Chapter 2
2
One hour earlier
L ondon, at this time of the year, was beautiful. The Xmas lights strung everywhere, the snowfall, the winter coats and boots, Navya Mehra loved it all. However, it was already time to return home to Dubai. Just one more night to enjoy with her younger sister, and then it would be back to dealing with designer labels and client interactions. She took in the current stark nature of her surroundings as her sister, Reina, drove them to God only knew where.
“At least tell me where we are going…” Navya asked Reina. “This looks like we are driving to the end of the world, not to a party. All I can see is an empty road and lots of trees.”
Reina laughed, the happy sound warming Navya’s heart. At twenty-eight, Reina was younger to her by a year.
“These old English houses are far from the main city,” Reina said. “Don’t worry, we should be reaching there in…” she checked the GPS on the dashboard, “…ten minutes. And trust me, this party will be worth the drive.”
“Are you sure this is safe, Reina? Our names are on the guest list, right?”
Reina reached out and squeezed her hand. “It’s safe. My colleague Su Min will be at the entrance to sign us in. It’s a party held at her boyfriend’s home, I think.”
“You think?” Navya sputtered.
“It is, it is…” Reina insisted. “You’re getting paranoid for no reason at all.”
Navya exhaled, pushing her unease to the background. Her sister was right; there was no need to be concerned. Yet, a tendril of doubt lingered in her mind. She couldn’t help it. Even though four years had passed, she still couldn’t attend any party uninvited or without knowing who was hosting it. She’d done it once, and it had backfired, badly. Never again, she’d promised herself. It paid to be careful, and the last thing she wanted was to run into… Shit. She was not thinking about him again. He was in the past. Her brother had ensured it.
Nonetheless, for the last four years, Navya had searched for him at every party she’d attended, ready to bolt if he was anywhere to be seen. Thankfully, she hadn’t seen him at all. But he was never far from her thoughts. Like a bad dream, her mind kept painting and repainting his image in her head, reminding her of what she’d felt when she’d been with him. That feeling of her stomach hollowing, her heart racing, and her skin tightening—ugh. She never wanted to feel that lack of control ever again. Even thinking of him made her tense up.
Thanks to him , she’d been saddled with a bodyguard for a long time. Those days had been so suffocating. It sucked to be constantly watched and followed and be reported upon to their brother. It had taken a long time for Ananya and her to convince Rajiv to call off the bodyguard. But Navya knew that he still worried about them.
Reina gave her a concerned look. “You know, if Ananya was here, she too would tell you to relax. What happened all those years ago was an error on both your parts—Ananya was equally at fault then. Quit taking the full blame for it.”
Navya sighed. What happened in the past had been only her fault. She was the one who’d told Ananya of that damn yacht party and had happily agreed to the stupid idea to gate crash it. Thanks to that one mistake, her sister wasn’t the same anymore. To the world, she put up a cheerful fa?ade, but Navya could see how sad and unhappy Ananya truly was. How quiet she had become, how withdrawn. And whenever Navya broached this topic with her elder sister, she always brushed it off, convincing her that all was well. It wasn’t, and Navya didn’t know how to make it right for her sister. Fuck. Ananya’s state of misery was all her fault.
She exhaled, forcing herself to let go of her thoughts. She’d have enough time when she was alone to stew in the misery of her past actions. Tonight was for Reina and her.
“It’s New Year’s Eve. Let’s go and enjoy ourselves, okay?” Reina mirrored her thoughts. “You’ve been here for a whole week, and tonight’s the first time we’re going out. You also missed the Coldplay concert because I had to be at work. I still feel so guilty about that.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Navya assured her. “Coldplay is touring the world. We’ll try and watch them in another city when you’re less loaded with work.”
“I hope so…” Reina gave her a smile. “Can you not stay for a few more days? I hate that you’re leaving the day after. We’ve not spent much time together.”
