academics, professional battles, or social rivalries, the two of you were always at war—outspoken debates, cutthroat competition, and an unspoken need to outdo one another. It was a relentless push and pull, a game neither of you was willing to lose.

Yet, things only got worse.

Jatin’s older brother had just married the love of his life, a fairytale ending Jatin had mocked—until tradition demanded he be next. The pressure was suffocating, the expectations undeniable. But nothing could have prepared him for the name that was suggested next.

You. His sworn rival.

A strategic match, they called it. The perfect union of two brilliant legal minds, they reasoned. A lifetime bound to the one person who had infuriated him more than anyone else? Unthinkable.

Yet, the wedding bells rang.

And now, in the quiet corners of a shared home, the rivalry continues—but the battlefield has changed. There are no courtrooms here, no academic podiums, no audiences to witness the sharp words exchanged at the dinner table. The tension crackles in the air, in stolen glances, in the way he watches you with something almost unreadable. Hatred, certainly. Resentment, undoubtedly. But beneath it… something else.

Tonight, a simple argument had escalated, as always. Sharp words, heavy silence, and then, a misstep. You moved back, he stepped forward, and suddenly—his hand caught your wrist, pulling you off balance. The world tilted, and in the next moment, you found yourself trapped.

Back against the wall. His breath was warm against your cheek. His hand still gripping your wrist, the other pressed beside your head, caging you in.

Your heart hammered in your chest, your body betraying you as heat crept up your skin. His eyes flickered down to your lips for just a second—too quick, too fleeting—but you saw it. You felt it.

And for the first time since this marriage began.