Page 34 of Twisted Deceit
She exited the car to realize they were at a small port and a boat was waiting for them. Aadhya and her love for water bodies only excited her further, and she hugged his arm. “What a surprise. Why didn’t you tell me we were going to be on a boat?” her words were smooth, and she stayed in character although no one was around.
He didn’t even glance her way like he was still pissed she got a reaction out of him when she kissed him. She didn’t want to address why she needed to mash her lips with his. She kept that thought out of her mind and stayed close to him, hugging his arm all the way on the boat.
A short ride later, she gasped when she spotted a large cruise ship docked on calmer waters. Her smile broadened. She had just started having fun, and it was getting better by the minute. She stayed silent as they stepped onto the bigger boat that seemed a lot steadier than the small one they were on a short while ago. That didn’t stop her from clinging to her fake husband, enjoying his annoyed look and the ticking at his jaw.
Their security escorted them until a point; beyond that, it was only a staff member from the cruise. She looked around, wondering where the other attendees were as they were led down the curved hallway decked like the hotel they were staying in. She had to remind herself she was on water as they were led through double doors to a room that was yet another luxurious suite with a seating area and even a circular bed to the side.
Aadhya was confused and wondered if she had misheard that they would be attending an auction. The setup looked different from the auction setup she had seen in the movies. “What are we doing here?” she asked as soon as the staff left the room, closing the double door behind them.
“The auction.” His tone was stern.
She looked around. “Here?” She was about to call out his bluff when he pointed to one side of the suite and a computer screen next to it.
“This is an exclusive and highly confidential auction. That wall will become see-through when it's time, but no one can see us.”
She blinked, looking around, somewhat shocked, as she had not seen such a setting even in the movies. “Why can’t people bid openly in a conference room?”
He chuckled. “No one wants to be out in the open when attending an auction for items whose sourcing is questionable.”
She nodded. “What are you looking to buy?”
He shrugged. “Maybe a wedding present for my wife since we are on our honeymoon.”
“I’m not—” her words were lost when the dark wall lit up, and a large stage appeared before them. She walked to the glass wall and realized they were on a floor higher than the stage, and she saw several boxes wrapped in velvet in various sizes.
A man’s voice came through the speakers in the suite, welcoming their members to the auction. She listened intently to the rules, ran her eyes on either side of her glass wall, and saw many other suites with darkened glasses. No one could see anyone. Neither the person hosting the auction nor the buyers interested in the items on auction were anywhere in sight.
As she listened to the rules, her eyes widened when the voice said the item would not be revealed until a single winner. She looked at Nakul to find his eyes on her. “What’s inside those boxes?”
He shrugged. “We don’t know.”
Aadhya didn’t understand the fun of going to the auction, not knowing what was available. The rules continued, and a strict warning was issued that the auction suite folks were not to leave their designated space.
“What?” She looked at him in disbelief. “Is that why this suite is equipped with everything to spend the weekend here?”
He nodded. “This is a single-winner auction and it will go on until all items have an owner.”
His words annoyed her. “Why dress up if we are stuck in a room like this? I should have worn my pajamas.”
“Dress code.” He almost snapped but she was intrigued by the auction to let that bother her.
“Which one is my gift?” She was enjoying his annoyance too much.
“Patience.” His voice was assertive and she decided to be nice for a bit. He seemed a bit shaken, and she could not tell if it was from the kiss they had shared.
She grit her teeth in response to the curtness in his voice and walked to the computer screen, and touched it. The screen changed, and she was surprised to see two names listed on the screen. One was hers and the screen prompted her for a fingerprint.
“Go ahead and authenticate.” She followed his instructions and placed her finger on the button and a robotic voice welcomed her as Aadhya Thakvar.
“How did you get my fingerprint?”
“It was on your case file.” His tone was so nonchalant the anger that she still had pent up about being deceived into marrying him, shot up.
“That was a cheap game you played.” The words left her mouth before she could think.
He smirked. “I’d say, the stunt you pulled before we got here, trumps everything.”
Shit! Why was he going back to her weak moment?