Ever since Reina had moved to London to study medicine, they hardly saw her. Hence, every minute spent with her was precious. Navya had specially taken this time off from her work to be with Reina during her Xmas break. The two of them had even planned to catch that music concert they both had desperately wanted to attend. Unfortunately, the hospital had cancelled Reina’s leave at the last minute, and Navya had spent most of the week on her own—she’d vehemently refused to go to the concert by herself. What would be the point of that?
It was only by a stroke of luck that the hospital had allowed Reina to take half of today and the whole of tomorrow off. And so, Reina had quickly arranged invites for them to attend this party tonight. Thus, no more negative thoughts. It was time to party and enjoy with her sister.
“I wish I could stay some more. But I have to start work next week,” Navya said. “I have meetings planned.”
Reina gave her a sideways glance. “I’m so happy you’re so successful. That last Lebanese actress you worked with looked fabulous at the awards show she hosted last month. The way she spoke, her poise, her gown, her hair and makeup, all of it was on point, and all the credit goes to you.”
Navya smiled. As a fashion stylist and image consultant, it was her job to ensure that her clients were not only dressed impeccably, but that everything about them stood out the moment they stepped in front of a camera. The way they spoke, what they spoke, how they posed for pictures, how they walked—she ensured all of it was flawless.
Navya had worked under several celebrity stylists and image consultants in the past. Since the last year, she’d branched out on her own. Slowly, she was making her own name in the Middle Eastern modelling and film circuit. She had a few clients, but they were not big stars. Nonetheless, she was aware of the buzz around her name because of the way she dressed and coached her clients. She just needed one A-lister client, and she knew she’d never have to look back after that. It would happen, she was certain of it.
“You know Su Min was delighted we gave her our concert tickets,” Reina said. “She wanted to surprise her boyfriend with them. I think inviting us to tonight’s party is their way of thanking us.”
“It wasn’t a big deal. It’s better someone got to use our seats. At least they didn’t go to waste.”
Reina nodded, swerving the car onto a side road. They passed through vast meadows dotted with oak trees. Navya looked ahead, and there, on the right, rising on top of a small hill, was a palatial mansion. Her jaw dropped at its sheer grandeur. It even had four spires and two turrets. Under the bright halogen lights, it looked like a fairy-tale castle come to life.
“Wow, that is spectacular!” Navya said, as they followed the line of cars. “From the looks of it, Su Min’s boyfriend is uber rich. What’s his name?”
When Reina didn’t reply, Navya arched a brow at her.
“Umm, I think Su Min mentioned his name, but I forgot,” Reina replied.
Navya looked at her sister in outrage. “Are you serious? How can you not know whose party we are going to? Reina, you know we can’t behave reckless like that.”
“Relax,” Reina said gently. “We’re in London, Navya. Not Dubai. And, Su Min has invited us.”
“It’s not Su Min’s party; it’s her boyfriend’s,” Navya countered.
“Tomato, tohmato…all the same,” Reina dismissed with a roll of her eyes.
“Dr. Reina Mehra, do not roll?—”
“Actually, it’s Dr. Reina Singh.”
Navya frowned. “Huh, what?”
“Look, in my early years studying here, my teachers, mentors, and even my classmates didn’t take me seriously when they learned I was Reina Mehra, youngest sister of Rajiv Mehra, billionaire extraordinaire. I had to keep proving myself over and over again to show that I was capable and not just some spoilt rich kid. So, when I graduated, I changed my name to Dr. Reina Singh. It’s for the best that people don’t know my family background at work. I know you won’t like the fact that I took our real father’s name. But…”
“Hey,” Navya said gently. “I’m no fan of our father. But I’m good with whatever makes you happy.”
