The loud noise of the party follows us as I walk toward the exit. Camera flashes explode around us immediately the moment people notice me carrying her.
Paparazzi.
Of course.
They stand outside the venue like hungry vultures, taking pictures nonstop while people nearby whisper and stare openly.
But I ignore all of them.
"Leave me, Mr. Singhania!" she protests repeatedly, her voice dizzy and weak as she struggles lightly against my shoulder.
I don't listen.
Not even once.
Her protests only make my grip tighten protectively around her.
The cool night air hits us the moment we step outside. Within seconds, I open the back door of my black Range Rover and place her carefully inside the back seat.
But instead of sitting properly—
She falls backward dramatically against the leather seat with a frustrated groan.
I climb in after her and slam the door shut.
The world outside disappears instantly.
Only silence and heavy breathing remain inside the car now.
She turns her head slowly toward me, her eyes half-open from the alcohol.
"It's better to kill me..." she mutters softly while staring at me.
Then her expression hardens slightly.
"...instead of doing things with me."
The accusation in her voice makes my jaw tighten.
I stare at her for a long second before looking toward the front seat.
"Start the car," I order coldly.
The driver immediately obeys.
The Range Rover begins moving smoothly through the city lights while silence settles heavily between us.
"Monster..." she whispers under her breath.
Her head falls back against the seat as she laughs bitterly to herself.
"Why did I even say yes to this job...?"
Her voice grows softer and more dizzy with every word.
And suddenly—
Before she can continue speaking, I grab her face firmly and crash my lips against hers.
Hard.
The kiss is rough, angry, desperate.
Like a man starving for control.
I hover over her instantly, trapping her beneath me while my hand grips her waist possessively. My entire body burns the moment her lips respond beneath mine.
Soft.
Warm.
Addictive.
"Now..." I murmur against her lips in a dangerously soft voice.
"Say whatever you want to say, Miss Numani."
I kiss her again before she can answer, devouring every breath that escapes her mouth. My fingers tighten around her waist so firmly that a small gasp slips from her lips unwillingly.
That tiny sound destroys whatever patience I have left.
Her lips part slightly beneath mine.
And I lose control completely.
I kiss her lower lip slowly this time, dragging it gently between my lips while my hand moves against her waist possessively.
At some point, she ends up sitting on my thighs, her unsteady body pressed against mine as the car moves through the empty roads.
My fingers brush lightly against the exposed skin of her legs, and I feel her shiver instantly.
A soft sound almost escapes her throat.
Almost a moan.
But then—
Her body suddenly weakens against me.
I pull back slightly and notice her eyes slowly closing.
Completely exhausted.
Completely drunk.
I don't even ask questions anymore because the answer is obvious.
She's barely conscious.
The anger inside me slowly fades into something darker... something far more dangerous.
Desire.
Possession.
Obsession.
Twenty minutes later, the inside of the car becomes quiet.
Her head slowly falls against my shoulder while she sleeps peacefully beside me.
I stay still for a moment.
Just watching her.
Her soft breathing brushes against my neck while her scent completely surrounds me—sweet, intoxicating, impossible to ignore.
I close my eyes briefly and lean my head back against the seat.
Damn.
This girl is driving me completely insane.
I slowly lift my hand toward her face, carefully holding her cheek in my palm.
For the first time tonight, I'm not angry.
Not shouting.
Not threatening.
Not losing control.
Just... watching her.
The dim lights inside the car fall softly across her sleeping face while the city outside moves in blurred shadows beyond the windows. Her breathing is calm now, slow and peaceful, completely different from the fire she carried earlier.
My eyes drift toward her neck.
The small cut is still there.
A thin line of dry blood remains near the place where the knife touched her skin.
The sight makes something heavy settle inside my chest.
I stare at it silently for a few seconds.
Then my attention shifts lower.
Her heartbeat.
I can see it moving gently beneath her skin.
Normal.
Steady.
Alive.
And strangely...
That rhythm distracts me.
It reminds me of something I haven't felt in years. Something quiet. Something warm.
Peace.
The same strange comfort I used to feel sitting beside my mother when I was younger. Safe. Silent. Human.
The realization itself feels dangerous.
Because I never needed peace before.
Yet somehow, this girl is giving it to me without even trying.
I close my eyes briefly, frustrated with myself.
I shouldn't feel this way.
But I can't stop.
My thumb brushes lightly beneath her jaw before my gaze falls back to the wound again. Without thinking much further, I lean down slowly.
My lips touch the cut on her neck softly.
Carefully.
The metallic taste of dried blood touches my tongue as I clean the wound gently, my hand still cradling her face protectively.
Her body shifts slightly against me.
A soft movement.
A small breath.
For one second, I think she's about to wake up.
Immediately, I pull away.
Before she can open her eyes and question anything, I carefully move her toward the other side of the seat so she can sleep comfortably.
Then I take off my blazer.
The expensive fabric still carries my scent as I place it around her slowly, covering her body properly.
Almost instantly, she curls into herself unconsciously beneath it.
Like she feels safe.
Her forehead rests lightly against my bicep while she sleeps, and I freeze for a second at the innocent gesture.
My eyes remain on her face longer than they should.
Damn this girl.
She's turning me into someone I don't recognize.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
IRA'S POV
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Darkness.
That's the first thing I feel when consciousness slowly returns.
