Page 19 of Addiction

She clinked her glass to his, taking a small sip, while he downed his shot in one go.

She leaned against the railing. From here, she had a complete view of not only the stage, but the lawns beyond it as well. And there, further behind the lawns, the castle towered majestically above everything, its regal aura giving the place a magical vibe. The whole setup was truly breath-taking.

Right below her was the dance floor. She searched through the crowd for her sister. But she couldn’t spot her anywhere. Worry washed over her. Where was Reina? Her sister would never have left without her.

“If you’re searching for your sister, she’s right there, arguing with my security.” Armaan pointed to the right side of the lawns.

Sure enough, Reina was standing beside Su Min, quarrelling with a bodyguard.

Her chest constricted. What was wrong with her? Reina ought to know better than to call attention upon herself.

“How did you even recognize her?” Navya asked Armaan, her heart pinching in worry.

He tipped his head to the security guard next to Reina. “I just got a text from one of my men that some girl was creatinga ruckus while asking about you. Besides, there is something called Google, you know. And there are enough pictures and more of your family online. I have kept a tab on all of you over the years.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why are you so interested in us?”

“I was curious aboutyou. Also, Vedant and I finally learned during that yacht incident that your sister, Ananya, was the one who had deceived Mihir all those years ago. He hadn’t shared her identity until that night. So, of course, I was curious about the woman because of whom my brother has kind of sworn off of all women.”

“Ananya didn’t deceive him,” she retorted.

“I’m sure she has her version, and he has his,” he replied. “All I know is that he hasn’t been the same since her. Nonetheless, both of us will obviously support our own siblings. Hence, let’s drop this topic.” He tipped his chin in Reina’s direction. “Shall I invite her to join us?”

Her panic rose. “No. Please. I’m right here, as you wanted. Don’t call Reina here.”

He studied her for a brief moment. “I don’t plan on hurting her.”

“No, your brothers or you would just use her for some nefarious purpose that suits you all.”

“Vedant was only trying to get a rise out of you when he was speaking about your sister. He’s the calmest one in our trio.”

“And that information doesn’t give me the slightest bit of comfort. You all need to stay away from Reina. I won’t have a repeat of what happened on the yacht.”

He sighed. “That night, the only reason we kept your sister-in-law and you back was because Mihir wanted Ananya. She knew that, and yet instead of facing him, she ran away and let your brother come into the picture. We were just too smart to not use the situation to our advantage.”

Her eyes widened. Ananya had never mentioned that.

She clucked her tongue. “Why do I find it hard to believe that your intentions were noble that night?”

“They were, whether you believe it or not.”

“Sure, and yet you accepted a nearly three hundred-million-dollar yacht from my brother and free usage of three of his ships for six months to transport your goods anywhere in the world, just to let Sheena and me go. How very noble of you.”

“Well, I suppose our intentions weren’t that noble,” he smirked. “Dealing with Rajiv Mehra was purely business for us. However, let’s not forget that you all put him in that position because you gate-crashed our party. Did you expect to get away scot-free? Everyone who knows the Oshnovs know that we don’t take lightly to anyone going against us. You paid a price for your own actions,da? I don’t get why you’re upset with me or my brothers for the consequences of the said actions.”

His words hurt. She already felt guilty about that night, but listening to it from his point of view only made her feel worse.

She brushed those emotions away. “Then why instigate that fight with Rajiv? What about the condition you placed if you won that bet? Why do all that when you had already gotten what you wanted from him?”

“That fight was foryou. To get your attention,” he said. “Fighting your brother was the only way I could get to bargain with you. You’d never have agreed to go out on a date with me had I asked the usual way. I got you to say yes to me that night.”

“As if sending me a text asking me to spend one night with you, and then pounding my brother like he was a piece of meat right in front of me, would have made me say no to you. You knew I’d say yes.”

“Your brother is a very good fighter. You needn’t have said yes. I went along with the fight, knowing you’d come and I’d get to bargain with you. So, all of that was done only to get to spendsome time with you. But then you know what happened after that.”

Which was that Mihir had promised Rajiv that the Oshnov brothers would stay away from Rajiv’s sisters as long as they didn’t step in their path. And now, to her utter stupidity, she had walked right back into Armaan’s path.

His eyes sparkled. “So, even though it’s four years late, I finally have you where I want you, right in front of me, talking to me,moya tigritsa.” When she opened her mouth, he raised a hand up. “And no, tonight doesn’t count as a date or as you fulfilling the terms of our bargain.”

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