Reina gave her a soft smile. Navya’s heart was at peace knowing that her baby sister was happy and living exactly the life she wanted. Reina had fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a doctor, and Navya was so proud of her. The two of them had faced a rough childhood, and Navya was eternally grateful to her paternal aunt, now mom, Sara Mehra, for taking in Reina and her after their mother had passed. Their father, Gautam Singh, hadn’t wanted to be burdened with two children anyway. So, Sara, her husband, Anvay Mehra, and their kids, Rajiv and Ananya, had taken them in and given Navya and Reina the stability and happiness that they had lacked before. Her chest warmed. Those four precious people had made them a part of their world, never once making them feel that Reina and she were adopted.
In fact, now the world had also forgotten this fact. Everyone believed that she and Reina were Sara and Anvay Mehra’s daughters, and Rajiv Mehra’s sisters, especially since Rajiv had moved his business headquarters to Dubai nearly a decade ago. The whole family had shifted with him and they’d started a new life in Dubai.
Reina’s exit from the car jolted Navya out of her thoughts. She stepped out just as Reina handed the keys to a valet. Navya linked her arm with her sister as they headed towards the lawns to yet another queue where security was scanning the guests’ IDs and invites. Everyone entering was body scanned and asked to hand in their cell phones before being allowed inside the vast lawns. The level of safety measures were top-notch. The party was being held just beyond the entrance of the lawns, and already Navya could make out the laser lights zigzagging in the sky and the loud music thumping. Nice.
Cold air hit her face. Despite being dressed in thigh-high boots, a full-length overcoat, and a thick roll-neck sweater worn over a short skirt and warm leggings, she still felt a tad bit chilly. Like her, everyone else was also appropriately dressed in warm clothes. Although, unlike her, they all, including Reina, didn’t bat an eye at the cold wind, used to the English weather as they all were.
A petite East Asian woman was waving frantically at them from inside the entrance. Reina gave her a wide grin. Su Min pointed to them, and the security opened another barricade, allowing them to bypass the queue. After they handed in their cell phones and received a ticket for the same, they were allowed to go right through.
“You’re here!” Su Min gasped, hugging Reina. “And this must be your sister.”
“Navya, Su Min is a nurse in my department,” Reina said warmly.
“Hi,” Navya held her hand out. But the other girl put her arms around her as if they were long lost friends.
“I’m so happy to meet you,” Su Min gushed. “Come on, let’s go, let’s go.” She herded them inside the venue, chatting happily with Reina, while Navya took in everything around her. The grand house loomed majestically in the background, giving the event a surreal ambience. The lawn was lit with tall halogens, laser beams crisscrossing everywhere, disco lights, and loud music. Hordes of people milling about gave the whole setup a happy vibe.
She breathed in, feeling toasty warm. As she watched Reina shed her gloves, Navya looked around and noticed standing heaters everywhere. No wonder she was comfortable. Very nice, indeed.
Multiple bars were set up at various sides of the lawns with food stations at different ends, and right in the front was a large stage, which was currently empty. In front of it was a dance floor where people were dancing to the deejay’s music. All in all, everything was quite grand and lavish. Su Min ushered them to one of the bars and immediately ordered a round of tequila shots for them.
“To a great night!” Reina said.
They all repeated her words, clinked their glasses, and downed their shots. The liquid hit Navya’s stomach, and a slow buzz started in her veins. She smiled, swaying to the music. It was going to be a great night, indeed.
The music halted and a famous rapper came on stage to perform. The crowd roared in delight. Oh my God. This party was really next level. She shared an excited look with Reina. Her sister grinned and ordered another round of shots, after which Su Min ordered vodka sodas for all of them. She handed Reina and her a glass each. Just when Navya was lifting her glass from the bar top, a man crashed into her. Navya swung her glass away from him just in time. She frowned as she noticed something falling from the man’s hand. But before she could look any further, the man apologized to her and disappeared. Ignoring the vague encounter, she allowed the girls to drag her to the dance floor.
The performance ended an hour later, after which a famous deejay took over. The three of them moved to the back of the dance floor, catching their breath.
Reina put her arm around Navya’s waist, pulling her close.
