Chapter Forty.
"Thank you." Ira whispered, as she took the chilled glass of Chapman from Kunal. The condensation was cold against her palm.
Kunal wanted to reply, a warm smile reaching his eyes, but it died mid-breath. His gaze snapped toward a point behind her, and his entire body went rigid.
Without a word, his arm snaked around Ira's waist, pulling her flush against him with a sudden, possessive force that made the drink in her hand slosh against the glass.
Ira's smile faltered, her heart jumping in her chest at Kunal's sudden change.
"Kunal? Are you-"
She never finished the question.
"Ira!"
It was the low, gravelly rasp that had haunted her nightmares for a month, the sound of the man she had barely escaped.
Ira flinched violently, her breath hitching in a throat that had suddenly gone dry. She turned slowly.
When her eyes finally met Devraj's, she staggered back, her heels clicking unevenly as she pressed herself into Kunal's side, it was as if she was trying to disappear into his suit.
"S..sir.." she whispered, the word barely a breath of air.
Devraj moved closer, his gaze was a physical weight on her skin, roaming over her face and that dress with a hunger that made her tremble.
"Mr. Devraj Singh Rathore." Kunal said, his voice hard as flint.
He stepped forward, subtly but firmly shifting Ira behind the shield of his own body.
"A pleasure to meet you formally, Sir."
Devraj's fist clenched at his side, He didn't even acknowledge Kunal's greeting. His eyes were locked on the sliver of Ira visible behind Kunal's shoulder, his fury rising.
"Move." Devraj commanded.
Kunal's jaw set, his eyes narrowing into a glare that met Devraj's amber fire head-on. He wasn't backing down.
"Is there anything you need help with, Mr. Rathore?"
Ira stood in the shadows of Kunal's back, her breathing shallow and panicked.
She could feel the heat radiating off both men..Kunal's protective warmth and Devraj's cold, suffocating fire.
"I said... Move." Devraj's jaw was locked so tight the muscles in his neck cording. He looked ready to physically throw Kunal aside to get to her.
"No." Kunal snapped.
The two men were seconds away from a collision that would bring the entire gala to a standstill when Advik suddenly appeared, confused.
"Woah, D... Devraj? What the hell is going on?" Advik's voice trailed off as his gaze landed on the woman behind Kunal. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"God damn... I... Ira? Is that you?"
Devraj spun on him, a sneer curling his lip.
"Stop looking at her.." he spat, his voice a lethal warning that made Advik take an involuntary step back.
Kunal cleared his throat, as he tightened his grip on Ira's hand, his voice deepening as he addressed the man towering over them.
"If there is nothing we can help you with, I'd appreciate it if you could leave me and my wife alone-"
"She is not your wife!"
The roar of his voice cut through the soft music of the gala, drawing the eyes of few billionaire and socialite in the vicinity.
Kunal flinched at the raw violence in the tone, and Ira felt the world tilt.
"Woah... Devraj, please.." Advik whispered urgently, his hand hovering near Devraj's arm but not quite daring to touch him.
"Let's not do this here. We're in a public space, Raj. Every camera in the city is watching."
"I don't care." Devraj rasped, his eyes never leaving Ira's face.
The garden, the guests, the reputation of the Rathore name...it all meant nothing.
"I want to talk to her."
"And she isn't going to say a word to you." Kunal countered, his voice shaking with a mix of adrenaline and fear.
"Leave her alone, Rathore."
Devraj took a single, slow step forward. His aura shifted, darkening into something so suffocatingly dominant that the air seemed to leave Kunal's lungs.
"I dare you." Devraj whispered, the words vibrating with a lethal promise.
He leaned in, his shadow looming over the Kunal.
"Try to stop me one more time, and I swear on my life, I will strip you of every title, every asset, and every cent you own before the sun rises. I will unmake you."
The intensity in Devraj's eyes was so raw, so violent, that Ira felt it, she couldn't let Kunal take this heat.
"P..please, Sir." Ira whispered.
She stepped out from behind Kunal, placing herself directly in Devraj's line of fire.
