Page 36 of Shattered

Unknown:Good girl. See you soon.

Knowing he’s dismissed me, I continue staring at my mobile screen, chewing on my bottom lip. The logical move would be to inform Officer Viraj about this call and have him trace the phone number. But fear paralyses me from doing any such thing. I can’t risk anything happening to my sister. Losing her because I tried to do the right thing is a risk I can’t afford. The thought of itis unbearable; I’d never forgive myself if something happens to her. I have to meet this person alone; there’s no other option. It might be a terrible idea, I know, but I’d rather face this danger head-on to save my sister than risk losing her to someone with twisted intentions.

Chapter 18

Reyansh

“Don’t you ever get tired of partying?”I ask, grimacing as I pinch the back of my neck, my thoughts drifting tomy woman. Damn,I’d much rather be with her thanhang out with this asshole. The only reason I agreed to accompany him to this newly opened club is that he literally barged into my house, droning on about bro codes and all that nonsense of hanging out together. Adding to that, when I called Kavya, she told me that she wanted to spend some quiet time with Sunita Aunty and her sister at home.I couldn’t bring myself to be selfish and demand her attention when she wanted to be with her family.

“Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? You’re the one who’s always enjoyed partying, so you should be thanking me for getting us VIP passes. Yet here you are,whining like a kid in a toy store,” Aditya retorts as we step out of his car and stride towards the entrance of the hotel.

I shake my head. “Not anymore,” I say truthfully as we step inside the empty elevator. I press the button for the floor where the club is located.

There was a time when the thrill of loud music, drinks, and women captivated my attention, but that era has passed.My angel has ruined me, leaving me with a singular desire for nothing but her.

He turns towards me and wiggles his eyebrows. “What brought about this change, or rather, who is the one who tamed thetiger?”

I throw my head back and burst out laughing. This man, no matter how annoying he can be, never fails to make me laugh. Perhaps that’s one of the many reasons our friendshiphas remained intact for so long.

“How can you be so sure it’s a woman?” I tease, not wanting to agree with him just yet.

“Don’t play me for a fool,” I say, rolling my eyes.“If this is just to get a rise out of me,you should know well by now that I can see right through you, even though you’re too stubborn to admit it. I don’t need any magical powers to know something is going on with you.We’ve been friends for far too long for you to think you can hide anything from me. Give me some credit, bro.”

“Well, as irritating as you are, I can’t keep any secrets from you. You’ve got that uncanny knack for seeing right through me!” I huff, knowing there’s no point in beating around the bush. Besides, I owe it to him to share my happiness.

“It’s Kavya,” I say as we step out of the lift.

“The same woman you took to the hospital at my parents’ wedding anniversary?” he asks, as wewalk towards the hostess’s stand by the entrance.

“Indeed, she’s the one,” I confirm, and before he can ask anything else, we reach the hostess.

Aditya pulls out the VIP passes from his jeans pocket and shows it to the young woman standing behind the tall wooden booth. He flashes her a flirty wink, making me roll my eyes.

The woman taps her tablet and then looks back at us. “Welcome, Mr. Kundra and Mr. Thakur. Would you like me to show you to your table?” She gives us a seductive smile, whichonly adds to my regret of being here. How much longer will this night drag on before I can get the hell out of here?

“I would love that,” Aditya grins.

“No, thanks,” I answer simultaneously.

Aditya turns to me with a look that says,‘What the fuck is your problem?’while the woman gives me a confused look that screams, ‘You are crazy to let go of a free chance.’ But they’re both fools to think I’d be interested in fake beauty when I have a real gem in my life. Ignoring both of them, I raise my eyebrows at Aditya to make it clear that I am not here for any hanky-panky or a roll in the sheets.

He throws me one last dirty look before turning his attention back to the woman.

“Sorry, but we’ve got this. And I hope you don’t mind my friend here; he’s just PMSing,” he adds the last bit, eliciting a giggle from the woman.

“Not a problem. You can go right inside,” she replies with a smile.

“Thanks, beautiful. And if this old guy here bores me, then I’ll know where to find you,” Aditya says, prompting me to hold him by the arms and usher him towards the entrance before he manages to piss me any further than he already has.

The moment we step inside, thepulsatingbeat of the loud music hits us, and the mingling scents of smoke and alcohol fill our senses. The atmosphere is charged, with the party already in full swing. A couple of girls are dancing on the dance floor, clad in barely-there clothes. However,what catches my eye is a group of boys in the corner, smokingand indulging in the white powder. Fuck, I despise that stuff.

As we make our way to the bar in the corner, the girls keep throwing inviting looks our way. This is nothing new; we’ve always received that kind of attention, and in the past, I might have entertained it too. But not anymore.I keep my expressioncold, making it clear that I am not interested. Luckily, it helps in keeping them at bay.

“You’re seriously being a cockblocker,” Aditya mutters in an annoying tone.

He can get irritated all he wants, but there’s no chance in hell that I am walking out of this place with a woman or even entertaining the thought of any women hanging around us like bees on honey. The last thing I want is to spend the entire night here partying. I am here for a couple of drinks with him, and then I am walking out of this place alone. If he wants to stay back, that’s his choice. I won’t stop him,but I am not sticking around for it.

“I already made it clear I am not here for this,” I state firmly, leaving no room for him to convince me otherwise.

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