Rudransh texted Aryan to send the guest list.
A second later, the file appeared.
Efficient. As always.
He stepped inside while scrolling through the names, his attention divided—but only for a moment.
Because then—
It stopped.
His thumb froze.
Her name.
Heer Malhotra.
The CEO of Heer enterprises.
A name he had heard before. Not just heard—respected. Discussed in rooms that rarely acknowledged anyone without reason.
Self-made. Independent. Powerful.
A woman who didn’t need a surname to define her.
Something shifted inside him.
Subtle.
Unfamiliar.
Unwelcome.
His expression hardened.
And just like that—he ignored it.
By the time he looked up—
The atmosphere had already changed.
It didn’t go silent.
It shifted.
Conversations softened. Movements slowed. Eyes followed.
His presence didn’t demand attention.
It took it.
Every step he took carried quiet authority, the kind that didn’t need to prove itself.
And like always—
People began approaching.
“Look who decided to show up.”
A familiar voice broke through, light and teasing.
His friend.
Aarush choudhary.
The only one who dared.
“Well, well… Mr. Untouchable himself,” Aarush smirked, stepping closer. “You do remember social events exist, right?”
He didn’t react.
Didn’t smile.
Didn’t entertain.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” he replied flatly.
Aarush chuckled. “Same warmth. Truly heart-touching.”
No reaction.
“Missed you too,” Aarush added dramatically, placing a hand over his chest.
Silence.
Their dynamic hadn’t changed.
One effortless.
One distant.
“You came alone?” Aarush asked, glancing around.
“Obviously.”
“Right. Should’ve known.”
Before the banter could stretch further, a group of businessmen approached.
Polished greetings.
Carefully chosen words.
Subtle negotiations hidden beneath formal smiles.
He handled them with precision—listening just enough, responding only when needed.
No wasted words.
No unnecessary warmth.
Then came another group.
Different.
Less refined.
Smiles that didn’t quite sit right. Eyes that calculated too much.
He acknowledged them briefly.
Nothing more.
Nothing beyond what was required.
And then—
The atmosphere shifted again.
Not because of power.
But because of fear.
The Sharma family had arrived.
Elegant as always. Influential. Known.
But the moment their eyes landed on him—
Something changed.
A pause.
A flicker.
Barely noticeable—
But real.
Mr. Sharma’s confident posture stiffened for just a second before he masked it with a practiced smile.
“Good evening,” he greeted, voice steady… almost.
He gave a slight nod in return.
Nothing more.
No extended courtesy.
No effort.
And yet—
It was enough to unsettle them.
Mrs. Sharma avoided direct eye contact.
Ms.Nisha Sharma stood unusually quiet, her earlier ease gone.
Even their smiles seemed… careful.
Measured.
As if one wrong word could cost them something they couldn’t afford to lose.
“Pleasure to see you here,” Mr. Sharma continued, trying to maintain composure.
A pause.
Just long enough to make the silence uncomfortable.
“The feeling is mutual,” he said finally.
Calm.
Unreadable.
But not warm.
Not even slightly.
The conversation didn’t last long.
It couldn’t.
Because no matter how hard they tried to appear composed—
The tension around them had already exposed the truth.
They weren’t meeting him as equals.
They were standing in front of someone—
They feared.
And he knew it.
He always did.
As they stepped away, his friend leaned in slightly, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Well,” he murmured, “looks like someone’s reputation is doing all the talking tonight.”
He smirked.
He didn’t respond.
His gaze had already drifted elsewhere.
Scanning.
Searching—
Before stopping for just a fraction of a second.
A name claimed the space in my mind.
Heer Malhotra.
And this time—
The feeling didn’t disappear as easily.
“Drink?” Aarush asked, guiding us toward the bar.
“I don’t.”
“Yeah, yeah. Mr. Discipline,” he muttered before ordering, “One Macallan 18.”
The amber liquid settled into his glass.
“For you?” the bartender asked.
“Water.”
Of course.
He took a slow sip, savoring it.
I didn’t.
My attention drifted across the hall, aimless, detached—
Until it wasn’t.
It stopped.
The dance floor.
And then—
Her.
I don’t know when my focus narrowed.
Or why.
But it did.
She moved like she belonged there—like the music answered to her instead of the other way around.
Effortless.
Unaware.
Untouched by the weight that everyone else in the room seemed to carry.
Beside her, someone laughed—Ms.Ananya Gupta, I think.I heard she took over the company after her father.
I didn’t care enough to confirm.
Because my attention didn’t leave her.
“Who is she?” I heard myself ask.
Aarush followed my gaze, then smirked slightly. “You don’t know? That’s Malhotra.”
Malhotra.
The name settled somewhere deeper than it should have.
For a moment—
Everything stilled.
Then something shifted.
A strange warmth, unfamiliar and unwelcome.
“Relax,” he added, amused. "You look tensed".
“I don’t need your analysis,” I said.
He chuckled under his breath. “Sure you don’t.”
My gaze returned to her.
This time—
Not just watching.
Observing.
The details.
The way her outfit moved with her.
The confidence in every step.
And then—
I noticed it.
A pendant.
A trishul, resting against her collarbone.
Simple.
But not meaningless.
There was intention behind it.
My jaw tightened slightly.
This was getting unnecessary.
I looked away.
Forced myself to.
“We have a meeting,” I said.
He sighed, finishing his drink. “Right. The VIP one.” A smirk followed. “Perfect timing. You always leave when things get interesting.”
“Unlike you,” I replied, “I don’t chase distractions.”
“Distraction?” he laughed softly. “That’s what we’re calling her now?”
I didn’t respond.
I didn’t need to.
“Careful,” he added. “You’re actually looking.”
“I observe,” I said, my tone enough to end it. “Not everything needs your commentary.”
“Alright,” he raised his hands. “Business first.”
The VIP room was exactly what I needed.
Quiet.
Controlled.
Predictable.
Everything the outside wasn’t.
The meeting started immediately.
Numbers. Strategies. Agreements.
Clear. Direct. Efficient.
I focused on that.
Only that.
And it worked.
No distractions.
No unnecessary thoughts.
By the time it ended, everything was finalized.
Exactly how it should be.
We stepped out into the corridor, the distant noise of the party returning.
He stretched slightly. “Well, that was smoother than expected.”
“That’s because I don’t entertain incompetence.”
A smirk. “Remind me why I still work with you?”
“You don’t,” I said calmly. “You keep up.”
He laughed. “Arrogant.”
“Accurate.”
“I have someone to meet,” he said.
A slow smirk tugged at my lips. I already knew who.
“To meet… or to stalk?” I asked, raising a brow.
He chuckled, not even bothering to deny it.
“Go ahead,” I waved him off casually.
He walked away, his steps a little too eager to look natural.
I adjusted my cufflinks, composure settling back into place as I moved forward—
And then something caught my attention.
On the floor.
I stopped.
A pendant.
I bent and picked it up.
A trishul.
My grip tightened slightly.
I had seen this.
Not long ago.
Her.
For a moment, I just looked at it.
Then I started walking again, my focus still on the pendant in my hand—
And then—
Impact.
I walked straight into someone.
The pendant shifted as I instinctively steadied them.
“I—”
The word didn’t complete.
Because when my gaze dropped—
Everything else blurred.
Our eyes met.
And something inside me—
Shifted.
Again.
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