She stood there, the deep shimmer of her dress catching the light, finally letting him see her..fully and without a shield.
"God damn.." Advik breathed, the word escaping him before he could think.
Devraj let out a low growl at his friend, Advik immediately coughed and looked away.
"G..greetings, Sir. Hello, Advik.." Ira said, her voice trembling but holding a spark of newfound courage.
Devraj's fingers twitched. He wanted to reach out and grab her, to haul her against his chest and never let her go. He wanted to feel the heat of the skin he had spent a month dreaming about.
"I... please, we don't want any scenes tonight." Ira continued, her eyes searching his with a desperate plea. "I am not interested in talking to you... Sir. Please, just enjoy your evening."
She offered a tight, fake smile...and turned to walk away. But Devraj wasn't finished.
His hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around her wrist with a grip that was both desperate and demanding.
"Wait... Ira-"
Ira didn't flinch this time. She looked down at his hand on her skin, then back up at him, her gree. eyes flashing with a sudden, sharp spark of defiance.
"Touching another man's woman is highly inappropriate, Sir." she said, her voice gaining a cold, angry edge that stunned him. "Please... learn to maintain your boundaries."
She wrenched her hand away from his grasp, the rejection stinging worse than any wound.
Devraj stood frozen, his heart beating very fast.
Another man's woman? The words echoed in his head, fueling a fire that threatened to burn the entire gala to the ground.
She was his. She had always been his. And he was about to remind her of that fact, no matter who was watching.
"We had a deal, Ira!" Devraj's voice cracked.
Ira halted mid-step. The words acted like an invisible tether, jerking her back to a past she had tried so hard to bury.
She turned slowly, her brow furrowed in a mix of confusion and rising heat.
"What?"
Advik stood like a statue, his eyes darting back and forth, realizing that the business between these two was far more personal..and far more dangerous..than he had ever imagined.
"You were supposed to be with me for three months!" Devraj rasped, his voice dropping into a low, accusing thrum.
"The contract. The agreement. You broke it when you disappeared."
Ira stared at him, a bitter, disbelieving laugh bubbling up in her throat.
She didn't look like the terrified caregiver anymore, she looked angry now, even just thinking back to the whole situation.
"Is that what you're going with, Sir? A contract?"
She took a half-step toward him, her green eyes blazing with a cold, sharp light.
"If you hadn't broken the most basic rules of human decency first, I would never have left. Contracts don't cover being hunted in your own home."
Devraj's jaw tightened so hard a muscle leaped in his cheek.
"If there is one thing I am glad for." Ira continued, her voice softening just enough, "it's seeing you standing there healthy and whole.
I'm glad your legs healed. But please, understand this.
.we have no deal. No contract. You breached the only thing that mattered the moment you made me afraid for my life. You... you scared me, sir."
Devraj took a desperate, uncoordinated step forward, his hand reaching out as if to catch the air she had just breathed.
"I... I-"
"Please, Sir.." Ira interrupted, her tone final and freezing. "I came to this event with my fiancé. I would appreciate it if you let us enjoy our night. Have a blessed evening."
She turned to Advik, her expression softening into a small, genuine smile that didn't reach Devraj. "Bye, Advik. It was good to see a friendly face."
Without another word, she turned and walked away, her hand slipping back into Kunal's. Kunal didn't move immediately, he looked back over his shoulder, locking eyes with Devraj one last time.
He saw the dark glint in the billionaire's gaze...a look of such pure, unadulterated vengeance that it made his blood run cold.
Kunal gulped, his grip on Ira's waist tightening as they disappeared into the sea of guests.
Advik finally found his voice. "Devraj...you need to-"
"I want a full dossier on the Mehra's company." Devraj interrupted, his voice dropping so deep and hollow it sounded like it was coming from a tomb.
He didn't turn to look at Advik, his eyes remained fixed on the spot where Ira had vanished, his body so rigid he looked like he might crack.
"I want their investors, their stakeholders, their board members. Every upcoming project, every pending contract. I want everything."
