Part 20: The Arrival of Shadows
Bhuvanya pounded on the door of her room, her voice sharp, urgent.
"Open the door!" she demanded, panic and frustration rising with every heartbeat.
Meanwhile, in the grand hall, a new presence dominated the space. Rafael stood tall, an aura of power radiating from him. His black shirt clung perfectly to his form, a sharp blazer draped casually over his shoulder, paired with sleek, straight black pants. Every movement screamed control, authority, danger.
"Chair?" he asked, voice smooth, commanding yet casual.
The servants hurried, bringing a luxurious chair that seemed to swallow him in its elegance. Rafael sank into it with effortless grace, exuding dominance without effort.
His eyes met Aarush's. "Sit."
A hush fell over the room as the other brothers and attendants obeyed, their tension thick in the air.
Just then, the patriarch of the house stepped in. Rafael rose, walking over to him with a calculated ease, and greeted him with a warmth that seemed almost out of place.
"Dad… how are you?" Rafael asked, wrapping his father in a firm, deliberate hug.
The father smiled faintly, eyes softening. "Good, my child."
The room seemed to hold its breath. Bhuvanya, locked in her room, could only imagine the scene through the gap in the heavy curtains. Every detail — Rafael's posture, his voice, the way even their father seemed slightly deferential — sent a shiver down her spine.
Rafael straightened in his chair, eyes scanning the hall like a predator marking territory. "It's been… a long time. Too long," he said, voice low, carrying an edge that promised storms yet to come.
Aarush's jaw tightened. He shifted slightly, the tension in his shoulders unmistakable. The unspoken war between the eldest and his younger brother crackled in the air, and Bhuvanya, though trapped behind a locked door, felt the danger as if it were physical.
Rafael leaned back, one leg crossed over the other, gaze flicking toward the doorway that led to her room. His smile was almost playful, but it didn't reach his eyes. "And where is she?"
Bhuvanya's heart skipped a beat. His words, casual as they seemed, carried weight — he knew. He had always known. And now, she felt it with chilling clarity: Rafael had been watching, planning, waiting.
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