Chapter 36
Switzerland.
St. Moritz.
Snow fell softly outside the grand glass walls of the Royal Crest Palace Hotel while inside,
The most powerful people in the world gathered beneath chandeliers worth more than mansions.
Billionaires.
Royal heirs.
Political dynasties.
Old money families.
Media owners.
Tech giants.
The annual Global Legacy Gala.
An event where power itself wore diamonds and drank champagne.
And tonight,
Everyone waited for one woman.
The lost Rajput heiress.
Riya Rajput.
Inside the massive ballroom,
Conversations buzzed endlessly.
"Have you seen her yet?"
"They say she disappeared for six years."
"Veer Rajput hid her existence for decades."
"I heard she's more ruthless than Veer himself."
Meanwhile near the grand staircase,
Dhruv Malhotra stood silently in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo.
Cold.
Unreadable.
One hand inside his pocket while business leaders greeted him cautiously.
But Dhruv barely listened.
Because honestly?
He didn't want to come tonight at all.
Not after hearing Riya would attend.
Not after spending three weeks watching interviews where she looked at the world with cold unfamiliar eyes.
A version of her he had never known.
Or maybe,
The original version.
The real Riya Rajput.
Not the soft girl who danced around kitchens making chai.
Not the girl who smiled at stray cats and got excited over roadside pani puri.
That girl existed only with him.
And now,
Only he remembered her.
Then suddenly,
The ballroom shifted.
Whispers spreading rapidly.
People turning toward the staircase.
Cameras lifting instantly.
Dhruv looked up instinctively.
And forgot breathing for one second.
Because there she was.
Riya.
Descending the grand staircase slowly like she owned the entire world beneath her heels.
Wine-colored silk bodycon dress wrapped around her figure perfectly.
Elegant.
Dangerous.
The fabric shimmered under chandelier lights with every step she took.
Diamond earrings.
Hair falling in soft waves over one shoulder.
Sharp makeup.
Cold eyes.
And confidence so lethal the entire room automatically moved aside for her.
Every eye remained on Riya Rajput.
Because she wasn't beautiful in a soft way.
She was beautiful in a terrifying way.
The kind of woman men ruined themselves for.
The kind kingdoms once started wars over.
Dhruv stared silently.
And suddenly,
Memories attacked him brutally.
Riya asleep wearing his hoodie.
Riya laughing with dosa in her hand.
Riya drunk and kissing him recklessly.
Riya crying in his arms.
Meanwhile this woman?
This woman would've destroyed those memories with one cold glance.
Across the ballroom,
Younger billionaires already gathered around trying introducing themselves.
"Miss Rajput."
"Pleasure meeting you."
"We should discuss partnerships sometime."
I smiled politely.
Professionally.
Untouchably.
None of them interesting enough to matter.
Then suddenly,
My eyes landed on a man across the ballroom.
Tall.
Black tuxedo.
Sharp jawline.
Cold dark eyes already watching me.
And weirdly,
The second our eyes met,
Something inside my chest tightened unexpectedly.
Not recognition.
Not memory.
Just,
Impact.
Like my soul noticed him before my brain could.
He looked away first.
One tiny movement.
But enough to irritate me strangely.
Because men usually never looked away first from me.
Meanwhile beside me,
Veer noticed instantly.
Of course he did.
His expression hardened almost invisibly.
"Ignore him."
I frowned slightly.
"Who is he?"
Veer's jaw tightened briefly.
"Dhruv Malhotra."
The name meant nothing to me.
Still,
Something about it echoed strangely in my head.
Dhruv.
Why did it feel heavy?
Before I could think further,
Another businessman approached us.
The moment broke.
But not completely.
Because through the entire evening,
I kept noticing him.
Always somewhere in the room.
Silent.
Watching.
Cold.
Not once approaching me unnecessarily unlike the others.
And somehow,
That intrigued me more.
Hours later,
The gala shifted toward the ballroom dance area.
Music softened.
Couples moved elegantly across the marble floor.