My head feels unbearably heavy, as if someone filled it with stones. A dull pain throbs near my temples while my entire body feels weak and exhausted.
I try to move slightly.
Bad idea.
The dizziness immediately gets worse.
A familiar scent surrounds me—strong, masculine, expensive. Something woody mixed with smoke and cold air.
I know this scent.
Even half asleep, I know it.
My brows press together softly as I keep my eyes closed for another moment, trying to remember what happened last night.
Flashes of memories hit me slowly.
The party.
The lights.
Karan.
Aditya.
The knife.
The car.
My breathing stops for one second.
Then—
"You're awake?"
A deep, cold voice suddenly speaks near my ear.
"I honestly thought you were dead."
My eyes snap open instantly.
For a second, my vision stays blurry.
Then slowly...
I see him.
Aditya Singhania.
He stands near the bed wearing black trousers and a simple dark T-shirt. His hair looks slightly wet, as if he just showered. Fresh. Calm. Completely unaffected.
As if nothing happened last night.
Meanwhile, I feel like I survived a war.
My throat feels painfully dry as I stare at him silently.
Then suddenly realization crashes into me.
This room.
These walls.
This atmosphere.
No.
No way.
Fear and anger mix together instantly inside me as I sit up slightly despite the dizziness.
He notices the exact moment understanding appears on my face.
A small smirk forms on his lips.
"In the Singhania house," he says casually, answering the question in my eyes before I can even ask it.
His gaze remains fixed on me carefully.
"Or..." he continues slowly, raising one eyebrow,
"...did you forget what happened last night?"
Fear runs through my blood instantly.
Cold.
Sharp.
Uncontrollable.
I close my eyes tightly, trying to remember everything from last night, but the memories come in broken pieces only.
The loud music.
The flashing lights.
Alcohol burning down my throat.
His voice.
His hands.
The car.
Then nothing.
My breathing becomes uneven.
Was I too drunk?
Panic slowly crawls into my chest as horrible thoughts begin attacking my mind one after another. My nails dig hard into my palms while I sit frozen on the bed.
No.
No no no—
Quickly, I pull the blanket slightly away from my body and look down at myself desperately.
The same dress.
The same heels lying near the bed.
Nothing changed.
A shaky breath leaves my lips in relief.
Thank God.
My shoulders relax slightly, though my heart still pounds violently inside my chest.
I slowly stand up from the bed, but dizziness immediately hits me again. I grab the edge of the mattress for support before finally lifting my eyes toward him.
And there he is.
Aditya Singhania.
Standing calmly near the window like he owns the entire world.
His expression is unreadable, but there's something dark in his eyes today. Smokey. Sharp. Dangerous. Like he's silently observing every emotion crossing my face.
I hate how aware he makes me feel.
The moment our eyes meet, his lips curl slightly.
"How can you even think I'm interested in you?" he sneers mockingly.
My brows immediately pull together.
His gaze slowly travels over me before he speaks again.
"Suddenly I feel so insecure about my body."
The audacity.
My mouth falls open slightly in disbelief.
Before I can even think of a response—
The bedroom door suddenly swings open.
A little girl walks inside cheerfully.
She looks around nine years old, maybe younger. Shoulder-length silky black hair frames her tiny face perfectly, and her fair skin glows softly beneath the morning sunlight entering through the windows.
She's wearing a cute black dress with a thin white border near the sleeves, making her look like a tiny princess.
But the moment I properly look at her face—
I freeze.
She looks exactly like Aditya.
Same eyes.
Same nose.
Same expressions.
His sister.
Before I can process anything further, Aditya's entire personality changes instantly.
The coldness disappears from his face.
He walks toward her immediately, lifts her up effortlessly in his arms, and kisses both her cheeks repeatedly.
I stare at him in complete shock.
This... is Aditya Singhania?
"Uff, Adi Bhaiya!" the little girl complains dramatically while rubbing her cheeks with tiny hands.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Don't do this kissie thing!"
I almost blink in disbelief.
Adi Bhaiya?
The nickname sounds so soft coming from her mouth.
"Oh really?" Aditya replies teasingly.
His voice is lighter now.
Warmer.
He gently pulls her tiny nose while she scrunches it adorably in annoyance.
The sight hits me unexpectedly.
Pain suddenly twists inside my chest.
Because for one brief moment...
They remind me of my own brother.
The same teasing.
The same warmth.
The same comfort.
My eyes instantly grow blurry.
No.
Not now.
I swallow my emotions quickly before Aditya notices anything unusual. The last thing I want is for this monster to ask questions about my weakness.
"Whoa..."
The little girl suddenly looks at me with wide sparkling eyes.
"How beautiful you are!"
I blink in surprise.
Then slowly, a genuine smile appears on my lips for the first time since waking up.
"Really?" I ask dramatically.
At the same time, I turn toward Aditya and make an exaggerated face at him, silently reminding him about his stupid comments fr
om earlier.
The little girl giggles instantly.
"You like her?" Aditya asks his sister casually.
Then he looks directly at me with a smirk slowly forming on his lips.
"She isn't beautiful, Sammy."
My eyes narrow immediately.
"Look at her," he continues shamelessly. "Big nose. Small eyes."
Excuse me?!
I glare at him instantly while his sister gasps in disagreement.
And then—
He smirks.
Not the cold smirk he gives during threats.
Not the dangerous one from last night.
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