Prologue

Prologue — Crimson Ruin

“I hate you.”

They say it at the exact same time.

Silence hangs between them for one heartbeat—

before laughter escapes their lips like a dangerous secret neither of them was supposed to keep.

“You finally fell for me, Mr. Rival,”

Krishvi murmurs, arms slipping around his neck.

Zevansh smirks faintly, pulling her closer by the waist.

“You ruined my peace the moment you looked at me with those furious

emerald eyes, Iris.”

Her gaze softens.

“For years, I thought love destroyed people,” she whispers. “But then I met you… and suddenly destruction felt beautiful.”

His grey eyes darken.

Krishvi rests her forehead against his.

“Maybe love isn’t the curse,” she says quietly. “Maybe people are.”

Zevansh brushes his thumb against her cheek.

“Then let the world burn,” he whispers. “As long as you stay with me.”

A smile touches her lips.

“I trust you.”

But trust—

is the first thing that dies when truth starts bleeding.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“Your father is a criminal, Zevansh.”

Krishvi’s voice shakes despite the fury in her eyes.

“Vaishnavi and her mother deserve justice.”

The warmth in Zevansh’s expression disappears instantly.

“They want money,” he says coldly.

“That woman trapped my father.”

Krishvi stares at him like she no longer recognizes the boy she loved.

“Wow,” she laughs bitterly. “So this is what love turns into? Blind loyalty?”

“My father is innocent.”

His jaw tightens.

“Not every man is like your father, Krishvi.”

The words hit like a knife.

Pain flashes across her face, but she refuses to break.

“Deep down, you know I’m right.”

“Enough.”

His voice is sharp now.

“You have to choose.”

A pause.

“Me… or Vaidehi?”

Krishvi’s answer comes without hesitation.

“Vaidehi.”

A dangerous silence follows.

“Because truth matters more than love.”

Something inside Zevansh shatters.

He nods once.

“Fine.”

And then he walks away—

leaving behind the girl who trusted him with every broken piece of her heart.

Tears blur Krishvi’s vision.

“You never trusted me enough to fight for me,” she whispers.

Then her expression hardens.

“But I’ll prove I was never wrong.”

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

“Wake up, Iris… please.”

Zevansh’s broken voice trembles outside the operation theatre.

Inside, Krishvi lies motionless beneath harsh white lights, her body covered in blood and wires.

For the first time in years—

Zevansh Aggarwal looks terrified.

“You still have a war to win,” he chokes out.

“My terrifying little advocate can’t leave me alone in this battlefield.”

His hands tremble violently.

“I was supposed to protect you.”

Tears burn his eyes.

“I was supposed to believe you.”

Then something inside him snaps.

His expression turns cold as he stares at the hospital doors.

“Mr. Aggarwal will pay for this.”

The grief in his eyes slowly transforms into rage.

“This was never a family dispute.”

His fists clench.

“It was a massacre.”

His voice drops to a lethal whisper.

“And now…”

“it becomes a war.”

Zevansh looks at the girl fighting for her life.

At the girl he failed.

At the girl he loves.

“He touched my Iris.”

Silence.

Then a smile—cold and terrifying—appears on his face.

“I’ll destroy him piece by piece.”

“Until all that remains is cr

imson ruin.”

And that…

is where the story begins.

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How's the prologue moonflowers??