Chapter 1: The Cold Bargain
Kirana stood in the cramped living room of her father’s crumbling house, arms crossed over her chest, her fiery gaze cutting through the dim light like a blade. She wore a tight, low-cut tank top and shorts that barely covered her thighs, her curves on deliberate display. Not for seduction, no—but for war. She knew the effect her body had, and she wielded it like a weapon against the man standing before her, the man who had just 'bought' her future.
Danu, all six-foot-three of him, loomed awkwardly near the doorway, his broad shoulders hunched as if trying to make himself smaller. His face, weathered and scarred from years of hard labor, flushed a deep crimson as he avoided her eyes. His hands fidgeted at his sides, thick fingers twisting nervously. He was a giant of a man, but in her presence, he seemed to shrink.
“K-Kirana,” he stammered, his deep voice cracking like a boy’s. “I... I just want you to know, I ain’t gonna force nothin’. I swear it. I... I’ve admired you for so long, and I—I just wanna take care of you. That’s all.”
Kirana’s lips curled into a sneer, her dark eyes glinting with venom. “Admired me? You mean stalked me, you disgusting creep. You think I’m some prize to be won because my father couldn’t pay his damn debts? I’m not your property, Danu. I’ll never be.”
Danu flinched as if slapped, his gaze dropping to the worn wooden floor. “I-I know that. I don’t see you as property. I... I just thought—maybe, with time, you’d see I ain’t a monster. I’ll sleep on the floor, I swear. I won’t even touch the bed. I won’t touch you, not ‘til you want me to. If... if you ever do.”
Her laugh was sharp, cutting through the heavy air. “Oh, that’s rich. You think I’ll ever want your filthy hands on me? Look at you, Danu. You’re twice my age, ugly as sin, and you’ve got the nerve to think I’d ever open my heart to you? Keep dreaming, old man.”
She stepped closer, her petite frame dwarfed by his massive one, but her presence was a storm, fierce and unyielding. She tilted her head, letting her long, dark hair cascade over her shoulder, knowing full well how the motion drew his eyes despite his best efforts. His breath hitched, and she smirked, reveling in his torment.
“You’re pathetic,” she hissed, her voice low and dripping with disdain. “You can’t even look at me without sweating like a pig. What’s wrong, Danu? Am I too much for you to handle?”
Danu’s face burned hotter, beads of perspiration forming on his brow. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he struggled for words. “I-I’m sorry, Kirana. I don’t mean to... to make you uncomfortable. I just... you’re so beautiful, it’s hard not to—uh, I mean, I’ll try harder. I promise.”
She rolled her eyes, turning away with a dramatic flip of her hair, giving him a deliberate view of her backside as she sauntered toward the bedroom. “Try all you want. It won’t change a thing. You’re sleeping on the floor, just like you said. And don’t even think about creeping closer in the night. I’ll know.”
Danu nodded mutely, his eyes lingering on her retreating form before he forced them away, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. The ache in his chest was unbearable, a torturous mix of longing and shame. He wanted her—God, how he wanted her—but not like this. Not with her hatred burning hotter than any flame. He’d wait, even if it killed him. Even if every night on the cold, hard floor felt like a dagger to his soul.
As Kirana disappeared into the bedroom, leaving the door ajar just enough to taunt him with glimpses of her silhouette, Danu sank to his knees in the living room. His body was already betraying him, a familiar heat pooling low in his gut, his breath coming in shallow pants. He cursed under his breath, knowing tonight would be another battle of willpower—a battle he was already losing as her scent, her voice, her very presence lingered in the air like a cruel, intoxicating drug.
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