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“They have.”
“Good,” Dev smirked. “Tell them that the doors ofLuthra Inc.will be opened to you all from tomorrow morning. I wish them and you all the luck in managing that vast empire I’ve created and nurtured.”
“Don’t underestimate us,” Shaurya remarked, looking agitated. “We’re perfectly capable of managingLuthra Inc.”
A corner of Dev’s lips tipped. “Then I’ll be glad to know that my hard work lies in capable hands.”
“What are you going to do now?” Avantika asked.
“I have more money than I can spend in this lifetime,” Dev declared. “And I haven’t taken a break from work in years. I’ll spend all my free time getting to know my son first before deciding what I want to do next. Besides, I was only a custodian of these businesses. I always planned to hand them over to your brothers.”
Shaurya’s eyebrows shot up. He shared a shocked look with Avantika.
“If that were the case, why wait till now to return them?” Shaurya asked.
“I’m not a martyr, Shaurya,” Dev retorted. “I would have never found Avantika had I been so benevolent. You all see me as a villain. I am that, but I am a villain for a reason.” His gaze shifted to Avantika. “In my life, I’ve learned the hard way that you have to fight for what you truly want.”
Shaurya looked from Dev to her and back at Dev as if processing his words. Avantika studied Dev. He was observing her too. His gaze was all-consuming as usual, heating her to her bones. The silence between all of them stretched and thickened.
“Dev,” she finally said. “How are we going to go on from here?”
“I’ll move my things in here tomorrow,” he declared. “I noted you have a spare bedroom.”
She rose. “Yes.”
“Bloody hell.” Shaurya stood, leaving the papers on the table. “He’s going to live here with us?!”
“Us?” Dev queried.
“Um…yeah,” Avantika said. “My brothers and I live one on top of each other. Aaryan’s apartment is below mine, and Vihaan’s is above. Shaurya lives below Aaryan.”
Shaurya glared at her.
“Why are you scowling at me?” Avantika snapped. “Either he lives here, or I move into his house. Which do you think is the better option for Neil…and me?”
“Aaryan and Vihaan are going to be so mad when they find out,” Shaurya commented.
“They’re already mad at me,” Avantika said. “Might as well deal with them with everything out in the open now.”
Shaurya opened and closed his mouth as he stared at her. All her brothers eventually would have to come to terms with her solution. They’d soon see that this was the best way forward.
Shaurya addressed Dev. “So, you’re going to live here with her now? As what? What exactly is Neil supposed to tell the world?”
Dev gave him an annoyed look. “He needs to only tell that his father is alive and well, and whatever his mother had previously assumed was false and incorrect.”
Shaurya took an agitated step forward. “And what relation do you have with his mother? The world is going to need a tag for your relationship now that you insist on living with Neil and Avantika.”
“Do I look like I give a damn about the fucking world?” Dev bit out.
“You should,” Shaurya shot back. “You have a son—one you want to raise respectfully and properly, I assume. I daresay that sooner or later, he will ask that question because, even if he hasn’t thought of it yet, one of his friends or their parents or some nosy person will ask him and put it in his mind. Your best option is to continue to live separately and still parent Neil together.”
Shit! Her brother was right. With all that had been going on, Avantika hadn’t had a moment to ponder on this pertinent point and, looking at the bewildered expression on Dev’s face, neither had he.
Dev blinked and then faced her. “Living away from Neil is not an option I will agree to, and since you most certainly will never allow him to come live with me by himself, I’m afraid we are left with only two options. Either we tell the world we are simply living together, or you could marry me, and we give our son the respectability he will need in the future.”
“What?” Shaurya spluttered.
Avantika could barely hear him through the roaring in her ears. Her hand flew to her mouth. Dev was…he was asking her to…to marry him?
