33. Engagement.
I focused on my food like nothing was happening and took the first bite, chewing slowly, reminding myself we were in a public gathering. Act normal. Breathe normal. Don’t think.
“Try this, it’s really tasty,” Dhrithika said, holding out a bite from her plate.
I leaned forward and tasted it. “Hmm… it’s good.”
She immediately called a waiter and had the dish served to me as well.
I picked up my spoon again and Yugant shifted beside me.
His broad shoulder brushed against mine as he leaned forward to take the salad bowl.
I instinctively pushed him away slightly before Bhai could notice.
Big mistake.
His hand slid under the table and landed on my thigh.
Firm.
Possessive.
My spoon slipped from my fingers and clattered against the plate, the sharp sound cutting through the table chatter.
“Dhwani… everything alright?” Bhai asked immediately, his eyes scanning my face.
“Y-yeah… it just slipped,” I said quickly, picking up the spoon again.
Yugant sat there calmly, eating like nothing was happening.
Like his hand wasn’t slowly moving on my thigh.
I silently thanked God for the long skirt I was wearing
Until I felt the fabric being pushed upward.
My breath hitched.
I closed my eyes for a second, trying to steady myself.
“What happened, Dhwani?” Dhrithika whispered in my ear.
Your brother is trying to ruin my sanity under this table.
But instead, I forced a smile. “Nothing… just feeling a little hot.”
I wiped the imaginary sweat from my forehead and tried focusing on my plate.
But under the table, his rough fingers were tracing against my bare skin.
And every second felt more dangerous than the last.
Somehow, I managed to finish everything on my plate while the man sitting beside me continued that dangerous little game under the table slow, deliberate, maddening. Every subtle movement of his fingers made it harder to breathe, harder to think, harder to sit still like nothing was happening.
By the time dessert arrived, I was barely holding myself together.
I picked up a bowl of ice cream, convincing myself I needed it to cool down. My body felt like it was on fire and the worst part? I didn’t hate it. I hated that I didn’t hate it.
After forcing down the last spoonful, I pushed my chair back.
“I need to use the washroom,” I said quickly, already turning before anyone could question me.
I walked as fast as I could without looking suspicious and slipped inside the restroom, locking the door behind me.
The cool silence hit me instantly.
I moved to the sink and looked up at my reflection.
My cheeks were flushed. My breathing uneven.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I whispered to myself.
Why was I reacting like that? Why did his touch undo me so easily? I had just told him there was nothing between us. That it was just one night. Then why did my body refuse to cooperate with that decision?
It’s wrong. It’s dangerous. It’s complicated.
I was still staring at my reflection when the door behind me clicked open.
For a second, I assumed it was another woman.
Then I heard the lock turn.
Slowly.
I looked up into the mirror and saw Yugant standing there. My heart dropped straight to my stomach.
“Fuck,” I breathed. “Not again.”
“What the fuck are you doing here, Mr. Raizaada?” I snapped, turning to face him.
He closed the distance in two strides. One second I was standing, the next his hands were around my waist and he lifted me effortlessly, settling me on the marble counter beside the sink. Our faces inches apart. My breath tangled with his.
“I’m mad,” he said in that deep, rough voice that did dangerous things to my pulse. “You didn’t congratulate me properly.”
“I—I forgot,” I tried to reason, suddenly aware of how close he was. “Co… congratulations.”
“Not like that.”
“Then how?”
“Like you mean it. Like I want it.” His lips brushed mine, not moving yet, just hovering, claiming space.
I tried pushing against his chest. Useless. He didn’t budge.
“Mr. Raizaada, this is wrong.”
“So was the night you spent under me,” he murmured.
“That was different. I was intoxicated. It just happened.”
His jaw tightened slightly. “And what about right now?”
“I’m sober.”
“Good,” he said softly. “Then you’ll remember this.”
My breath hitched.
“Let me have you one last time,” he continued, voice lower now. “After tonight, our paths go separate. No drama. No unfinished business.”
“You’ve lost your mind. Let me go or I’ll tell my brother you tried to—”
“To what?” His eyes darkened. “That I touched you? Or that you touched me first a night ago?”
I fell silent.
“If you want,” he added calmly, “I can tell him myself how satisfied his sister was with my service and ready to pay as well.”
My face burned.
“Are you threatening me?” I asked, my voice barely steady.
His thumb slid slowly along my jaw, lifting my chin.
“Threaten you?” he repeated, almost amused. “No, my angry bird. I don’t threaten.”
