Page 40 of Born in Sin

Virat shrugged. “You know what my family, or lack of it, is like.”

Troubled eyes met his own for a second before she said, “Well, that doesn’t matter. I will love you enough for all of them. You’re mine, Virat Jha.”

“Possessive are you?” he teased, trying to hide the tremor of emotion that went through him at her words.

She pulled back enough to meet his gaze, solemnly. “You better believe it. The rest of the world can’t have you, Vir. I will never let them take you from me.”

A weird premonition slid through him at her words. “Celi,” he said roughly. “You-“

In the distance, a torchlight cut through the night. The security guard was on his rounds. Their time was up.

“We have to go,” she whispered, getting to her feet, her fingers slipping from his hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.”

He rose, reluctantly, not wanting to leave her. “Celi-“ he said again.

But she was already hurrying towards the far end of the building, her skirt flapping around her legs, her hair flying out in a banner behind her.

Don’t go, he wanted to say. Don’t leave me, he wanted to beg.

But she was already gone.

Chapter Fifteen

VIRAT

Virat sat in his uncomfortable chair, stuffed into the surveillance van with Ishaan and two other employees, his gaze trained on the screens in front of them. It was the night of the hospital fundraiser. He watched as the guests, dressed in the latest of fashions, walked in through the large double doors of the venue. Amay, in a dapper tuxedo, held out an arm for Dhrithi who wore a long, midnight blue flowing dress that looked like it belonged on the red carpet.

Amay paused at the top of the stairs, glancing back, and Virat saw the excitement stream through the paparazzi huddled by the steps. A hospital fundraiser wouldn’t normally attract this level of media or tabloid interest but then again, a hospital fundraiser didn’t always have two of the nation’s biggest stars attending.

A Range Rover pulled up and a safari suited bodyguard jumped out of the front seat. Kabir, in another tuxedo, got out of one side and walked over to the other. Virat watched as the door slowly opened and a long leg ending in a sparkling, champagne gold stiletto landed delicately on the pavement. He saw theflutter of warm yellow fabric and then she stepped out from behind the cover of the car door.

The pinch in his chest could either be violent emotion or a heart attack, he thought dispassionately as he watched Cara take Kabir’s arm. They turned as one, a well-oiled machine, to wave to the press huddled around the stairs. The cameras went wild, flashes exploding, lighting up the night.

But there was only one light that held his attention, the center of the sun in his universe, who stood there, with another man.

Kabir bent his head to hers and whispered something in her ear and Virat watched as she threw back her head and laughed. The paparazzi went crazy at the interaction even as Virat raised a hand to absently rub at his aching chest.

“I’m sorry,” Ishaan murmured.

“For?” Virat didn’t move his eyes from the screen. With a final wave, Kabir and Cara turned towards the front of the stairs, ascending it, with the protective cocoon of their security around them.

“For pushing you to reach out to her. I didn’t realise…” Ishaan’s voice trailed off.

Cara disappeared from sight through the doors and Virat finally looked away.

“Realise what?”

“That there was still so much between you two.”

“I don’t think there will ever be a moment when there isn’t.” Virat stared at the closed doors of the hospital; the ones Cara had disappeared behind.

“And yet, she’s dating someone else.”

“You can love someone with every fiber of your being and still know that they are not for you. Celi is mine, will always be mine. Cara is his.”

“Sir.” Bhargav, Virat’s team member held out headphones to him. “They’ve made contact.”

Instantly, the mood in the van changed, the energy shifting. Virat and Ishaan slipped headphones on, the screen changing to highlight the visual from Amay’s camera.

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