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Jai looked taken aback but did not say anything in response. Instead, he went straight to his sister, put an arm around her, and planted a kiss on top of her head. “Don’t worry about what people say. You do you.”
“Jai, do not encourage her. This is enough drama with the gay community and all the trolling online.” Bharath’s voice was further agitated.
Sanjana could not look at the man who was being so mean to Aish, and she had not said a single word to him despite what he said about her work. “Why do you have a problem with her work? Do you think being gay is bad? Being a gay man does not make anyone any less masculine or human.”
She saw something flash in Bharath’s eyes, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he cast a scorching glare toward Aish before storming out.
Sanjana was still trembling from the anger that imploded inside her and turned to look at Jai, talking quietly to his sister. At the sight of the man talking to his older sister like she was a child, like a father calming his daughter, her heart melted, and her mind conjured the image of him holding a child—their daughter.
She jolted as she felt a quiver at the bottom of her womb. She looked away, overwhelmed by the sudden surge of emotions. How did her mind go from being angry about what happened to Aish to having a baby with her fake husband.
She shook it all away and walked over to Aish shutting down her computer to get some rest. “Aish, promise me you won’t check your social media tonight.”
Aish smiled weakly. “I promise.” She smiled and turned to look at Sanjana. “I’ve always wondered what it was like to have a sister, especially when these two boys annoyed me. Now I know what it feels like to have a sister… a ferociously protective one.” Aish threw her arms around Sanjana, a sob escaping her.
Sanjana could only smile, fighting back the tears. How did she grow so fond of Aish in such a short time?
Shortly after, Jai and Sanjana walked back into their private chamber after seeing Aish to hers, ensuring she got a bite to eat before settling in for the night.
As they stepped into their private space, memories of the altercation fired back in her mind. “Jai, why didn’t you say something to Bharath? And why was he so mean to Aish? Poor thing was already devastated and…” Her voice trailed off when he took a few steps toward her.
For a private setting, it was too close for comfort, and she looked into his eyes, perplexed. He slowly cupped her face with his hand, and before she realized what was happening, he kissed her forehead, a gentle brush of his lips. “Thank you,” he murmured against her skin, and that sent thrills sailing through her entirety.
She felt his breath hiss as she caught hers, but he didn’t step away. Another palm cupped her cheek, his hands framing her face and tilting it to meet his eyes. “Today is the first time ever that Bharath acknowledged Aish to be a part of the family. And for that, I know he cast you as an outsider.”
“What are you talking about?” Sanjana was confused. She knew Aish was adopted, but she wastheprincess of her parents’ hearts and ruled the palace with her sweet manner.
Jai shook his head. “Bharath was bitter about Aish’s adoption for years and never really considered her a family member, but today, he showed concern for her. It may have sounded like he was accusing her of defaming the family, but with every word he said, he meant well.”
Sanjana replayed his brother’s words again in her mind.
“Aish, do you need all this? Why even bother to do this kind of work?”
“Jai, do not encourage her. This is enough drama with the gay community and all the trolling online.”
Her eyes widened when she realized that Bharath was, in fact, concerned. “How did you—” Her voice was lost in a sob.
“I know my brother. He may be a snob, but he is a good man.” He chuckled.
She let out a laugh. “I was ready to throw something at him if he hadn’t stopped talking to her like that.”
“Because he said you weren’t part of the family?” His voice was soft, and she could not deny there may be some truth to it, but it was mostly because of how he spoke to Aish.
“Not really.” She tried to keep her tone nonchalant and added, “I just couldn’t stand that he was saying those things. I could not figure out if he was upset about her clothes being worn by a gay couple or how the social media comments were defaming the family.”
His hands slipped lower to gently cup her shoulders. “You are very much a part of this family, and it meant a lot to Aish for you to stand up for her.”
She blinked away tears as he leaned closer and yet again, planted a kiss on her forehead. “You should get some rest.” She nodded, her eyes downcast as he stepped away. She slowly raised her head, her heart brimming with joy at what her husband said to her—fake husband.
The joy from his words was short-lived when the harsh truth hit her. It didn’t feel fake anymore. The emotions were born out of the connection she had built with Aish, and the warmth from the family made her feel like a part of it when it was only to be short-lived, to fulfill whatever purpose the prince had for the year.
The way she argued with Jai’s older brother for Aish’s sake scared her, and how outraged she felt that her husband did not take her side when the brother implied she was not family.
She started to feel weak in her knees when she realized she was getting attached to the people, and worse, she may be developing feelings for the prince and couldn’t afford to do so. She had her goals to meet, and she could not get caught up in the dynamics of a family that was not hers.
Chapter 15
The following morning, she woke up to an empty bed, and from the looks of it, her husband had not slept at all the previous night. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the couch next to him as he spoke to his team and worked on getting things under control. And from how quiet their private space was, Jai had left for work and would not return until much later in the day.