“I’m so glad we’re doing this,” Navya said. “This is fun. I miss Ananya being here. Actually, I miss Rajiv and Sheena, too, and their kids. It’s been so long since all of us have been together.”
“The last time I visited Dubai was when Shiven turned three, and now Nia is going to be two soon. How quickly these kids are growing up?” Reina exclaimed. “I miss them. I’ll try to make a quick dash to Dubai once Rajiv and Sheena return from Mumbai.”
“You must,” Navya said. “After Shiven and Nia, the house feels so empty when they aren’t around. Mom and Dad were already in Mumbai, and now, with Rajiv, Sheena and their kids gone as well, it will be just Ananya and me when I return. I can’t wait for Shiven and Nia to be home again.”
“Oh, I still can’t believe I’m an aunt,” Reina gushed. “They’re such cuties. I adore them.”
Navya grinned. These kids were their future, a new generation coming in. The night Shiven was born, Navya had promised that sweet little baby boy that she would be a great aunt to him, that she would do her best to keep him safe always. And she had repeated that promise to Nia when she was born. Family meant everything to her.
“Hey, girls!” Su Min called out. “I wanted to thank you again for giving us your tickets. We had such a great time at the concert. It was a dream come true.”
Reina gave her friend a warm look. “Thanks for inviting us tonight. I’ve been working nonstop for two weeks and this is just the break I needed.”
Her little sister deserved every bit of happiness. Navya took in the ambience around her, enjoying the mood of the party. Her brows shot up when yet another famous deejay took the stage and began to play his remixes. How rich was Su Min’s boyfriend to afford such a huge event and call such popular artists to perform? And wait… if he was that rich, then why did Su Min even need their tickets? Her boyfriend could have easily organized them, couldn’t he? The more she thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense to her.
“Where’s your boyfriend?” Navya asked Su Min. “I’d like to thank him, too, for tonight.”
“He’s here—” Su Min’s words were cut short when a tall, blond, East European looking man grabbed her by the waist and spun her around to kiss her cheek. He spoke a few words to Su Min, and a shiver of foreboding climbed down Navya’s spine. His words and his accent were vaguely familiar.
A moment later, Su Min tugged him forward. “Girls, meet Vasily, my boyfriend.”
He shook hands with Reina first. When he greeted Navya, she said, “Thank you for inviting us to this party.”
“No, I need to thank you for giving us your Coldplay tickets,” he replied. “I’d tried to buy the tickets online but they were all sold out.”
Huh? That was strange. Navya was well aware that rich men had enough contacts to get them what they needed. Her brother, for example. He was the one who’d managed seats for them in an already sold-out show. She stared at Vasily. He was a large man and was simply dressed in black trousers, a beige sweater, and a simple black leather jacket. Nothing about him screamed rich and privileged. In fact, the headpiece on his ear made him look like a security guard. Her instincts buzzed. Something didn’t feel right here.
“Your home is beautiful.” She tipped her chin to the house—the castle—a short distance behind them, needing further confirmation.
Vasily grinned at Su Min. “Have you been telling them it’s my party?”
Su Min frowned at Reina. “Did you think that—never mind. I’m sure you weren’t even paying attention when I told you about the party. So typical of you to be focused only on your work when we’re at the hospital. You really ought to pay more attention to your surroundings, Reina.”
Reina shrugged. “Sorry, you know me.”
“Um, who’s party is it then?” Navya asked Vasily.
“My bosses host a party every year on New Year’s Eve here. This is their home. I’m their head security guard. They allow the staff to invite whoever they want for the party. They’re cool like that.” He pointed to an enclosed and elevated VIP section behind them. “See, that’s them, the?—”
A sharp sound of static cut him off. He removed a walkie-talkie from his back pocket and spoke into it in what seemed like fluent Russian.
