Chapter 19: The Birthday Kiss
The mansion was transformed for the night. Advik had spared no expense, filling the ballroom with thousands of white lilies and crystal chandeliers that shimmered like falling rain. It was my birthday, and for the first time in years, the world felt bright.
Advik had been a perfect gentleman all evening. He played the host with a quiet, dignified distance, ensuring everyone knew this was my night. He had given me a small, elegant vintage watch—no diamonds, no heavy gold, just something simple that he knew I'd actually like.
"Happy Birthday, Ananya," he had whispered earlier, his eyes lingering on mine just a second too long before he retreated to the shadows of the bar.
The Courtyard
As the party wound down, I slipped out into the moonlit courtyard for some air. The scent of night-blooming jasmine was thick. I didn't have to wait long before Aman found me.
"There you are," Aman said, his voice soft and full of the affection I had always relied on. "I barely got a moment with you tonight. Malhotra certainly knows how to throw a distraction."
"It was a nice party, Aman," I said, leaning against the stone balustrade.
Aman stepped into my personal space, his hands coming up to rest on my waist. "Ananya... I've been waiting all night for this."
He leaned in. For a heartbeat, I glanced toward the glass doors of the ballroom, wondering if a certain pair of dark eyes was watching. But then I looked at Aman—the man who was supposed to be my future. I closed my eyes, trying to force myself to feel the spark I used to have for him.
Aman's lips met mine. It was a soft, steady kiss, smelling of the wine he'd been drinking and the familiar safety of our past.
The Crack in the Mask
A sharp, metallic clink echoed through the courtyard.
I pulled away from Aman, breathless, and turned my head. Advik was standing by the stone pillar, a glass of scotch gripped in his hand. He wasn't hiding. He was standing in the direct path of the moonlight, and the look on his face was terrifying.
The "friendship" mask hadn't just slipped; it had shattered into a thousand pieces.
His eyes were a dark, burning gold, fixed on the spot where Aman's hands were still resting on my hips. The veins in his neck were pulsing, and his jaw was set with such force I thought his teeth might break.
"Advik," I breathed, my heart jumping into my throat.
He didn't say a word. He didn't move. But the sheer intensity of his jealousy was a physical weight in the air. He looked like a predator watching his prize be touched by a thief.
Aman stepped back, clearing his throat, clearly intimidated by the sudden shift in the atmosphere. "We were just... it's her birthday, Malhotra."
Advik finally moved. He walked toward us, his footsteps slow and deliberate. He didn't look at Aman. He looked only at me, his gaze sweeping over my swollen lips and flushed cheeks.
He stopped inches from me, ignoring Aman entirely. He reached out, his thumb grazing the corner of my mouth—erasing the ghost of Aman's kiss with a touch that felt like a brand of fire.
"The party is over," Advik said, his voice a low, vibrating growl that sent a shiver straight down my spine. "Go inside, Ananya."
"Advik, you said—"
"I said go inside," he repeated, his voice dropping an octave, raw with a jealousy he could no longer contain.
Aman tried to step in. "You can't talk to her like—"
Advik finally snapped his gaze to Aman. It was a look of such pure, lethal malice that Aman actually took a step back. "If you want to keep those hands, Aman, you'll take them off my wife and leave my property. Right. Now."
The "friend" was gone. The monster was back, and he was hungry.