His grip tightened just enough to remind me he could.“I’m the only man here fighting himself not to take what you’re daring me to. I’m reminding you… you’re not as unaffected as you pretend to be.”
He was right. I wasn’t as unaffected as I pretended to be.
I was slipping. Losing control inch by inch.
“It’s the last time,” I whispered, more to convince myself than him.
“I promise,” he replied, his voice sharp and certain. “After this, even if you want me… I won’t come back.”
The finality in his tone sent something cracking inside my chest.
My fingers curled around the back of his neck, pulling him closer as our lips collided, not soft, not hesitant, but fierce.
“I love you,” he breathed against my mouth.
The words stunned me for half a second — just enough to make the kiss deeper, heavier. His hands tightened around my waist, holding me like I might disappear if he loosened his grip.
The kiss wasn’t sweet anymore.
It was desperate.
His mouth claimed mine like he was trying to memorize the taste, the feel, the way I responded. And I did respond, shamelessly. My nails pressed into his shoulders, my body arching closer despite the warning bells in my head.
This was wrong.
This was dangerous.
This was goodbye.
His forehead rested against mine for a brief second, our breaths tangled, uneven.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he murmured, voice rough now. “You’re making it impossible to keep my word.”
My heart pounded so loud I was sure he could hear it.
His fingers slid upward, slowly untying the strap at the back of my neck. The fabric loosened and slipped down, exposing the faint hickey he had marked earlier.
His gaze darkened as he traced it lightly with his thumb.
“How do you want me to take you?” he asked, his voice low, rough like he was giving me the choice while already knowing I was trembling under it.
“In a way where I can feel you closer to my heart.”
I didn’t even know how those words escaped my mouth.
He slipped off his overcoat and placed it neatly on the marble counter beside us. Then he removed his bow tie, letting it fall next to it. His movements were unhurried, controlled—almost deliberate.
“Didn’t you say you don’t feel anything for me?” he asked quietly, as he unbuttoned his shirt halfway, exposing the firm lines of his chest and abs. “Then why do you want to feel me close to your heart while doing this?”
My gaze drifted over him before I could stop myself. I swallowed, then licked my lips, trying to steady my voice.
“It’s not about feelings,” I replied, attempting to sound casual. “I just… like this kind of proximity.”
“Your wish, my command,” he murmured, voice low and heated.
He pulled me closer, lifting me slightly, and I felt the fabric of my skirt shift as my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. I held onto him without even thinking, anchoring myself to the only solid thing in that spinning moment.
A soft sound escaped my lips as he gave a hard thurst— sudden, overwhelming. My hands slid from his chest to his shoulders, gripping tightly while I pressed my cheek against his chest, feeling his heartbeat racing just as wildly as mine.
First it was slow then he moved with urgency, and the heat between us flared instantly, fast, consuming, reckless. My nails dug into his shoulders as everything around me blurred.
The world outside that locked door stopped existing. There was only the sound of our breathing, heavy and uneven, and the fire building between us.
The loose fabric over my chest slipped, and cool air brushed my heated skin but it did nothing to calm what was burning inside me.
The way he looked at me then, dark, intense almost like he was memorizing me before letting me go forever made my pulse spike harder.
He bent down, and captured the most sensitive part into his warm mouth.
A breathless moan left my lips before I could stop it.
My fingers tightened in his hair, my back arching instinctively as sensation rushed through me in waves.
It wasn’t just physical. It was dizzying. Too much. Not enough. All at once.
His grip on me tightened as if he was afraid I’d disappear.
knock knock.
“Dhwani, are you inside?” Dhrithika’s voice came from outside the door.
My eyes flew open. Panic crashed into me.
I tried to push Yugant away, but he only held me closer and thrust harder. I bit down on his shoulder to keep from making a sound.
“Yugant… le-leave me, Dhrithika is here,” I whispered, my voice barely steady.
“Tell her you’re coming,” he murmured against my skin, as his lips moved on my neck.
“ But–”
I bit on his shoulder again and swallowed, forcing my voice to sound normal. “I’m just fixing my dress… coming in a few minutes!”
“Okay, come soon.”
The moment her footsteps faded, the tension snapped. The fear of being caught mixed with the heat still running through my veins, making everything feel sharper, more intense.
“Oh… Yugant,” I breathed, my voice trembling. “It’s too much…”
“Just a minute,” he whispered, holding me like he didn’t want to let go.
Within just a few seconds we both came down from our high. It wasn't just release — it was surrender.
