The heavy, soundproofed double doors of their private penthouse suite closed with a soft, final click, shutting out the glittering, predatory chaos of the Grecian resort and sealing them inside a suffocating world of marble and midnight. The air-conditioned chill of the room hit Shivanya's skin like a physical blow, making the heavy, gold-embroidered silk of her emerald saree feel simultaneously freezing and suffocating.

Abhimaan unbuttoned his crisp white cuffs and discarded his bespoke tuxedo jacket over the back of a velvet armchair before walking over to the wide, floor-to-ceiling glass doors that overlooked the dark, churning expanse of the Aegean Sea.