Page 35 of Claiming His Bollywood Cinderella

Naina dragged on the stuck zipper, fury rattling inside her. “You’re the only member of the human race who thinks being nice to people is a serious character flaw.”

“There’s nice and then there’s naive,” he retorted.

She rounded on him. “Admit it, my ‘innate goodness’ that you sneer at so much is what finally healed the rift between Mr. and Mrs. Sharma and made them create that brilliant plot twist in the script. I’m the one who got Saira Ahmed to give this project another chance. I’m the one who—”

“No one’s saying your contributions aren’t valuable. But you don’t even realize that half the team is taking advantage of you. You run their errands, you take notes for them, you...act as their champion to me and Virat. They’ve got you wrapped around their collective little finger.”

“What’s wrong with wanting to help?” Naina took a step toward him. “You’ve no idea how good I feel working on this project, working for you. Why is it that you’re constantly—”

“Thank you for arranging that chat with Mrs. Ahmed. I’ve been a fan of hers for so long,” Zara cut in, clearly jumping in to defuse an escalating situation. “Will you have dinner with me soon—tomorrow, perhaps? Or the following evening?”

“It was a small favor, Ms. Khan,” Naina said, turning her attention to the woman studying her intently. If her heart wasn’t in her throat, she’d have wondered what the gorgeous actress foundsofascinating about her. “Dinner isn’t necessary.”

“I insist. I want you to come work for me, Ms. Menon.”

“What?” Naina whispered, feeling as if the ground had just been stolen from underneath her.

“Vicky said he can spare you in as soon as three days.”

Naina swallowed, keeping her gaze away from him. It felt as if he’d dealt a punch to her gut. “I... I can’t accept your offer, generous as it is.” She swallowed again. “Mr. Raawal’s arrogance, as I’m sure you very well know, has no bounds. He likes to believe he knows me and my life better than I do myself.”

Zara’s mouth dropped open and then she laughed. The sound filled the stifling silence. “She definitely knows you well, Vicky.”

To Vikram’s angry gaze, it seemed no one but Naina existed. “You don’t have to flee the villa in the middle of the night. As cold and calculating as I am, I don’t throw my assistants out to sleep in the open.”

“Ajay’s okay with me bunking in his villa for the next week. Or until whenever it is that you’re actually throwing me out.”

“Like hell you’re sharing with him,” he declared, coming into the room and grabbing her bag.

“Why are you so angry with me?” Naina blurted out. “I should be the one who’s... In fact, Iammad at you.”

His head jerked back. “Go on, Ms. Menon. Don’t get shy now.”

Her skin prickled at his tone. “If this is about me calling you cold and calculating the other day—” Ms. Khan’s stifled laughter filled the air “—I—”

“I don’t want your bloody apologies.”

“Then whatdo youwantfrom me?”

“The truth.” With one more stop, he came closer, the heat of his body singeing hers. “What will it take to get you to stop pretending?”

“Fine.” Naina poked him in the chest, every emotion she’d been struggling to bury ever since that night they’d made love finally erupting out of her. “I’m leaving because from where I stand, it looks like the moment you lost interest in me, you invitedher! I’m leaving because you know damn well it was me that night at the masked ball and I...want more. More of you and me.”

Her face flamed as if someone had lit up lights under her very skin. Her fingers were shaking, her knees felt like pudding. And yet, Naina also felt as if a huge weight had been lifted. As if she had finally walked into the sunlight after stumbling around in the dark.

The tense silence that followed made her wish she could take a running jump into the ocean. Maybe swim her way across the Indian Ocean back to Mumbai. Or at least drown trying.

Vikram just looked as if he’d finally won the Best Actor award he kept being shunned for by the national film committee, every year. Now sitting on the bed, legs crossed at his ankles, mouth pressed into satisfaction, he was arrogance personified. She wanted to kick him as much as she wanted to kiss him.

Instead, she forced herself to make eye contact with Zara. This was not how she wanted to begin her associations in an industry in which she wanted to build her career. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Khan. I assure you I’m not usually so unprofessional.”

“Oh, psshh...” Zara said, waving an airy hand. “This is the most fun I’ve had in a long while. I don’t think I’ve seen Vicky jealous in...forever, actually. He’s been terrible company the whole day. As for the villa, I’m afraid I was far too preoccupied with my own troubles to inform him before I arrived that I made my own accommodation reservations. Vicky and I don’t need that kind of privacy, Ms. Menon. Forgive me for the confusion I created.”

Naina didn’t miss the nugget of information the actress had purposely offered. “I’ll move out anyway,” she said numbly, feeling like a fool.

“Zara, please leave us.”

Vikram’s quiet request cut through the tension like the crack of thunder split a calm, blue sky. Zara left without a word.

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