Page 65 of The Promise of a Traitor

Advik forced another brittle smile. At this rate, his mouth was going to freeze in that rictus of a grimace.

“Shall we, sweetheart?” he asked Aastha, gesturing for her to precede him. For a second, he thought she was going to tell him to go fuck himself but he saw her shoulders sag, the fight going out of her and she walked past him, her head held high.

It took them twice as long to get to the exit with everyone stopping to tell them how good they looked together and how they were glowing with happiness. It took everything in Advik not to roll his eyes at them but finally, they were out of there. He led her to the elevator bank and was lucky enough to find one waiting. Her eyebrows rose as she saw him use the keycard to gain access to the seventeenth floor. But beyond that she didn’t say a word.

He unlocked Suite 1723 and held the door open for her. She stepped through, walking towards the wall to wall windows at the end of the room and stopped. She didn’t turn. Advik shut the door behind him, the click resounding in the quiet of the space.

“Look at me,” he said quietly.

Her shoulders stiffened but she didn’t turn.

“Aastha, look at me.”

“Ask me what you want to know,” she said, still not turning.

“I want,” he said, with vicious calm, “for you to look me in my eyes when you tell me how you used me, how you were unfaithful to another man in my arms, how you lied to me for every second that we have known each other.”

Slowly, achingly slowly, she turned, her fiery gaze meeting his. “I lied to you. I was engaged to another man while I was with you, every single second that I was with you.”

Every word sliced through him, an aching burn that ripped through his bruised and bleeding heart.

“But I never used you,” she said now, not looking away from him.

He laughed disbelievingly. “Forgive me if I don’t believe a word out of your lying mouth.”

Aastha shrugged, her face a tight, pinched mask. “Why bother asking me questions then?”

For one tense, fraught moment, their angry gazes fought for answers, for resolution, for respite from the pain clawing through the two of them.

“Why did you leave New York?”

“I left New York,” she said tonelessly, “and flew back to India for my wedding.”

The words sent a jolt of electricity through him. “And why aren’t you a married woman right now?” he asked softly, coming to stand in front of her.

Her head tipped back to continue to maintain eye contact with him. She slipped her engagement ring off her finger, grabbed his hand and placed it in his palm.

“I don’t believe you are entitled to that truth of mine, Advik Malhotra,” she whispered. “Not when you look at me with such anger and loathing.”

She stepped away from him and walked to the door. She paused, turning to look at him over her shoulder. “Thank you for loving me. It was nice while it lasted.”

Chapter Forty

Aastha

“Where do you think you’re going?” Advik’s cold voice stopped her in her tracks before she even reached the door.

Aastha blinked. “Home. With my parents. This is done. We’re done. What’s the point of hanging around?”

“We’re not done, darling. Not by a long shot.”

A frown wrinkled her brow as she watched him, all long, lean lines of anger and bitterness. “What does that mean?”

He walked over to where she stood, a predator stalking his prey. A shiver of awareness snaked down her spine as she fought the urge to turn and run. This man would never know what she’d gambled for a chance at him. She’d never let him find out.

“You’re not going anywhere. It’s our engagement party. You’re going to stay and we’re going to celebrate.”

“You can’t be serious.” Her breath shook as she formed the words. “This engagement is over.”