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“I didn’t? Oh, I just assumed you’d know,” her mother brushed off.
Tiya flashed Vihaan an annoyed look, but he only grinned at her in response.
“Sorry, baby,” he replied looking contrite. “I wanted to surprise you when you returned. Please forgive me.”
She narrowed her eyes. Vihaan smirked, totally unaffected by her annoyance.
“Vihaan was just telling us about a successful projectKeyStonehas won in Kuwait,” her mom gushed, looking mightily impressed.
“You boys are doing very well,” her father added. “You must be proud of yourselves.”
“We are,” Vihaan replied. “This project is a big deal. In fact, our cement needs will increase ten-fold now. Which was what I wanted to discuss with you as well.”
Her father pushed to his feet. “Let’s eat first, we can talk business later.” He checked his phone. “I have an important call to make. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Her dad disappeared in the direction of his study.
“I’ll go instruct the staff to set the dishes out,” her mom said. “Tiya, you give Vihaan company while I set up dinner.”
As soon as she was out of sight, Vihaan dropped into the seat next to Tiya.
“Hi, beautiful,” he whispered. “You look angry with me.”
“I am,” she muttered. “Why are you here, Vihaan? I thought I told you that it wasn’t needed to show my parents we are a couple.”
“You mean your rather vague text explanation?” He tapped his lips. “Umm…sorry, I didn’t understand what you meant.”
“Vihaan, please, don’t play innocent. Why are you here?”
“I told you I wanted to talk business with your dad. I just wanted you to be here when I did it.”
He was here only for her dad. Yet a small part of her had hoped that he was here for her. She was a fool. An idiot. A fucking foolish idiot to put her hopes on him when he clearly felt nothing for her.
“Okay then,” she said, looking him in the eye, “Let tonight be the last time we perform this charade in front of my parents. After tonight, I don’t want to see you anymore. We will pretend we are in a relationship but we won’t meet again. And a month later, we end this. I will tell my parents the whole truth then. The only reason I’m not doing this now is because I want to hold my end of the bargain with you and give you an opportunity to buy my dad’s company, because I honestly think thatKeyStoneis a good company and you all will look afterSood Cement.”
“Thank you.” He studied her for a long moment. “I wish things could’ve been different between us, but I suppose it is better this way.”
His words wounded her, but she squashed the pain. “Let’s go eat. Perhaps you can state your desire to buySood Cementto my dad, and then you can leave.”
Just as she began to rise, Vihaan held her hand.
“I’m sorry, Tiya. I really am. Hurting you was not my intention.”
She forced her lips to tip up, freeing her hand from his. “Who says I’m hurt? There are plenty of fish in the sea waiting to be caught.”
“Feisty as always,” Vihaan said, standing up.
Her heart heavy, Tiya forced herself to interact with her mother and the staff. She even kept the smile on her face intact, showing nothing of the inner turmoil she was going through. Vihaan never needed to learn what she’d begun to feel for him. He’d voiced his feelings loud and clear. Someday soon, she’d have her own closure with regards to him and that day, maybe she wouldn’t hurt when she even took his name in her mind.
But for tonight, she’d do what she could do for one last time to help him before she called the whole thing off and set him free.
20
Vihaan followed Tiya to the dining room. She greeted the staff and spoke to them warmly, even volunteering to help them bring in the dishes from the kitchen.
Sensing his eyes on her, she looked up and gave him a soft smile. His heart squeezed inside his chest. Even though she was dressed in a simple black and green plaid shirt and black leggings, her silky hair pulled in a messy bun on top of her head, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
She was just…perfect…for him. Her spunk and sass kept him on his toes. Her smiles brightened his days, her chatter entertained him, her funny cuss words made him laugh and he knew without a doubt that making love to her would have blown his mind. She was electric. A live wire. Without a doubt, she would have made him very happy.