Meanwhile I stood near the champagne table alone briefly scrolling through messages on my phone.
Then suddenly,
A waiter accidentally collided with another guest nearby.
A wine glass shattered loudly.
The sharp sound echoed through the ballroom.
And for one horrifying second,
A violent flash exploded inside my head.
Rain.
Dark road.
Strong arms holding me.
A deep voice saying:
"Riya."
Pain shot through my skull instantly.
I gasped softly gripping the edge of the table.
Everything blurred slightly.
People nearby turned immediately.
"Miss Rajput?"
"You okay?"
But before anyone reached,
Someone already had.
A warm hand caught my arm steadily.
Strong.
Careful.
Familiar in a way that terrified me.
"Sit down."
That voice.
Deep.
Controlled.
My breathing slowed weirdly hearing it.
I looked up.
Dhruv.
Standing close now.
Too close.
And God,
His eyes.
The concern inside them looked painfully real.
Like he'd seen me break before.
My head still hurt faintly.
But somehow,
His presence calmed the panic.
Why?
I sat slowly on the nearby couch while he handed me water silently.
Our fingers brushed briefly.
And suddenly,
Another flash.
Me laughing.
Warm lights.
His hand holding mine.
Gone instantly.
I frowned sharply.
What the hell,
Dhruv noticed my expression immediately.
"You alright?"
Again that voice.
That strange ache in my chest deepened.
I took the water slowly.
"...Yeah."
Silence stretched awkwardly afterward.
Then finally,
Recognition clicked.
Hospital.
The man beside my bed.
The one Veer mentioned.
I straightened slightly.
"Oh."
His eyes lifted toward me quietly.
"You're the one who saved me."
Something dark flickered across his face instantly.
Not satisfaction.
Pain.
Still,
He nodded once.
"Yeah."
I looked at him properly now.
And honestly?
The man was intimidatingly attractive.
Cold face.
Powerful aura.
The kind of man women obsessed over quietly.
Still,
There was sadness around him too.
Heavy sadness.
I gave a small polite smile.
"I never thanked you properly."
Dhruv stared at me silently.
Like even my polite smile hurt him somehow.
Then quietly,
"You don't need to."
The ballroom noise faded strangely around us.
Because suddenly,
The tension between us felt oddly intense.
Unexplainably intense.
Like something invisible existed there.
Something broken.
Something unfinished.
Then Advik appeared beside me suddenly.
Concern instantly crossing his face.
"Riya?"
His hand immediately touched my shoulder.
"You okay?"
The strange atmosphere shattered instantly.
I nodded.
"Just slight headache."
Advik's eyes shifted toward Dhruv afterward politely but coldly.
"Mr. Malhotra."
Dhruv's expression returned unreadable immediately.
Meanwhile I looked between both men silently.
And for some reason,
The air suddenly felt dangerous.
The ballroom lights shimmered gold across the marble floors while soft violin music played in the background.
Advik stood beside me with one hand resting lightly on my waist.
Protective.
Possessive.
Meanwhile Dhruv stood opposite us, expression unreadable as ever.
Cold black eyes.
Perfect posture.
No emotion.
And yet,
Something about the way his gaze lingered on Advik's hand around me felt dangerous.
I noticed it instantly.
So did Advik.
A small smile appeared on Advik's face afterward.
Polite.
Sharp.
The kind men used in power games.
"Mr. Malhotra."
Dhruv gave one curt nod.
"Mr. Khanna."
God.
Even their greetings sounded like hidden threats.
Meanwhile my headache had reduced now, but something still felt strange around this man.
Dhruv Malhotra.
Every time he stood close,
I felt something pull at me.
Not memory exactly.
Just,
Weight.
Like my heart knew him in ways my mind didn't.
And honestly?
I hated not understanding things.
Advik looked toward me softly then back toward Dhruv.
"You know..."
He smiled lightly.
"It's funny."
Dhruv stayed silent.
Advik continued casually:
"Riya barely remembers anyone from after the kidnapping."
