Chapter Twenty Four.
The weather had that strange, promising weight to it, clouds bruised and heavy, the kind that looked like they were deciding whether to burst or just sulk all day.
The breeze was cool, wet… it carried that scent Ira loved, like rain touching leaves somewhere close.
She inhaled softly as she walked toward the mansion’s main entrance, her dupatta fluttering behind her.
Ritika had dropped her off a few minutes ago, and the guard let her in.
Her phone buzzed and she looked down at it.
The soft smile she wore dimmed into something small and sad.
Kunal.
Still upset… still trying to be understanding…
And still confused why her Boss had said he wasn’t allowed to pick up his own fiancée.
She typed a reply, fingers slow, heart squeezing a little.
Just as she stepped onto the mansion and walked further in.
“Hey!”
Ira looked up.
A guy stood a few steps away, smiling at her.
She blinked… then glanced behind her automatically.
Empty.
He chuckled. “It’s you. No one else.”
Her brow creased. He felt familiar but… no face came to mind.
“You don’t remember me?” he asked, stepping closer, then stopping when she instinctively took a small step back.
His smile softened, like he didn’t want to scare her.
“I..I’m sorry.” Ira said politely, “and you are…?”
“My name is Kai, Vivaan’s best friend.”
His voice was gentle, almost warm. “You must’ve forgotten me, but… you remember when one of Vivaan’s friends poured stuff on you?”
Ira’s eyebrows lifted.
A flash of that humiliating moment cut through her..the sneer on that model girl’s face, and then this guy...this same guy...stepping in for her along side Vivaan, defending her in front of all those rich, arrogant celebrities.
Recognition finally lit her expression.
“Oh.” she breathed. “Now I remember you.”
And just like that, she remembered they even talked a bit that day… right before she rushed home.
How did I forget him? she wondered
“I’m so sorry I didn’t remember it was you.” Ira said with a small, apologetic smile.
Kai laughed softly, waving it off.
“Oh, no problem. You seem like someone who doesn’t waste energy remembering irrelevant things. Especially not a stranger you only met for a minute.”
Ira giggled, cheeks warming at how easily he joked.
“I’m Ira. And… thank you for that day, Kai.”
Her voice held genuine gratitude.
“You’re very welcome.” His smile deepened, and Ira tilted her head just slightly, studying him.
“What?” he chuckled.
“You don’t look fully Indian.” she said honestly. “Even your accent… it’s different.”
Kai’s laugh wholeheartedly.
He stood tall and effortlessly charming, not overly muscular, but lean and fit, like someone who actually uses the gym and not just posts about it.
His deep blue eyes were striking against his warm skin tone, and his brown hair, clearly dyed from blond, fell neatly over his forehead.
A single dimple popped when he smiled, making him look almost… idol-like.
“Oh yeah.” he said proudly. “I owe that to my dad.”
“Huh?” Ira blinked.
“I’m half British, half Indian. My dad’s from London, my mom’s Punjabi.”
Ira’s expression lit with genuine surprise, then a small smile followed.
“Wow… that’s beautiful.”
Kai grinned, clearly pleased.
“I’d love to talk more.” Ira said, adjusting her tote bag, “but I have to go. I’m late already.”
Kai nodded politely.
“It was lovely talking to you.”
Ira smiled back and began her walk towards the stairs.
From the side corridor, Vivaan emerged, adjusting his Rolex, jaw tight, hair perfectly styled, dressed like the star he was.
He looked effortlessly handsome… then he glanced up to see, Kai smiling weirdly.
"Why are you smiling like a fool?" Vivaan’s voice came.
Kai rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the goofy grin stretching his lips.
"I just… talked to Ira."
Vivaan’s amusement paused. His brow lifted slowly.
"And?"
Kai shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. "What? She’s so damn calm and friendly, too. I guess last time she was just guarded or uptight."
Vivaan huffed a quiet laugh. "Not surprised." Then the laugh faded. His tone dropped. "But stay away from her."
Kai blinked. "What do you mean?"
Vivaan stared at him like he was dense. "You’ve been talking about Ira non-stop since the moment you met her. And I’m not blind, Kai. She has a man."
Kai’s grin wobbled, like someone had tapped it off his face.
"Damn… I came late?" he said with a lazy, wounded smile.
Vivaan shook his head. "I doubt it. But someone will go to any length for that girl… even if she wasn’t taken. She is a lady with high standards. Not money wise, but effort, action and things that causes you to be a kind man, kinda wise." He crossed his arms.
"Also, you might not be her type." Vivaan smirked.
Kai groaned dramatically. "Why are the good ones always taken? I can be all that."
Vivaan let out a laugh. "Relax, you’ll find one. Come on. The team just sent a message."