For a few seconds, I couldn’t move, couldn't think. Couldn’t even breathe properly.
All I knew was that I was shaking in his arms…while he held me close, hiding his face in my hair.
When my breathing finally steadied and the haze began to lift, I gently pulled away from him.
He didn’t move at first. He just looked at my face as if trying to read something I wasn’t ready to show. Then suddenly he leaned in again and kissed me hungrily, like he wasn’t done, like he could never be done.
I let him take what he wanted, because maybe a part of me wanted it too.
When he finally pulled back, he hovered close to my lips and murmured softly, “Thank you.”
His voice was low, almost vulnerable, before he pressed a lingering kiss just below my ear.
My breath left me in a shaky exhale.
I pushed him away slightly, pulling my top into place, adjusting the fabric to cover myself properly again — as if hiding what had just happened.
“It was the last time,” I said firmly, even though my voice wasn’t as steady as I wanted it to be. “Don’t you dare forget your promise.”
“I won’t,” Yugant whispered. It sounded more like he was convincing himself than me. “It was the last.”
After that, he helped me fix my dress properly, careful, almost gentle — like a man trying to undo the chaos he had just created. He adjusted the straps, made sure everything sat right, his fingers lingering for a second too long before pulling away.
I turned toward the mirror.
My lipstick was gone. My eyeliner smudged. My cheeks flushed too deeply to pass as blush. I couldn’t step out like this.
I told him to go.
He picked up his overcoat, paused at the door, then came back for one final kiss, softer this time, quieter—before walking out without another word.
When the door closed behind him, the silence felt loud.
I washed my face slowly, removing every trace of makeup, every sign that something had happened in this washroom. I checked my neck, my collarbone, adjusting my dress carefully to ensure nothing was visible.
When I was finally sure I looked presentable, I only then stepped out.
But the moment I tried to walk properly, I realized how weak my legs felt.
Like jelly.
A slight ache pulsed through my body, reminding me of what had just happened. The heels I was wearing suddenly felt ten times higher, and every step required effort.
Still, I straightened my back and forced myself to walk normally down the corridor—even though inside, nothing felt normal anymore.
“Dhwani, why did it take so long?” Bhai asked the moment I reached them.
I glanced around instinctively, searching for Yugant but he was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Miss Anabella.
“Actually… I was cleaning my dress. A waiter spilled some drink on it,” I replied.
Bhai’s eyes scanned my outfit carefully, too carefully. He didn’t say anything, but I knew that look. He understood I was lying.
Guilt twisted inside me.
“It’s time to leave. Come,” he said quietly.
He stepped closer and wrapped his arm around my shoulders protective, warm, familiar.
For once, I was grateful for it. My body still felt weak, slightly sore, and exhaustion was crashing over me all at once. All I wanted was sleep. Long, uninterrupted sleep.
As we walked toward the exit, the noise of the red carpet grew louder again. Flashlights burst in rapid succession. Paparazzi shouting. Cameras clicking and Yugant stood near the red carpet entrance, tall and composed, Miss Anabella beside him.
Her father, Mr. Kingsley, stood proudly nearby, along with Yugant’s elder brother.
The flashes intensified the moment they stepped forward.
“Mr. Raizaada! Congratulations on the grand success of tonight’s Gala!”
“How does it feel to reclaim your father’s legacy after such a controversy?”
One question after another.
“What’s next for Raizaada Jewels?” another reporter shouted.
Before Yugant could answer, Mr. Kingsley stepped forward with a polished smile.
“Tonight marks not only the success of this exhibition,” he announced, placing a hand proudly on Yugant’s shoulder, “but also the strengthening of two powerful families.”
What? I didn't understand anything.
Yugant’s brother stepped closer to the mic.
“We are delighted to officially announce the engagement of Yugant Raizaada and Olivia Kingsley.”
The world went silent in my ears. I couldn't understand anything.
Olivia. So that was her name.
Miss Anabella smiled brightly as Yugant looked at her. The crowd erupted.
“Congratulations!”
“Since when has this been planned?”
“Is this a business alliance or a love story?” more questions came.
Olivia slid her hand into Yugant’s arm confidently. This time, he didn’t just rest his hand on her waist. He intertwined his fingers with hers.
A ring was brought forward. Flashbulbs exploded in white light as Yugant took it.
For just a second his eyes lifted and they met mine.
Then he looked away.
He slid the ring onto Olivia’s finger.
Applause thundered.
My chest felt hollow. Not broken. Not shattered.
Just… empty.
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