Page 19 of Obsession

“But you know what they say about rich men,” Devina continued. “The richer they are, the worse they turn out to be. Isn’t it Asha?”

“Not really,” Asha said.

Devina threw her a glower. “Of course, you wouldn’t agree. You’re engaged to a rich guy yourself. But not all rich men are good guys like your Sunil.”

“I agree!” Asha grinned. “I suppose it’s best to forget Mihir, Ananya.”

As of now, during their short conversation, she hadn’t got the vibe that Mihir was a bad person. He seemed… nice. Perhaps it was too soon to say. But it seemed rather strange that just a little while ago, her friends had been pushing Surya at her, and now they were judging Mihir without even knowing him well enough. God, sometimes she just didn’t get them.

She ran a finger around the rim of her glass, listening to her friends go on about Mihir Oshnov. She’d met Zeeshan, Devina, and Asha in London during the first year of her MBA. All of them were from Dubai and had bonded instantly. The girls now lived as roommates in Ananya’s massive three-bedroom apartment. Her parents owned the apartment she stayed in, but it was too big to live all alone. She liked people, and she liked having both of them for company. Zeeshan was the fourth one in their group, and if it were up to him, then he’d be living with them as well. But she and the other two girls liked to have privacy in their own bedrooms. Nonetheless, Zeeshan crashed in with Devina once in a while when they got late from a party. Zeeshan was openly gay, and a super fun and nice guy. Currently, he stayed on his own, two metro stops away from them, but he was with them most of the time.

Although she had her friends, right now, she genuinely missed her sisters. They’d be so excited to hear that a guy had finally caught her interest. They wouldn’t judge him or make inane remarks about him. They’d just be supremely curious about him and delighted for her. Maybe she’d go home and call them. Yes, she needed to do that right away. Excitement buzzed in her veins as she looked forward to that conversation.

She finished her coffee quickly. “Shall we go? We need to buy groceries on the way home.”

“Oh yes,” Asha said. “My turn to cook tonight!”

Zeeshan made a face. “Anything but your pasta, please.”

Ananya laughed. She stood, lifting her bag from the floor. Her eyes scanned the crowd for him. He was watching her already. Her heart flipped in her chest. She smiled. He gave her a nod, and then his lips curved into a smile. She stopped in her tracks and stared at him. Fuck, he really was gorgeous. Exhaling, she followed her friends out of the café.

The present

Heat pricked the back of her nape, and a spark lit in her stomach. She blinked, returning to the present. Her eyes drifted to the entrance. Mihir walked inside. More sparks burst in her stomach as he approached.

Ananya studied his profile. Dressed in a dark navy suit and a crisp white shirt, his swept-back hair accentuating his striking features… Mihir had grown into this gloriously handsome man. While in the past he hadn’t been completely sure of himself, now there was a quiet confidence about him. Like he knew exactly who he was, and where he belonged.

He dropped into the seat in front of her. She noticed that his bodyguard had taken the same table where her bodyguard, Adam, was seated—like they were closely acquainted. Hmm. She hadn’t known that. It did make sense, though, as Rajiv often discussed security details with Mihir.

However, she was satisfied to see Mihir safeguarded, especially after last night and hearing that Ivan wanted him dead. Actually, even the thought of that made her stomach clench. The thought of a world where he didn’t exist… She cleared her mind, rejecting those thoughts and the emotions they stirred.

Mihir’s caramel eyes were cold when they landed on her. That familiar sadness that she always felt around him threatened to pour out of her, but she curbed it.

No more sadness, she’d told herself. No more Mihir Oshnov. She had a suspicion as to why he wanted to meet her. It was time to end this chapter in her life.

She tilted her head. “No hello or hi,husband?”

“This is not a social call,” he replied curtly. “It’s strictly business,da?”

His accent was so much more pronounced now. It hadn’t been like that in the past.

Mihir sat stiffly in front of her, his shoulders tense. She grinned at him; he threw her a dark look, like this was the last place he wanted to be.Too bad.After years, she finally had him seated in front of her. Now she had to ensure she got what she wanted from him, beginning with an answer to, “Who were those scary-looking men you met with last night?”

“None of your business.”

She chuckled. She’d expected that reply. Mihir would never give her the details of what went down that night with those scary-looking men. Which meant she was now free to do what she wanted with the little information she had from that night. Too bad for him. Very good for her.

She beckoned a waitress. “I’ll have a chilled Frappuccino, no sugar, no cream, and he’ll have an Americano.”

He spread an agitated hand out. “Do I get a say in this,da?”

The waitress looked from her to him, and then she kept looking at him, her mouth ajar.

Irritated, Ananya quirked a brow at Mihir. “Do you not drink Americano anymore?”

“I do.”

She rolled her eyes and addressed the waitress. “My order stays. Oh, and I’ll have one of those almond croissants as well.”

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