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How long had Dev been watching him tonight? How had he even found them? Vihaan had been certain there had been no car trailing them tonight. He’d checked his rearview mirror several times. He’d even driven way past the speed limits for anyone to catch up. Then how had this man found him?
Keeping his face blank, Vihaan said, “You really expect me to answer that?”
“Not really. I’m just glad I figured it out. It’s one riddle solved.”
Silence descended upon them, heavy and harsh. Twelve years ago, if someone had told Vihaan that Dev Luthra and he would be at opposing ends, he would have laughed in their face. They had been best friends since childhood. Him, Aaryan and Dev. They’d been near inseparable. Truth be told, Dev and Aaryan had been slightly closer to one another. Aaryan was Vihaan’s twin, the other half of his soul, but Dev had been Aaryan’s shadow. He was the one Dev would call first if he ever had a problem. Nonetheless, he’d been Vihaan’s closest friend too. The three of them had been brothers, yet, here they were, standing as adversaries because of unforgivable things done to his family by this very man.
“I watched you with her, you know,” Dev finally said, breaking the stillness. He tipped his head at Tiya, who was chatting with a woman, her back to them. “When she was in your arms, you were totally lost in her. I think you’re falling for her, that is if you haven’t already.”
“Do I look like I care what you think?”
Fuck! First Rajiv and now Dev. Was he that transparent when it came to Tiya?
“You know, the last time we met, I thought you were faking this relationship with her because of obvious reasons—namely, her father’s company. But now I think you really like her.”
Of course, Vihaan liked her. The more time he spent with her, the more in danger he was of falling for her. She was the first woman who’d captured his attention completely and overwhelmingly so. But he’d never give the man in front of him the power of knowing that. That would make Tiya an immediate target—if she wasn’t one already—simply because of her association with Vihaan. He couldn’t and wouldn’t put her in more danger.
“I don’t see where this conversation is going.”
A server offered a martini to Dev. He removed the olive from it and bit into it. “I want to make you a bet. A dare.”
“Not interested.”
“I recall that you used to quite like betting with me in the past,” Dev reminisced.
“That was then and this is now. Much has changed in the last twelve years.”
“But have you really changed that much?” Dev studied him. “You were always wild and rebellious. You’d always act first and think later. Aren’t you still the same?”
Vihaan remained silent, refusing to accept his bait.
“Come on, you don’t even want to hear my terms?” Dev asked in a silky tone.
“Like I said, not interested.”
“Not even if it means that you have an opportunity for me to leave Dubai and go away from your lives forever??”
Vihaan stilled.
“See, I knew that would get your attention.” Dev sipped his drink. “So, here’s the thing. I bet that you will fall for your fake girlfriend. I bet you won’t be able to resist her. And since you’re never going to accept this out loud that you’re faking it with her, allow me to tell you the remainder of the deal. If I win, which I will, then you will answer my questions. If you win, which I highly doubt, then you have to end everything with Tiya in such a way that she’ll never want to look at your face again. The break up has to be real. Only then will I leave Dubai forever and never return. I won’t search for your family ever. Iwillgo away.”
Vihaan stood unmoving. Shock couldn’t even begin to describe what he felt in that moment. “I don’t think I believe you.”
“I give you my word,” Dev said.
“We both know your word means shit to me.”
“Then how about I sweeten this deal further? The properties, lands, everything that belonged to your family—”
“—that you and your father robbed.”
“Now, now,” Dev held a hand up, “Let’s not rehash the past.”
Vihaan’s jaw tightened.
“So, I was saying…” Dev continued, cool as ever. “The lands that belonged to your family, your factories, everything that my father claimed after all your supposed demise—I will return them all to you if you win this bet.”
Blood began to pound in Vihaan’s ears. Dev was agreeing to return all their assets back to them? Fuck! They’d been trying to find a way for years to claim them and he was handing it to him on a platter if only he didn’t fall for Tiya. And if Vihaan won, Dev would leave Dubai and go.