Her heart jumped. Oh God in heaven! She was right. The house and the party weren’t Vasily’s. Unease crawled through Navya as her heart told her what she desperately didn’t want to be true. But this level of security, this wealth could be afforded by only a few… which meant. Which meant… Oh God. Please no.
She turned to look at the VIP section. Her eyes scanned the crowd there. It couldn’t be… Please, it couldn’t be… But God wasn’t listening to her. Her eyes fell upon a tall man in glasses talking to some men in formal suits. Vedant Oshnov. Fuck. She scanned the area next to him, and her eyes paused on a taller man. Even from a distance, she could make out the man’s cold features and the scar that she knew ran down the side of his face. Mihir Oshnov. The one man her sister, Ananya, craved till date.
Her heart tripped. Fuck. Fuck. If the two of them were here, it meant… it meant… Her eyes searched through their group, but he was nowhere to be seen. However, that didn’t mean he wasn’t around. She swung her gaze to Reina, who was chatting away with her friends. Reina was innocent. The Oshnovs didn’t know her—they’d never met her, and Navya intended to ensure that the status quo remained intact.
Her heart was racing away even as she touched Reina’s hand. “I need to use the restroom. Will you come with me?”
“Sure.” Reina faced her friends. “We’ll meet you right here in a bit.”
As soon as the two of them had walked a little distance away from Reina’s friends, Navya faced her sister. “We have to leave.”
Reina halted. “What? Why? Aren’t you having fun?”
Navya took her sister’s hand and began to drag her away. “We’re leaving. Now.”
“What is going on, Navya?” Reina pulled out of her hold. “You’re behaving strangely.”
Navya tipped her chin to the VIP area. “You see that man in glasses. That’s Vedant Oshnov. And that guy next to him looking into the crowd with that scary look on his face is…”
“…Mihir Oshnov. Fuck. Are you saying it’s their party we’re at?”
At Navya’s nod, Reina started to walk toward the exit.
“Let’s go,” Reina said. “I’ll text Su Min once we’ve collected our cell phones and make an excuse to her that we had to leave after we’re seated in the car. But first I need some water. I’m feeling buzzed. I’d decided not to drink alcohol for the rest of the night so I’d be sober enough to drive back. But now…”
“…I’ll drive,” Navya declared. All her buzz had disappeared the minute she’d figured whose party she was at. “We need to hurry.”
Navya’s pulse spiked. They needed to get out of here before Armaan Oshnov found her at his party, no less.
“No, Navya,” Reina said. “You’ve had as much to drink as I have, and I’m better versed with these roads than you.”
Reina stopped at the bar and picked up a bottle of water. Navya searched the crowd again, especially the VIP section. He still wasn’t to be seen, thank God. A loud burst of laughter drew her attention to the two girls standing next to Reina, chatting animatedly. One of their drinks was left unattended at the counter beside them. Navya opened her mouth to tell Reina to hurry when something caught her attention. The man standing on the other side of the two girls dropped a tiny white pill in the glass beside them. Horror swamped her, triggering her memory. Shit. It was the same man who had crashed into her earlier. That time, too, she had noticed something fall from his hand. Had he been trying to spike her drink? Oh God.
Her anger flared. What an asshole. One of the girls picked up the glass and lifted it to her mouth. Without another thought, Navya crossed the short distance separating them and held the girl’s arm.
“Don’t drink this, please,” she begged. She pointed to the Middle Eastern man standing next to the girl, watching them. “He has spiked your drink. I saw it.”
The girl looked at her in confusion before she stared at her drink and then at the man beside her.
The man gave Navya a menacing look. “I did no such thing.”
“Liar. You tried to spike my drink earlier, but you failed. I didn’t understand what was happening then. But now, I saw you drop a pill in her drink.”
The girl placed her drink back on the bar top and began to back away from the man. The man gave Navya a hard look, promising retribution.
“Lady, you’re making a mistake,” he spat out.
Navya glared at him. Fucking loser.
