Page 42 of Twisted Deceit
Aadhya did not know who Devi was and didn’t remember meeting her that day.
“I don’t care,” Devi said adamantly. “You either help me, or I will have my father reach out to the Thakvar family for an alliance.”
“Don’t do this to me. You are my best friend, and I would really like to help you, but not at the cost of ruining my cousin’s relationship with me. Not after meeting her for the first time.”
Aadhya wanted to hug her cousin and thank her, but as she processed that image, her mind reminded her of the contract and the fake marriage. Her mind challenged the jealousy she felt about the girl who was interested in her husband and the heartburn that arose from the fact that another woman was eyeing her man.
Your man? When did that happen?
“I don’t need your help. He has been in the study for the past two hours all by himself. I can talk to him myself. If he is interested in me—”
Aadhya did not wait to listen to the rest of the conversation. She was already moving fast back to the house. She needed to make it back to the study to her husband. Why? There was no reason, but she had to.
She hurried back up the stairs, her skirt bunched up in one hand as she made her way to the study. It didn’t matter if she was in a contract marriage or if he was her fake husband; she could not even think of any other woman looking at him, let alone approaching him with a marriage offer.
Never!
Her chest was heaving when she reached the glass double doors of the study and she saw him intently look at his computer. She opened the door only to realize he was on a phone call.
“Let me call you back.” She heard him say as she started to close the door. “Aadhya?”
She froze for a bit but opened the door and stepped into the study. He walked to her as she softly shut the door behind her. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were on a call.”
“That’s alright.” She had no business interrupting him or being in the study to see him. “Everything okay?” he asked as she muddled through her head as to what to say, her eyes downcast.
“Yes, everything is okay,” she said, looking up at him with a smile. “I—I wanted to check if everything was okay with you.”
His brows furrowed suspiciously. “Really? You came here to check on me?”
“Yes—yes, and to also,” she paused to catch her breath and added, “to thank you for bringing me here.”
His eyes held suspicion, but one end of his mouth twisted up beautifully. “You’re welcome.”
“I—I never…” her voice trailed off and she looked away, not knowing what to say and to make sure she stayed there so her husband would not be offered another wife.”
“Aadhya?” he demanded her attention.
She looked up at him, a bit shaky all over. She had to be quick before the other girl showed up and enticed him into marriage. “I—I want to kiss you.”
His eyebrow flew up. “You want to kiss me?” he repeated, like she needed to hear what she just said.
“Yes, only if you consent. I—I want to thank you for bringing me here.” She could not believe the words that rolled off her lips.
His eyes sparkled at her. “Sure, you can kiss me.”
She nodded. “Okay.” She gestured toward the couch that was placed facing the glass double doors. “Can you please sit there?”
“I need to sit down for you to kiss me?” He seemed amused, but she only thought about mashing her lips to his, as her heartbeat deafened her.
“Yes, it’ll be hard to reach for me; I don’t have my heels on today.” Like the night of the auction, she thought and bit back before she uttered anything more.
“Okay,” he said, and she did not fail to catch the amusement in his voice as he sat on the two-seater sofa. The furniture was set up with the smaller sofa facing away from the double doors of the study.
She had no idea what her plan was or the outcome she wanted to achieve, but the goal was not to leave him alone. Mainly to stop the woman offering to be his wife number two.
Is that even possible? Why was she freaking out about it? For the life of her, she could not remember why she didn’t add it to the contract she wrote.
“Now what?” he asked as she stood staring at him, unsure of how to proceed.
