BOUND BY FATE

Anjali Malhotra has spent years earning a reputation for being cold-hearted, unflinching, and entirely uninterested in approval. She doesn't charm judges - she convinces them. At twenty-nine, she stands on the brink of becoming the youngest partner in Verdant Legal's history. Control isn't just her strength - it's how she survives. Arjun Mishra is known for his easy charm and impossible win rate - a combination that unsettles people more than arrogance ever could. He believes the law should work for those without power, and he fights just as hard to prove himself as he does for his clients. In court, he disarms before he strikes, smiling his way through arguments he's already mapped out three steps ahead. Competition fuels him; victory matters. And against Anjali Malhotra, it becomes personal. EXCERPT - "This is exactly why I hate you," Arjun said once the door closed behind them. "Why would you ever support him?" "He's paying me to," Anjali replied casually. "Why wouldn't I?" "That's it?" Disgust crept into his voice. "If money is all you care about, I'll pay whatever he's paying you even double it. Leave the case." "If I'd known I'd be facing you, I would've done it for free." she said and stormed out of the door. ✦ Tropes ✦ Enemies-to-Lovers | Slow Burn | Academic Rivals | Grumpy FL x Sunshine ML