Chapter 9 The Man She Shouldn't Admire
Once breakfast was over, Ira quietly helped clear the table, excusing herself from the family’s morning discussions. As she walked toward the kitchen, she felt a presence behind her.
Aarav.
She stopped near the kitchen counter, her fingers gripping a glass of water as he leaned against the doorway, watching her.
"You don’t have to do all this," he said, his tone unreadable.
Ira glanced at him, confused. "I don’t mind."
For a second, he looked like he wanted to say something more, but instead, he just nodded. Then, just as she turned away, his voice stopped her.
"If they ask questions… if they expect answers, don’t let them make you uncomfortable."
She looked at him again, searching his face. "And if they ask about us?"
Aarav held her gaze, his expression unreadable. "Then let them believe whatever they want."
Her heart skipped a beat, but before she could respond, he was already walking away, leaving her with more questions than answers.
Ira tried to focus on something—anything—but her mind betrayed her. It kept pulling her back to him. To the way his voice carried authority without effort. To the way he always spoke in measured tones, never revealing too much.
To the way he looked.
She had never allowed herself to really see him before. Not beyond the cold exterior, not beyond the way his presence filled a room effortlessly. But now, standing by the window, her thoughts betrayed her.
Aarav Malhotra was the kind of man who could make silence feel louder than words.
She had seen men who were attractive, but Aarav’s beauty wasn’t just about sharp features or the effortless way he carried himself—it was something deeper, something untouchable.
The crisp perfection of his suit did nothing to hide the strength beneath. Broad shoulders that carried more than just business burdens. Strong hands, resting lightly in his pockets, as if holding back a thousand unspoken things.
And then there was his face.
Chiseled, defined—every line, every sharp angle of his jaw, spoke of control. Of a man who never let emotions dictate his actions. Yet, it was his eyes that unsettled her the most.
Dark. Deep. A shade of brown so rich, they almost looked black in the dim lighting. Eyes that had seen too much. Held too many secrets. Eyes that could strip a person down to their core with just one glance.
She had barely seen them soften.
But she had felt them linger.
Her heart pounded as she recalled the way his gaze had flickered when their hands had brushed by accident at the table. It had been brief, barely a second, but it had felt like an eternity.
Did he know what effect he had on people? On her?
Ira closed her eyes, frustrated at herself. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
She wasn’t supposed to admire him.
Not when she knew he would never let her get close enough to touch the world he had locked himself in.
Maybe this was their unspoken agreement—he would protect her from everyone, just not from himself.
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"Not every chapter needs words to scream emotions—sometimes, a glance, a touch, or an unspoken moment says it all. Ira is seeing Aarav in a way she never did before, and maybe, just maybe, she's not the only one feeling something shifts. Stay with me, because Chapter 10 is about to turn the heat up!"
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