A Vow of Hate

Zulqar Siddiqui was never meant to love. But his father demanded an alliance powerful enough to strengthen their empire, and Hira Mirza—beautiful, ambitious, untouchable—was the perfect choice. Somewhere between obligation and stolen moments, Zulqar did the one thing he swore he never would. He fell in love with his bride-to-be. The night before their wedding, everything shattered. A reckless drive home. A drunken mistake. A crash that stole Hira’s life and left behind nothing but guilt and ashes. And Inayah Mirza. The younger sister. The quiet one. The girl who survived. Tradition demands the marriage be honored. The alliance must be sealed. And so Zulqar marries his bride's sister. To him, Inayah isn’t a wife—she’s a living reminder of the woman he lost. A punishment forced into his life. A vow spoken in hatred binds them together, and Zulqar swears to make her regret every breath she takes as his wife. He doesn’t touch her with affection. He doesn’t offer kindness. He gives her silence, cruelty, and a marriage colder than grief itself. Inayah enters a home where she is unwanted, unloved, and blamed for a tragedy she can never undo. Loving him is forbidden. Surviving him becomes her only choice. Because some marriages are built on love. Some are built on duty. And some— are built on hate so deep it was meant to destroy them both.