Chapter 4
The entire city seemed to stop outside the hotel.
Flashing cameras.
Luxury cars.
Reporters screaming names.
The biggest businessmen, celebrities, politicians, and billionaire families in the country had gathered for the annual Malhotra Foundation Gala.
And tonight,
Every single person was waiting to see Dhruv Malhotra's mysterious new wife.
My palms felt sweaty inside the black silk gloves I wore.
I stared nervously at my reflection inside the limousine.
I barely recognized myself.
The stylist his mother hired had transformed me completely.
The soft champagne-colored gown hugged my body elegantly before flowing down like liquid silk.
Tiny diamonds shimmered near the neckline.
My hair fell in soft waves over one shoulder.
Light makeup.
Glossy lips.
Simple.
Elegant.
But still... me.
For the first time in my life,
I looked expensive.
Beside me, Dhruv sat scrolling through emails on his phone like he was heading to a board meeting instead of a gala.
Black suit.
Black tie.
Black watch.
Black cold heart.
The man literally looked carved by some unfair god obsessed with perfection.
Even sitting silently, he commanded the entire atmosphere.
I glanced at him nervously.
He didn't look up once.
Not even once.
Finally the car stopped.
Immediately flashes exploded outside.
The driver opened Dhruv's door first.
Reporters started shouting instantly.
"MR. MALHOTRA!"
"IS IT TRUE YOU MARRIED SECRETLY?"
"WHO IS YOUR WIFE?"
"LOOK HERE SIR!"
Dhruv stepped out calmly.
Untouched.
Unbothered.
Like this chaos happened every day.
And maybe for him, it did.
Then,
His hand appeared before me.
I blinked in shock.
Dhruv still wasn't looking at me.
His expression remained coldly professional.
But his hand stayed extended.
Waiting.
For one stupid second, my heart did something embarrassing.
Then reality returned.
Public image.
Nothing more.
I slowly placed my hand in his.
The moment our skin touched,
His jaw tightened almost invisibly.
Like physical contact itself annoyed him.
But he still helped me out of the car.
And the second I stepped outside,
The entire atmosphere shifted.
Cameras flashed faster.
People stared.
Actually stared.
Whispers spread immediately.
"That's his wife?"
"Oh my god..."
"She's gorgeous."
"I expected some billionaire model."
Dhruv's grip on my hand remained firm.
Possessive-looking.
Convincing.
Completely fake.
He leaned down slightly toward me while reporters screamed around us.
"Smile."
His voice was low.
Cold.
A command.
I forced a soft smile immediately.
The cameras practically lost their minds.
The moment looked disgustingly perfect.
The country's most powerful billionaire standing beside his beautiful mysterious wife beneath flashing lights.
Nobody would ever guess he already had divorce papers ready.
...
The ballroom looked magical.
Crystal lights.
Live orchestra.
Champagne towers.
Designer gowns worth more than houses.
And everywhere we walked,
People stared.
Some curiously.
Some judgmentally.
Some enviously.
Especially women.
God.
The women around Dhruv were unreal.
Models.
Actresses.
Heiresses.
Tall, glamorous women who looked like they belonged on magazine covers.
And every single one of them looked at Dhruv like he was temptation wrapped in a suit.
Which honestly?
He was.
A blonde woman in a red dress approached first.
"Dhruv."
Her lips curved slowly.
"It's been too long."
She kissed his cheek comfortably.
Too comfortably.
I awkwardly stepped back slightly.
Dhruv barely reacted.
"This is Natasha," he said flatly to me.
Then to her,
"My wife."
Wife.
The word sounded strange coming from him.
Natasha's eyes flickered toward me instantly.
A slow scan from head to toe.
Judgment hidden beneath fake politeness.
"Oh," she said lightly. "Unexpected."
I pretended not to understand the insult.
Dhruv already looked bored.
Natasha touched his arm lightly.
"You disappeared after marriage. Heartbreaking honestly."
He removed her hand calmly.
Not rudely.
Not kindly either.
Just... indifferent.
"I was busy."
That was it.
No flirting.
No warmth.
Nothing.
Yet somehow women still looked obsessed with him.
Maybe because emotionally unavailable men were society's favorite disease.
More women approached throughout the night.
One laughed too loudly at everything he said.
Another adjusted his tie without permission.
One openly whispered, "You should've married someone from our circle."
And through all of it,
Dhruv remained the same.
Cold.
Unreadable.
Detached.
Like none of them mattered enough to affect him.
But what shocked me most,
Was that he treated me the same way.
No softer.
No harsher.
Just distant.
Like women in general meant nothing to him emotionally.
I stood near the champagne table quietly while Dhruv got surrounded by businessmen discussing mergers and projects.
My social anxiety was slowly killing me.
Everyone here looked born rich.
Born powerful.
And then..
A man's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"You look terribly uncomfortable."
I turned.
A young businessman stood there smiling warmly.
Unlike everyone else here, his smile looked genuine.
Not calculating.
"I'm Aarav," he said politely.
I nodded nervously. "Riya."
"I know."
He smiled slightly. "The entire country's currently searching your background online."
My cheeks burned instantly.
God.
Embarrassing.
Aarav noticed my discomfort immediately.
"Relax. Half the people here are just shocked Dhruv Malhotra actually got married."
I looked down awkwardly.
Then he said carefully,
"You're prettier than what the media described."
Before I could respond,
A cold voice cut through the moment.
"Mr. Kapoor."
The temperature around us dropped instantly.
Dhruv stood there now.
One hand in his pocket.
Expression unreadable.
But those dark eyes?
Ice cold.
Aarav smiled casually. "Relax, Malhotra. I was only talking."
Dhruv looked at him for a long second.
Then finally at me.
His gaze travelled slowly over my face.
My dress.
The man standing beside me.
His jaw tightened faintly.
Not jealousy.
Possession.
Control.
The difference was huge.
Then he spoke to me directly.
"We're leaving."
I blinked slightly.
"The gala isn't over yet."
"It is for us."
Cold.
Final.
He started walking away without waiting.
Like he already expected obedience.
I quickly followed him through the ballroom while confused whispers spread behind us.
Outside, the cold night air hit my skin instantly.
Dhruv walked toward the car silently.
His expression looked darker now.
More irritated.
The driver opened the door for us quickly.
The moment we got inside,
Silence exploded between us.
Heavy silence.
Dangerous silence.
Finally I whispered carefully..
"Did I do something wrong?"
Dhruv laughed quietly.
But there was zero humor in it.
"You really don't understand the world you're in now, do you?"
I frowned slightly.
He loosened his tie slowly.
Eyes still fixed ahead.
"Men don't talk to married women like that unless they're interested."
Realization hit me.
"Oh."
His jaw clenched.
"You are Mrs. Riya Malhotra now."
The way he said it sounded less romantic and more like ownership paperwork.
Then finally,
His eyes shifted toward me.
Cold.
Sharp.
"Learn to maintain distance."
Something about his tone irritated me slightly for the first time.
"You were surrounded by women the entire evening."
His eyes darkened instantly.
"That's different."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"How?"
His expression became dangerously calm.
"Because none of them matter."
The words stunned me silent.
Not cruel emotionally.
Cruel naturally.
Like caring itself was beneath him.
Dhruv looked away toward the city lights again.
Conversation over.
And suddenly I realized something terrifying.
This man wasn't cold because he was heartbroken.
He was cold because he genuinely didn't know how to be anything else.