Page 82 of Fixation

“Oh, I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear you say that.” Reina kissed her cheek. “Please tell me, this means you will look after your health henceforth.”

“Absolutely. Eat well, sleep more, and exercise—that is my new mantra.”

Reina was glad to hear her sister say this. She’d been worried about her eldest sister for too long, but seeing the resolveon Ananya’s face gave her hope that her sister was finally ready to move past Mihir Oshnov. Navya had told her of the uncomfortable encounter between Mihir and Ananya a few days back in the Oshnovs’ study. So, Reina was aware of Ananya’s determination to live again. It was a good sign. Ananya needed to get over her obsession with Mihir.

The Oshnovs were nothing but trouble. Of course, Armaan had turned out okay… but the other two… ugh. She had her own Oshnov troubles. Vedant’s face flashed in her mind. Shit. She was so not thinking ofhim. She focused on her sister, who was looking stunning.

Even though Ananya was still too thin, she’d taken extra care with her appearance tonight. Her makeup was perfect, her lips were painted a dark red, and she was dressed similarly to Reina in black leather pants, a skimpy shiny crop, and sky-high heels. The two of them looked great and were the focus of many eyes, especially after their impromptu dance.

Ananya ordered them some vodka sodas and handed one to Reina.

“Hey, Macarena girl,” a smart looking man on their left addressed Ananya. “Care for a drink?”

Ananya lifted her nose. “Not with you.”

She looked at Reina and rolled her eyes. “Ugh, reject.”

Reina laughed. Her naughty, bold, unapologetic, wild sister was finally back, and Reina couldn’t be happier. Ananya pulled her to the stairs that led to the VIP section above. The bouncer manning the roped section smiled as he recognised them. Club Poseidon belonged to their brother, and ever since Armaan was attacked here, Rajiv had heightened the security. But all the old staff knew them well. The man opened the roped section, but Ananya shook her head and made her way to the side of the stairs to an empty, tall table. It was less noisy and less crowded here.

Reina sipped her drink, looking into the crowd. The dancefloor was full, all tables on the sides occupied. She was glad to see that Club Poseidon continued to be one of the most exclusive clubs in Dubai.

Ananya bumped her shoulder with hers. “Alright, now, baby sis. We’ve had enough fun. Let’s get serious. Talk and leave out nothing.”

Reina blinked, taken aback.

Ananya narrowed her eyes. “What? Did you think I forgot?”

“Definitely hoped for that.”

Ananya eyed her. “Start from the beginning.”

Shit. Where could she even begin? And say what exactly? Everything? Something? Nothing? No, nothing was not an option. She’d promised her sister that she’d confide in her. But where was she to start? Her thoughts were all over the place. Her eyes darted to the stairs where a man was descending. It was too dark to make out his features clearly. From the side, he looked like… her heart leapt… he looked like Vedant. She shut her eyes, and when she opened them again, the man was gone. Fuck. She was hallucinating now. Maybe she’d had one too many vodkas.

“Reina, I’m waiting,” Ananya pushed forth.

“I think I fell in love with the wrong guy,” Reina blurted. She slapped a palm over her mouth. That was so not what she’d wanted to say.

“What?” Ananya choked on her drink. “Excuse me?”

“Oh God, I think I should probably start from the beginning,” Reina sighed.

Ananya glared at her. “Youthink?”

She took a fortifying sip of her drink before she began to talk. “Almost two months ago, I was working as the ER doctor in the hospital when a man was brought in. He was critically wounded and was dying. I took a call to operate on him and saved his life. However, the next morning, I and a few other people from theteam that had operated on him were asked to meet Dr. Williams at the back of the hospital. Although I found the request strange, I still went, you know, considering my then history with him. Anyway, once we all were there, some armed men surrounded us, held us at gunpoint, and ushered us into a van. They took us to this huge house. They were all this patient’s brother’s men.”

Ananya’s eyes rounded. “Oh my God! You were kidnapped?”

Reina could see her sister’s brain working as she put things together, because Ananya said, “So before you returned home, when you kept saying that you were having a hectic week and then you wouldn’t take our calls and called us back only during certain times, it was because you were being held hostage?”

“Yes.”

“Fuck.” Ananya held her arm, her eyes frantically running over Reina. “Did they hurt you, Reina? Did anyone touch you?”

“Hey, no, Ananya, breathe,” Reina said. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Then what the fuck was it like?”

“We only had to care for him. My patient, he was the man I… I—” Reina’s gaze moved past her sister. She blinked. Surely, she was hallucinating. She shut her eyes, but this time, when she opened them, he didn’t disappear. Fuck. It was… he was…

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