He clapped Kai’s shoulder and started toward the door.
Kai trudged after him. "Ugh. Also..weather looks horrible. This rain might be heavy."
Vivaan walked out the door and glanced up at the darkening sky.
"Ugh, we can't miss this." he muttered.
~???~
Ira reached Devraj’s bedroom and tapped gently before stepping inside.
The room curtains was pulled halfway, morning light slicing across the floor in pale stripes.
Her gaze found him immediately.
He stood at the glass double doors leading to the balcony, his back rigid, shoulders tense.
One crutch supported him, the other dangling loosely from his grip. His laptop sat open on the bed, screen still lit, but she couldn’t see the screen.
"Good morning, sir." she said, closing the door behind her as she walked in.
She didn’t even get a full step.
"Who was that?"
Devraj’s voice cut through the room, deep and hard, not his usual cold… something darker. The sound froze her in place.
Ira blinked, confused. "Sorry, sir? Who was who?"
His spine went even straighter, if that was possible. The stillness in his body was unnatural, dangerous.
He turned slowly.
When their eyes met, Ira’s breath hitched.
He looked… wrong.
His shadowed eyes and tense jaw. It's like he hadn’t slept.
"The guy downstairs." he said, every word precise.
Ira frowned softly. "Oh..um, that was Kai and–"
"Why were you talking to him?"
His jaw flexed, muscle ticked violently. He looked like he was holding back an entire storm with sheer willpower.
"Because he called out first and we just had a little conversation." she said carefully.
Something in Devraj’s expression hardened to stone.
He moved, slow and controlled steps, each one dragging the crutch forward with a dull thud.
But that wasn’t what made Ira tense.
It was the way he watched her. Like every inch she backed up was carved into him. Like she had done something unforgivable without knowing.
He stopped in front of her, too close. Ira felt the cold brush of his breath before she felt anything else.
A shiver ran down her spine.
His voice dropped to a whisper, but it wasn’t soft.
"Don’t ever talk to him again. Okay?"
Ira frowned, "Sir… why?"
She didn’t plan to talk to Kai anyways, not that they will see again, but Devraj’s tone….It didn’t sound like concern.
It sounded like possessive, she knows because her brother act like that sometimes.
Why was Devraj sounding like that?
"Why, sir? He seems like a nice–"
"IRA!"
His voice tore through the room like thunder.
Ira jolted backward, eyes wide, heart thudding.
The sound wasn’t just loud, it was raw and scary. Devraj’s face darkened, shadows carving deeper into features already.
His hand clenched around the crutch so hard his knuckles whitened.
He looked like a man seconds away from breaking something.
Or someone.
"Don’t ever talk to him.." he said again, but this time it wasn’t a command, it was a plea wrapped in fury, forced out through clenched teeth. "Okay?"
Ira swallowed hard. He is acting strange.
"Okay, sir…" she whispered.
Devraj exhaled,slow, shaky.
Relief washed through his features, but it didn’t soften him. It just made him look… possessive.
He hated that she attracted attention. Hated that every man who looked at her seemed drawn in. Hated that she didn’t even notice.
She has a man, yet Devraj still felt, deep, irrational, unexplainable...that Ira was his.
"I… I’ll go get breakfast." Ira said gently, trying to ease the tension as she turned away.
But before she could take a step, Devraj’s hand shot out.
His fingers wrapped around her wrist.
Both of them froze.
A spark, hot, electric, shot up his arm and Devraj flinched as if it burned. Ira turned back slowly, eyes flicking down to where his hand held her.
"Sir…?"
His throat bobbed. He couldn’t speak for a moment.
"I… I don’t want breakfast." He said with a shaky breath.
"I want to go out today."
Ira forced a small, awkward smile. "Alright, sir. But… could you please let go of my wrist?"
Her voice was soft, embarrassed.
His gaze lowered to their joined hands. He didn’t want to let go.
God, he didn’t want to.
He wanted to hold her like this for hours. Wanted to keep her where only he could see her.
Wanted–
But slowly, painfully, his fingers loosened and he released her.
Ira nodded softly. "Let’s go then."
As she stepped closer to help him, he inhaled, the scent of her punched the air from his lungs.
His heartbeat kicked up violently, an ugly, needy rhythm he couldn’t control.
His eyes stayed glued to her.
Hungry...
And Ira… had no idea.
~???~
Ira followed Devraj behind through the mansion door, steadying him with one hand on his arm when it'sneeded, unaware of how every small touch made his pulse stumble.
Guards walked past, crisp and alert, bowing respectfully the moment Devraj came into view. Ira noticed it, just as she noticed how effortlessly he commanded the space even while leaning on a crutch.
As they moved toward the outer grounds, the breeze picked up, cool, soft, carrying the scent of wet leaves and fresh soil. Ira lifted her face slightly, smiling. Devraj watched the smile, not the path.