“Navya, we need to go,” Reina whispered from her side, tipping her head to the bartender, who was communicating with someone on a walkie-talkie. “You’re drawing attention.”
Navya blinked. Fuck. What was she doing? What was wrong with her? From the side, she saw Vasily approaching them. Getting out of here ought to have been her first priority. But she couldn’t have stood by and watched a woman get hurt. That wasn’t in her DNA. God only knew what that horrible man had intended for that girl. Thankfully, the bartender had witnessed the situation. Hopefully, the security here would sort everything, and no one else would get hurt. Right now, however, she had to leave.
She followed Reina as the two of them rushed to the exit. Someone caught her arm and spun her around. It was the same man from the bar. That scumbag was gripping her arm.
“Remove your hand from me,” she ordered.
“Or what?” the man threatened.
“Or I’ll make you,” she thundered.
The man laughed, his hand tightening painfully around her instead. Navya swung her fist out and punched him in the nose. His hold on her immediately fell away, and he clutched his nose in pain. Blood began to drip down his jaw.
Reina stared at her in shock. Ignoring her, she marched forward, knowing her sister would follow. Several minutes later, a hand clutched her shoulder. Raw anger fizzed under her skin. She was so going to get into trouble, but this man was annoying her now. How dare he put his hand on her again?
She swung her fist out and swirled. One second, her fist was flying in the air; the next, it was caught in a firm albeit painless grip.
She blinked. Through the rage blinding her, she looked up and further up until finally, a face came into focus. Her breath hitched. No. It couldn’t be. But it was the face from her dreams.
It was the face of Armaan Oshnov.
His dark eyes met hers, and the world around her froze… came to a standstill as they stared at one another. She’d dreamt of him, and thought of him often enough in the four years that had passed. But now, seeing him in reality, she had to admit that her mind didn’t do him justice. In reality, he looked even better, as if God had taken time to carve his face into perfect proportions. Dark tousled hair fell over a broad forehead, with perfectly arched brows and deep brown eyes that sparkled with mischief. His sharp angular cheekbones and wide lips were right now slightly curved in amusement. Added to his facial beauty was his flawless body—broad shoulders and a muscular chest that tapered into flat abs and long, long legs. She’d witnessed his perfection all those years ago in the ring when he’d been fighting her brother. Tonight, dressed in all formal black from head to toe—black suit, black shirt, and black overcoat, he looked… he looked… Fuck, he was gorgeous.
He gently squeezed her closed fist, reminding her that he still held her hand in his. She felt it then, the same electric current that ran over her skin when he touched her. Only when he touched her. It had happened that night, too, four years ago, when he’d stopped her from escaping his yacht. She hated him, she reminded herself, but what she hated even more was her own impossible-to-control reaction to him.
She tried to shrug away, but his grip remained firm. His lips tipped up in that arrogant smirk as if he knew he affected her, and then slowly, one by one, he released his fingers from around her hand.
She’d barely drawn a breath when he tilted his head to the side, letting his dark eyes roam over her. Slowly. Leisurely. Like he had all the time in the world. Her body heated up. Butterflies began tap-dancing in her belly. Shit. This was exactly why she never ought to have met him again. He was the only one who managed to draw out these random reactions from her body.
His eyes stopped on hers. “Looks like where you go, trouble follows, isn’t it, moya tigritsa ?”
“You...”
“Yes. Have you missed me?”
She snapped out of her daze. She looked behind him to where Reina was coming toward her and subtly shook her head. Reina halted, her worried gaze swinging between Navya and Armaan. Navya ignored her. Where one Oshnov went, the other two followed. She was not letting her innocent sister fall into their crosshairs, ever.
Armaan splayed a hand to the house behind him. The ring on his pinkie finger glittered. “Shall we take this somewhere private?”
How arrogant was he to assume she’d simply go with him.
“I’m not going anywhere alone with you.”
“You won’t be alone with me,” his lips quirked. “For now, at least.”
