Page 93 of The Defiant Wife

Feeling the trust in the way she holds onto me.She still thinks she's difficult to like.Still thinks she's a burden.Still believes the scars on her skin make her less worthy of kindness.She couldn't be more wrong.

The prince who once believed he needed no one . . . The man who built walls around every part of himself . . . Didn't break the day she put salt in my tea.

He gave up the fight long before that.

I tighten my arms around her just a little more and press a soft kiss to the top of her head.

In the quiet darkness, I make myself a promise.

No one will ever make her feel alone again.

And no one will ever leave her crying in the dark.

32. CAUGHT IN THE MOMENT

VEERAJ

The palace lawn glows under hundreds of warm fairy lights.

Silk canopies sway gently in the evening breeze, music drifts through the gardens, and laughter rises from every corner as guests mingle around beautifully decorated tables. It feels like the entire kingdom has gathered to celebrate Aadhya's second birthday.

But my mind isn't here.

It is still somewhere around three this morning.

No matter how many conversations happen around me, all I can think about is the way Diya slept against my chest after her nightmare. I can still remember the weight of her in my arms, the way her fingers clung to my shirt, and how her breathing slowly calmed after she trusted me with the darkest part of her childhood.

Holding her didn't feel like responsibility.

It didn't feel like duty.It simply felt . . . right.

I stand near one of the marble pillars with a glass of club soda in my hand, absentmindedly watching the crowd.

Then I find her.I don't even realize I'm looking for her.My eyes simply do.She's standing across the lawn, and for a second, everything else fades into the background.

She's wearing a deep royal blue Chanderi silk saree that catches the warm glow of the fairy lights every time she moves. Her blouse leaves her arms and collarbone uncovered, the pale patches of vitiligo glowing softly beneath the lights instead of hiding in the shadows.

She isn't trying to cover them anymore.

She isn't shrinking herself.

She's simply . . . herself.

And I don't think I've ever seen anyone more beautiful.

Aadhya lets out a delighted squeal, and Diya laughs before sitting directly on the grass beside her, completely unconcerned about her expensive saree. Within seconds she's surrounded by children, helping them chase balloons that keep escaping into the air.

Her laughter carries across the lawn. Bright. Free. Real.

A warmth settles somewhere deep inside my chest as I watch her gently tap a yellow balloon against Aadhya's nose, making my niece dissolve into another fit of giggles.

Ever since Diya entered this house, something has changed.The palace hasn't become quieter.It's become warmer. For me at least.

"You're going to burn a hole through her saree if you keep staring like that."Vihaan's amused voice pulls me back.

He bumps my shoulder lightly before taking a sip from his drink.

I don't bother looking at him."I'm making sure she doesn't teach Aadhya how to organize another clay attack."