Chapter 24 - The Fine Line
The car ride home was… quiet.
Not the tense kind of quiet, nor the awkward kind. It was something else—something unspoken lingering between them like an unfinished sentence.
Ira stared out of the window, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on her saree. Her mind replayed the evening—the teasing, the dancing, the way his hand had fit so effortlessly around her waist.
Why did it feel so real?
Aarav, on the other hand, sat with one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting against his lips, lost in thought. He had planned this evening as a mere formality—something to keep up the act of a happy marriage.
So why did watching her laugh feel like an achievement?
Why did her warmth against his palm feel like home?
As they pulled up in front of their house, neither of them moved for a moment. The silence stretched, heavy with things neither of them dared to say.
After entering in mansion he got call so he went to his study room while she went to the room
Ira had barely gotten a moment to breathe after stepping inside when her phone buzzed.
Aarav Malhotra: Don’t sleep yet.
She frowned at the message.
Was he serious? After all the teasing, all the tension, now he wanted to continue whatever game he was playing?
Ira: Why?
Aarav: Come to the study.
Ira: Absolutely not.
Aarav: Sweetheart, I wasn’t asking.
Ira groaned, throwing her phone on the bed.
Of course he was being bossy.
But curiosity gnawed at her. What could possibly be so important?
With a dramatic sigh, she made her way to the study.
Aarav was sitting behind his desk, his sleeves rolled up, looking way too casual for someone who had just ordered her to come here.
Ira crossed her arms. “What do you want?”
He slid a file toward her. “Read this.”
She frowned, picking it up. As her eyes scanned the pages, she froze.
It was a contract. A business deal.
Between her and Malhotra Industries.
Ira’s heart pounded. “What is this?”
Aarav leaned back. “Your official appointment. You’ll be working for me starting tomorrow.”
Ira gaped at him. “Excuse me?”
Aarav smirked. “You heard me, sweetheart.”
Her fingers tightened around the file. “Why would you do this? We both know I never applied for this position.”
Aarav tilted his head. “I make the rules, remember?”
Ira shook her head. “No. This—this isn’t part of our deal.”
Aarav’s gaze darkened. “I suggest you read the fine print.”
She hesitated before flipping through the contract, her breath catching when she reached the last clause.
Clause 7 – The wife of the CEO will be granted an official role within the company as per the discretion of the CEO.
Ira’s mouth fell open. “You added this?”
Aarav smirked. “I always plan ahead.”
Ira slammed the file shut. “You planned this from the start?”
Aarav stood up, slowly walking around the desk until he was standing right in front of her.
She should have stepped back. But she didn’t.
He leaned down slightly, his voice smooth. “What’s wrong, Ira? Afraid of working with me?”
Ira lifted her chin. “I’m afraid of nothing.”
Aarav’s lips twitched. “Then prove it.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Fine. I’ll take the job.”
Aarav smirked. “Good girl.”
Ira huffed. “But if you think I’m going to let you boss me around in the office like you do at home, you’re delusional.”
Aarav chuckled. “Sweetheart, I am your boss. That’s literally my job.”
Ira glared. “You’re the worst.”
Aarav simply leaned closer, his breath fanning against her cheek. “And yet, you agreed.”
Ira clenched her jaw. “Only because I know I can handle you.”
Aarav’s smirk deepened. “We’ll see about that.”
And just like that, she had walked into another one of his traps.
Only this time, there was no escape.
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I know this chapter is small but
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