When she stayed put, he shook his head. “I’m afraid your little stunt has caused quite an upheaval at my party.” Sure enough, a crowd had gathered around, and several people were staring at them. “We can do this the easy way; you walk inside on your own, or I will carry you in. Your choice, moya tigritsa. ”
Her jaw dropped. Surely, he wouldn’t dare. But it was Armaan Oshnov. He was wild and unpredictable. But all these people around him were his guests. Of course, he wouldn’t behave like a tyrant at his own party. Surely, he wouldn’t…
Before she could ponder more, Armaan swept her off her feet. Oh God. Her heart stopped and her mind shut down. Shock rendered her speechless as Armaan carried her bridal style. She struggled, but his hold on her was firm. She inhaled, and his scent hit her nose. Oud, mixed with leather and musk. Very nic… No. She did not, absolutely not, like his scent, and she definitely didn’t remember it.
What she ought to focus on was that, once again, he was manhandling her, like the first time they’d met. And once again, she was getting carried away by his heady scent instead of protesting. Anger surged in her veins. She was so mad at him and at herself. Before she could open her mouth to scream, Armaan had brought her inside a warm room in the house.
The second he set her on her feet, she swung her hand out to slap him. He caught it easily, shaking his head.
“You got away with hitting me once in the past, on the yacht,” he said. “It’s not going to happen ever again.”
“Then don’t fucking touch me without my permission.” She struggled to get him to release her hand, but he held it firmly.
“Why are you always so mad at me?” he asked.
“Leave my hand.”
He spread his fingers apart, dropping her hand. “All you needed to do was ask. Anything for you, moya tigritsa .”
“I hate you,” she spat out.
“No, you don’t,” he grinned, sounding supremely confident. God, how she hated him.
She slammed her hands on her hips. “Why am I here?”
“Because I needed to get to the bottom of your little altercation.”
“And I don’t care about what you want to do. I want to leave.”
His gaze hardened. “Do I need to remind you that you have come to my party, once again, and caused a disruption, once again? Do you remember what the consequences of it were the last time?”
The consequence then was that Sheena and she had been held hostage by him and his brothers until Rajiv had come to negotiate their release. She couldn’t afford a repeat of that. Her breath hitched. Of course, he noticed that because the bastard smirked.
“Finally, you understand the situation you’re in. Now, sit still and behave while I figure out this mess you’ve gotten yourself into.”
“Don’t treat me like a child,” she fumed.
“Then don’t act like one.”
She kept her mouth shut, looking around for a way to escape. The room was a study of some sort. There was a wide desk on one side and a small seating area with sofas and armchairs set in front of the fireplace. Large bay windows were on the opposite side. The only exit was the one she’d entered from.
Armaan barked out an order in Russian, and the bartender entered, followed by Vasily and two other security guards who ushered the Middle Eastern man inside. Blood smeared the bottom half of his face, and his shirt was covered with red from the front. Good, fucker deserved the punch she’d given him.
Vasily looked from her to Armaan, and then looked straight ahead, clearly refusing to acknowledge her in front of his irate boss.
“I need an explanation,” Armaan said aloud in English, his tone deathly cold.
Immediately, the bartender came forward, speaking in rapid Russian. He pointed to her and then to the other man in between sentences.
Armaan turned to her, his face filled with fury. She readied herself to give him a scathing response to any accusation he levelled at her, but what came out of his mouth was, “Did he hurt you?”
She froze. She hadn’t expected him to ask that. The butterflies that had settled down woke up again and danced harder, making her belly hurt.
He lowered his face to her eye level. “Did. He. Hurt. You. Navya?” Violence and danger lurked in his tone.
“I think I hurt him more,” she finally said.
Something akin to awe flashed on his face, but it was gone so soon she wondered if she’d imagined it.
“The bartender overheard you mention that this man had tried to spike your drink as well. Is that true?” Armaan asked.
“Yes.”
“He will pay for that.” His face turned cold as he spoke to his men. “Search him.”