Ahead, she spotted the greenhouse she always saw from his balcony, the glass catching shadows of greenery inside. She couldn’t help the small warmth that filled her chest.
The place seems, quiet, fresh and peaceful.
When they reached a small, secluded area, a grass maze with a bench calmly at the center Ira’s eyes widened in admiration.
It looked like a hidden sanctuary.
Devraj lowered himself onto the bench, Ira smiled at him, waiting for instruction.
“I… I want to exercise here for a bit.” Devraj murmured, avoiding her eyes.
Ira frowned lightly. “That’s a good idea, sir, but you need to take something first.”
“I don’t need–”
“You do need it, sir.” she insisted gently but firmly. “It’s in your schedule to eat before any exercise. Just give me a few minutes.”
This time, he didn’t argue. Didn’t even attempt to.
She turned and walked away.
And the moment she did, Devraj’s jaw clenched.
She keeps walking away so easily, so lightly… as if she isn’t shattering him each time she moves out of reach.
Would you still leave if I chained you to me?
The ugly thought surged before he could stop it.
He swallowed hard.
He stared at her figure retreating down the path, breath stuck in his chest.
I need to find a way, Anyway.
His gaze dropped to his legs, weak, stubborn, betraying him.
His fingers curled around the crutch...
“I need to get better. Fast.”
Not for himself.
For her.
For the fight he knew was coming, before she slips off his hands, and this time she might leave and never come back.
~???~
Ira hurried back through the path, balancing a small tray in her hands, nutrients, and a little prebread snack to keep his energy steady.
As she drew closer, she slowed.
Devraj…was standing.
Not with his crutch, not with support.
Just… standing there, body rigid, jaw clenched, eyes squeezed shut, His legs trembled violently beneath him.
Ira’s eyes widened.
“Sir?”
Devraj jolted at the sound of her voice, eyes snapping open.
“Sir, you should have waited for me.” Ira said softly, “I told you..you need to take something first.”
She set the tray down carefully on the bench.
“I’m fine..” he cut in, cold, and stubborn.
Ira only nodded, stepping back to give him space. But ready to help, if he's about to fall.
Devraj felt the distance immediately.
He hated it.
For a second, he stared at her as if trying to memorize exactly how many inches she’d moved away, and then his expression hardened with a quiet decision.
He shifted, lifted one foot, pretended to steady himself…and deliberately let his balance slip.
“Sir!”
Ira rushed toward him, catching him under one arm as he grabbed her tightly, too tightly, around the waist.
His fingers dug into her side like he’d been starving to touch her.
Her body pressed against his to keep him upright.
Her scent, hit him like a punch.
Devraj leaned in without even realizing it, his face brushing the side of her hair, and–
He inhaled.
He didn’t mean to let a sound slip out. He really didn’t.
But the soft, low moan escaped him anyway.
Ira stiffened, and looked up at him, she thought he moan in pain.
“Sir..are you in pain?” she asked quickly, panic in her voice.
But Devraj’s eyes had fluttered closed, and for a heartbeat too long, he didn’t answer. He only held her tighter.
Again she thought he was holding tight because of the pain.
“Sorry, sir.” Ira murmured, steadying him until he could lower himself onto the bench.
Devraj didn’t answer. He couldn’t.
His eyes were already betraying him, dragging helplessly along the soft line of her neck, the delicate curve disappearing into her kurta.
His gaze dropped before he could stop himself, heat slamming into his bloodstream.
He jerked his head away.
Too late.
A sudden, tightness punched through his sweatpants, and he clenched his jaw.
Ira moved away to pick up the tray, her hair swaying lightly with each step, and Devraj forced a shaky breath past his teeth.
He looked down.
The bulge was unmistakable.
“Fuck!” he whispered under his breath, eyes widening.
Ira turned back at the sound.
Panic sparked through him.
He immediately shifted, hand snapping down to cover himself as casually as he could manage, though nothing about the moment felt casual.
Fortunately, Ira wasn’t even looking there, her attention only concerned.
“Are you okay, sir?”
Her voice was pure innocence, and it made his pulse slam even harder.
“Get me coffee.” he said quickly, too quickly.
His tone was rough, strangled.
Anything to get her away for a moment.
“My usual.”
Ira nodded and walked off.
The moment her back turned, Devraj exhaled shakily, dragging his palm down his face, his knuckles white with tension.
Fuck!
Fuck.!
FUCK!.
His entire body burned with a frustration he couldn’t release, not here, not now, not when she was still within sight.
He hated this.
Hated how easily she undid him.
Hated how one innocent touch from her made him lose control like a boy discovering desire for the first time.
And yet…
He wanted more.
???