Softened Storm. 

Softened Storm. 

Six months since he had sent them away. Six long months since they had arrived in Dubai.

Six months had passed since he had arranged for them to be taken to Dubai—his primary base, the one place where he knew everyone would remain safe under his protection, away from any unforeseen danger. 

Because Dubai was his domain—nothing moved here without his knowledge, let alone his permission. This was his empire—the result of years spent carving power out of chaos. Here, every breath was taken beneath his shadow. And he protected what belonged to him with the same intensity with which he had built it. Power had not been handed to him—he had earned every inch of it.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming workload and the lack of time he could spare for her had created a distance between them. It had been six whole months since he had seen her in person—aside from the countless photos, videos, and hidden video calls he secretly had made just to look at her.

Distance had done nothing except make him crave her presence more.

A faint smile tugged at his lips at the thought.

Though there was something good in all of this too. She was getting to know his family—their family. Whether she understood it yet or not, she had already carved a place for herself among them.

The very people she still knew so little about.

He chuckled softly at the irony.

Not for long, though.

After all, they were meant to become her future too.

Sooner or later, she would have to know the truth about the life tied to his. Whether she accepted it or not, her future had long since become entangled with his.

He huffed, closing his eyes for a moment or two for the sake of his sanity.

Six long-fucking-months.

Even behind his closed lids, all he could see was her smiling, slightly chubby face, with blush spreading warmly across her glowing cheeks.

A faint smile tugged at his lips before his eyes flew open again.

He stood there—shoulders broader than before, body more heavily built, aura far more intimidating. His muscles strained subtly beneath the silken white dress shirt, sleeves folded neatly to his elbows, while his suit jacket hung from the arm crossed over his chest. The years had carved something harsher into his features—something dangerous, yet impossible to ignore. He looked more mature now—sharper, calmer, more composed than a man his age should have been.

The world had hardened him over the months, carving danger into the very lines of his face.

Yet somehow, thoughts of her still softened him without effort.

He had changed physically. A lot. But thoughts of her still managed to soften the edges.

Letting out a strained, exhausted sigh, his eyes drifted toward her tiny curled-up form, moving over her slowly—up and down, up and down.

He checked carefully for any sign of physical harm on her body. When he found none, satisfaction quietly settled across his face. Her safety had soothed him for now. For now, that was enough.

Without another moment of hesitation, he turned to leave for his own room. Even then, his steps remained slow despite their length, the door closing behind him without a single sound to mark his presence.

He left with a strange sense of peace in his mind—though deep within him, the beast still raged faintly beneath the surface.

Still, he felt better now. Content, even, with what he had seen tonight.

Though, midway through his walk, he paused abruptly.

Thinking. Calculating. Every rational thought in him told him to leave. None of them mattered.

Then, acting on impulse, he turned back sharply, the veins in his neck bulging noticeably with the force of the movement. His jaw tightened so hard it almost hurt.

He couldn’t resist anymore.

Fuck. He was doomed if he stayed away any longer.

Muttering a string of profanities under his breath, he turned around and headed back once again. Something about her drew him back every single time.

“I can’t do this any longer,” he muttered under his breath before instantly turning around to go back from where he had come.

Walking in hurried strides, he reached the bedside, towering over the two smaller forms resting peacefully on the bed.

Then, lowering himself onto both knees beside them, he let out a quiet sigh.

His eyes held a certain glint of delight—something far too deep and unreadable to be deciphered.

He wanted to touch her.

Just once.

Yet even now, he held himself back.

His large hand hovered for a brief second before retreating again. He feared that even the smallest touch would undo whatever restraint he still possessed. Perhaps one glance had never truly been enough where she was concerned.

Silence greeted him once again in the comforting arms of solace.

Taking one of her soft, warm, almost dwarfed hands into his much larger ones, he deliberately pressed a kiss to the back of it, holding his breath for a brief moment.

“Oh, bambolina… mi sei mancata.”

His lips curved into a graceful smile as he murmured in Italian.

“Yes, my doll… I’ve missed you the most.” He whispered the words toward her sleeping form, looking so innocent, relaxed, and peaceful.

Slowly, almost unconsciously, he leaned closer to her—too close. Their faces remained only inches apart, glowing softly beneath the moonlight. He could feel the warmth of her breath so close to his own. Yet even now, he hesitated—as though afraid she might disappear if he got any closer. His thumb brushed gently over her knuckles before stilling again. And for a dangerous moment, he almost forgot how to pull away.

The scent of roses and vanilla tickled his senses as he inhaled contentedly, his fingers splaying gently through her long, soft mane, disappearing into the delicate curls within.

His touch was so soft, so careful, that Radhika let out a quiet, gratified sigh without stirring from her position or showing any signs of waking up anytime soon. Then again, he knew she was a heavy sleeper.

Taking a moment to simply admire her pretty, heart-shaped face—the very face he had somehow come to love even more over the past six months—he lifted her hand once again and pressed another tender kiss against the back of it.

It frightened him sometimes—how naturally tenderness came to him only where she was concerned.

A faint smile touched his lips as he whispered a familiar Italian phrase, one he reserved only for the exquisite beauty she carried so effortlessly without ever realizing it herself. Six months apart had only made moments like these feel far too precious. 

Even in sleep, she felt impossibly his.

Some people unknowingly became a man’s peace. And somewhere along the way, she had become his.

“Sei bellissima,” he whispered more to himself as the pad of his thumb gently brushed against the faint blush spread across her chubby cheek.

“So beautiful…”

He gazed at her with something close to reverence shining in his obsidian eyes.

No amount of distance had lessened the effect she had on him.

If anything, it had only worsened. And that frightened him more than it should have. Time had only sharpened what he felt for her. Six months apart, and still she unraveled him effortlessly.

“You know… it’s been six fucking devastatingly long months,” he muttered softly, letting out a heavy sigh filled with exhaustion and frustration.

“I tried to finish everything as quickly as I could, but it still took longer than I wanted.”

Brushing the strands of hair away from her face, he lowered his voice even further, almost as if he wanted her to hear him somehow.

“Don’t you think so, little one?”

Alas for him, she remained sound asleep.

Yes—six months in India.

Six months away from his family.

Away from his doll.

A quiet ease settled within him as the thought crossed his mind.

“Now, finally, I’m home.”

His thumb brushed lightly against her cheek once more.

“And I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

Perhaps home had never truly been a place. Perhaps, all along, it had simply been her.

Rising to his full height, he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Then, leaning a little further, he kissed Shaurya’s forehead too, a quiet smile tugging at his lips. Casting one final lingering glance at them, longing flickering faintly in his eyes, he turned around and left, gently closing the door behind him.

“Meet you in the morning, little one,” he murmured with a smile. “Though your expression will definitely be worth seeing when you find me standing right in front of you.”

A smirk appeared on his face, followed by a low chuckle.

And with that, he strode toward his bedroom, still thinking about the long-awaited morning ahead. For once, tomorrow felt like something worth waiting for. The thought alone eased the exhaustion clinging to his bones.

It had been a long time since he had looked forward to anything this much. Tomorrow, she would finally be within his reach again.

He only hoped the morning would be as peaceful as tonight. It had been a long time since he had looked forward to waking up this much.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~