“I didn’t do anything,” the man said as Vasily instructed the guards to search him. “She’s lying, I swear.”
When the search resulted in nothing, the man gave Navya a hard look. “See, I told you. She’s lying. That bitch got me into trouble for nothing. I’ll?—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Armaan said, silencing him. “Check his shoes,” he ordered his security guards.
Pure fear was now stamped on the man’s face. He spun around. He’d barely taken a step forward when the guards caught hold of him. A moment later, they retrieved a small packet of pills from his left shoe.
Armaan stalked toward the man, his every step radiating violence and danger. “Do you know who I am?”
The man nodded, trembling.
“And yet you brought drugs to my party and tried to spike a woman’s drink.”
“Please, I made a mistake… please…” the man begged.
Armaan’s lips twisted in a cold smile. “Apologize to her.”
The man looked at Navya, his eyes filled with hate. “I… I’m sorry.”
“I don’t believe that apology was sincere enough.” Armaan was clearly toying with him. “Apologize again. On your knees this time.”
This here was the cold, dangerous man she’d heard of. She ought to be scared of him, but she wasn’t. Not at all.
The man got on his knees in front of her.
“I’m so sorry. Please tell him to forgive me,” the man grovelled.
She gave him a look of pure disgust. “Get this weasel away from me. Such a horrible excuse for a human.”
Armaan looked at Vasily. “Take him away and ensure he never walks again. Oh, and find out who invited him.”
“Please, I need another chance,” the man begged Armaan.
“There are no second chances in our world,” Armaan declared.
Vasily and the two security guards dragged the now weeping man outside. She could hear his loud wails long after he’d left. Navya smiled. The bastard deserved what he was getting. She felt no mercy for men like him.
Armaan turned to her. Before he could say a word, his phone rang. He immediately began conversing with someone in rapid Russian. Try as she might, she couldn’t move her gaze off of him. The way his lips moved, the rich baritone of his voice, the way he curled his Rs when he spoke, it was all so damn… No, she was not completing that sentence.
You don’t like him, Navya. You hate him, she reminded herself. Armaan Oshnov was too arrogant, too dangerous, and too wild. He was the kind of man who believed that his ridiculously handsome face gave him a license to be the womaniser that he was. She knew this because she’d foolishly googled him over the years. Armaan was a bad boy through and through. He was the king of one-night stands and meaningless sex, and she’d always stayed away from men like him.
However, she had to accept that despite his flamboyant Casanova image, he was not a lazy wastrel. He was, in fact, extremely intelligent and successful. She was aware that his family business empire, O-Corp, was into diamond mines, oil wells, and energy. His late father, Alexander Oshnov, had handed him the reins of O-Diamonds a couple of years before he died, and now, thanks to Armaan, O-Diamonds was a household name. Not only did they supply stones to the rich and famous, he had also made it possible for people from every stratum of society to own their diamonds. He was only thirty-two, but he was one of the wealthiest and most successful men in the world.
Annoyed that she was once again staring at him, Navya rose from the sofa and looked around. What was wrong with her? Instead of staring at him, she ought to have found a way to escape. This man had already held her hostage once. At that time, her brother had been forced to come rescue her. She wasn’t going to allow history to repeat itself. Her brother was married and deliriously happy with Sheena and their kids. Hence, involving Rajiv was not an option at all.
She looked up and found Armaan walking toward her. She stood her ground, refusing to show that she was intimidated by him. That her heart was speeding up with every step that brought him closer to her. That even though she’d repeatedly told herself that she disliked him, her stupid body was tilting toward him now that he was standing in front of her.
A dark eyebrow quirked, and his eyes brightened, as if he knew what she was thinking. Damn him. She was not going to allow him to perturb her.
She had to find a way to get away from him. She had to ensure he and his brothers never set their eyes on Reina. Nothing else mattered more than that. Not even the gorgeous man standing in front of her.