Something sharp flickered in Dhruv's eyes briefly.
Gone instantly.
"But somehow she remembered you saved her."
Silence.
The violin music in the ballroom suddenly felt unbearably loud.
Dhruv finally answered quietly.
"Not really something to remember."
I frowned slightly.
Why did he always sound like every sentence hurt him?
Before I could think further,
Advik spoke again.
And this time,
The words landed like bullets.
"We're getting married soon."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Dhruv didn't react immediately.
Didn't blink.
Didn't move.
But something in the atmosphere changed.
Something dark.
Heavy.
I looked toward Advik slightly surprised.
"We haven't finalized anything yet."
Advik smiled softly at me.
"We will."
Then his eyes returned to Dhruv again.
"And of course you should attend."
The statement sounded polite.
But underneath it?
Challenge.
Pure challenge.
Because Advik wasn't stupid.
He noticed the tension too.
Noticed the strange way Dhruv looked at me.
And Advik clearly didn't like it.
Meanwhile Dhruv finally lifted his eyes fully toward him.
Cold.
Terrifyingly calm.
The kind of calm powerful men had before wars.
"Why would I attend?"
The question came quietly.
Almost emotionless.
Advik smirked slightly.
"Because you saved her life."
Then softly:
"And because good people deserve invitations."
God.
The tension between them now could literally cut glass.
Nearby billionaires had started noticing too.
Small glances.
Whispers.
Because when men like Dhruv Malhotra and Advik Khanna stood together,
People paid attention automatically.
Meanwhile I stood between them confused by the intensity.
Why did this feel personal?
Advik's arm tightened slightly around my waist afterward.
Then he looked at me lovingly.
"I wasted six years already."
His thumb brushed lightly against my hand.
"I'm not waiting anymore."
Something about those words should've made me happy.
Comforted.
Instead,
That strange heaviness returned again.
Like somewhere deep inside me,
Something resisted.
And I had no idea why.
Then suddenly,
A memory flashed again.
Me laughing breathlessly.
A man's deep voice near my ear saying:
"Careful, baby."
Strong arms around my waist.
Warmth.
Safety.
Gone instantly.
Pain exploded through my head.
I inhaled sharply gripping the edge of the nearby table.
Immediately,
Dhruv moved forward instinctively.
"Riya!"
He stopped himself abruptly.
Too late.
Because the way my name left his mouth,
Soft.
Panicked.
Intimate,
It didn't sound like a stranger speaking at all.
I looked up at him instantly.
And for one terrifying second,
Something inside me almost broke open.
The concern in his eyes looked devastatingly real.
Not formal concern.
Not politeness.
This looked like the fear of a man who'd once watched his entire world bleed in front of him.
My heartbeat suddenly felt uneven.
Why?
Why did looking at him feel dangerous?
Advik immediately stepped closer.
"You okay?"
I blinked forcing myself back to reality.
"...Yeah."
But my eyes unintentionally returned to Dhruv again.
And somehow,
He looked worse than me.
Like hearing his own voice slip like that had shattered his control completely.
Then Veer appeared beside us suddenly.
His sharp gaze immediately scanned the situation.
And instantly understood too much.
Of course he did.
Veer's eyes briefly met Dhruv's.
A silent warning passed between them.
Don't say anything.
Don't trigger her memory.
Because the doctors' words still echoed over everyone:
Too much emotional shock could kill her.
Veer placed a calm hand on my shoulder.
"Riya, the investors from Zurich are waiting."
I nodded slowly still distracted.
Before leaving,
I glanced toward Dhruv one last time.
And strangely,
Something inside my chest hurt seeing him stand there alone afterward.
Like I'd abandoned something important.
Something that once belonged to me.
Meanwhile Dhruv watched me walk away beside Advik.
Watched Advik lean down whispering something near my ear that made me smile faintly.
Watched the woman he loved disappear farther into a life where he no longer existed.
And for the first time in years,
Dhruv Malhotra finally understood what helplessness truly felt like.