Page 84 of Twisted Alliance

Feeling excited and nervous, she stepped out of the changing area. When she saw a man right outside, her heart jerked violently.

It was her brother. Devraj.

“Ishani,” he said in an urgent tone. He frowned when he realized she wasn’t wearing her veil.

But she didn’t move to cover her face. “What are you doing here?” she asked instead.

“I came here to see you.”

Even she hadn’t known she would be at the hotel. Then how did her brother know where she was exactly?

“We don’t have much time, but I need you to do something,” her brother said before taking out something from his pocket. It was a tiny object that was black in color. “This is a recording device. I want you to place this in Shivay Thakvar’s home office.”

Ishani was shocked. “What? Why?”

Her brother looked impatient. “We need to get proof he is not the Thakvar heir.”

Ishani was about to say that Shivay was the real heir when she saw rage on her brother’s face. “He is fooling all the clans. I heard about his meetings and the fake promises he is making.”

Ishani was stunned by the anger in her brother’s voice.

“The promises are true,” she said. “I was there—”

“Stop!” her brother hissed, cutting her off. “He is a liar and a fraud! He is used to making false promises. He is going to ruin our people. Listen to me and put this device in his office. Before that, put it somewhere on your dress to see who he is meeting tonight. I want to know who else is involved in conspiring against us.”

Ishani didn’t know what to say. She knew she wouldn’t be able to convince her brother right then without risking discovery. Shivay Thakvar didn’t trust her, and if he caught her brother with the tracking device, he would know about her brother’s involvement in the attack on the wedding night. He might also think her brother orchestrated the oasis attack and the attack on Rishab.

“Will you do it?” her brother asked with dark rage and determination.

Ishani sucked in a deep breath. “Y-yes, I will do it.”

CHAPTER 25

Ishani’s heart continued to thud as she looked at herself in the hotel suite’s bathroom mirror while a small team of stylists came in to help her with her makeup and hairstyle.

“This silver clutch looks excellent with your sapphire dress, Mrs. Thakvar.”

Ishani’s eyes fell on the small clutch that was part of the accessories she had purchased to wear that night for dinner. The silver bag looked beautiful against the sleeveless sapphire dress she wore, but her heart raced erratically because of what was hidden inside.

She had put the tracking device her brother had given her into the small clutch.

Oh God.

She wanted to remove it and throw it out the window or flush it down the toilet, but she was worried her brother would come and demand an explanation, risking suspicion on himself as well as her.

But you are betraying your husband. Again.

She trusted Shivay. She knew he was the heir, and was helping the smaller clans to unite. But she felt helpless to do anything right then.

“You look stunning, madam.”

Ishani dragged her mind to focus on the present situation. She was ready for dinner. She was wearing the sleeveless sapphire dress. Her long hair was washed and blow-dried and then twisted into a simple knot behind her head with small ringlets of hair falling to the sides of her face. And her face had makeup that was different from her usual style. There were no small black dots on her forehead or chin. Instead, her face was left bare, with a subtle color of blush, silver eyeshadow, winged eyeliner, and a pale pink lipstick. The only familiar thing on her face was the small diamond stud in her nose. The stylists left it as it matched her dress and clutch.

She looked very different.

“Please carry the lipstick in your clutch, madam. You can freshen it if required.”

Ishani nodded, even though she doubted she would dare to open the clutch anytime during the dinner.

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