"W..what? Devraj, I don't think this is-"
"I need that report on my desk by tomorrow morning." Devraj said, finally tearing his gaze away.
When he turned, Advik took a involuntary step back.
Devraj's face was a chaotic storm of emotions...grief, fury, and a desperate, bone-deep obsession that bordered on insanity.
He looked like a man who was ready to set the world on fire just for her.
Without another word, Devraj stalked away, his presence leaving a trail of cold dread in his wake. Advik stood there and let out a long, shaky sigh.
"I never knew the day Devraj fell in love, it would be this terrifying." he whispered, pulling out his phone to make calls.
~??~
Hidden behind a trellis of climbing roses, Alia had witnessed the entire collision. She stood perfectly still, her eyes narrowed as she slowly swirled the liquid in her glass.
A dark smirk played on her lips.
"Just one night.." she murmured to herself, the sapphire satin of her dress shimmering like a snake's scales. "That's all I need."
She downed her drink in one elegant gulp and set the empty glass on a passing tray.
Her eyes landed on a young server, barely more than a boy, who was weaving through the crowd with a tray of champagne.
She smoothed her hair and glided toward him, her expression shifting into a mask of sweet innocence.
"Hello, handsome." she purred, her voice dripping with honey.
The server froze, his face turning a deep, flustered red as he looked up at the stunning woman in front of him.
"H..hi, Ma'am."
"You must be absolutely exhausted, walking around all night serving people who don't even look at you." she said, stepping closer until she was well within his personal space.
She tilted her head, her eyes wide and sympathetic.
The boy gulped, his eyes darting nervously to her open back and then away. "I... I can handle it, Ma'am. It's my job."
"Aww, look at you." Alia cooed, reaching out to brush a nonexistent speck of dust from his shoulder.
"How strong and manly of you."
The server's blush deepened until his ears were glowing, completely ensnared by the attention of a woman he could never hope to touch.
He had no idea he was being sharpened into a weapon for her next move.
"Tell me." she purred, stepping even closer until the scent of her expensive perfume clouded the boy's senses. "Would you ever help a damsel in distress?"
The young server looked around frantically, before his gaze snapped back to her.
"A... are you in trouble, Ma'am?"
"Oh, no, no.." Alia cooed, letting out a soft, melodic laugh that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm much tougher than I look. I just need a small favor. And for your trouble? I'll pay you triple whatever you're making here tonight."
The boy's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "What? Triple? Really?"
"I don't make empty promises, handsome." she whispered.
"O... okay. What do I have to do?"
Alia's smirk deepened, a flash of pure contempt crossing her face.
There is nothing these lowlifes won't do for a few extra bills, she thought.
To her, he wasn't a person, he was just a pawn she was about to sacrifice.
She plucked a fresh, amber-colored drink from a passing tray, she drop a single pill in it and placed it precisely on his.
"Go and give this to him." Alia commanded, pointing toward Devraj.
He was standing alone now, looking like a statue, his gaze so intensely fixed on Ira that he looked possessed.
The server followed her finger and gulped. "Mr. Devraj Singh Rathore? Ma'am, he looks... terrifying."
"Just do it. And make sure no one else touches that glass. It's for him and him only."
"But... I've already tried to offer him a tray twice.." the boy stammered. "He didn't even look at me. He won't accept it."
"Oh, he'll accept this one." Alia said, her eyes gleaming with a sick, triumphant light. "Just tell him the drink is from...Ira."
The server frowned, a flicker of confusion crossing his face, but the thought of the money silenced his hesitation.
He nodded sharply. "Okay, Ma'am. I'll do it."
Alia watched as he walked away, weaving through the crowd toward the dark, brooding figure of Devraj.
A wicked smirk twisted her red lips. "You aren't escaping me, Raj." she hissed under her breath. "We are meant for each other. I will make sure I am the only woman left in your world."
She turned her gaze toward where Ira was tucked safely under Kunal's arm. Her face transformed into a mask of pure, venomous hatred.
"Bitch.." she spat.