Chapter 2

The city lights blurred into streaks of gold and red as Aria drove home, gripping the wheel a little too tightly.

The air in her car felt thick, charged with something she couldn't quite name.

The meeting had gone well—objectively. Kabir Oberoi was sharp, decisive, and maddeningly confident. He had the kind of presence that made people sit up and listen. He spoke with an authority that wasn't just about wealth or influence—it was something deeper. Something ingrained.

And yet…

Aria exhaled sharply, her knuckles whitening against the steering wheel.

Her mind kept circling back—not to the deal, not to the specifics of the proposal, but to something far less tangible.

The moment.

The almost moment.

She shouldn't be thinking about it. It had been a fraction of a second, a passing incident. A brush of fingers. A shift in the air between them. Nothing more.

And yet, she could still feel the ghost of his touch.

Her phone buzzed on the passenger seat, lighting up the darkened car.

For a second, she didn't want to look. She already knew who it was.

At the next red light, she picked up the phone.

Kabir Oberoi: Did you make it home?

She hesitated, her pulse stuttering for a beat.

It was a simple question. Nothing extraordinary.

And yet, something about it felt too deliberate. Too personal.

She should ignore it. She should put the phone down and pretend she hadn't seen it.

Instead, her fingers moved instinctively.

Aria: On my way.

The message was marked as read instantly.

She expected another response. Maybe a short acknowledgment.

But none came.

A strange restlessness settled over her as she reached her apartment building, pulling into her designated parking space.

She sat in the car for a moment, staring at her reflection in the rearview mirror.

Her cheeks were still flushed.

She pressed her lips together, inhaling deeply before finally stepping out.

The night air did little to cool the heat simmering beneath her skin.

Inside her apartment, everything was just as she had left it—neat, orderly, undisturbed. But it felt different, like she had brought something back with her from that meeting.

Something she didn't know how to put down.

She kicked off her heels and shrugged off her jacket, sinking onto the couch.

Her phone buzzed again.

Kabir: It was good meeting you tonight.

She stared at the message, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Her first instinct was to keep it professional.

Aria: Likewise. I'll review the details and have my team follow up.

A safe response. A predictable response.

And yet, it felt… off. Too cold. Too distant.

Before she could think too hard about it, another message appeared.

Kabir: Sleep well, Aria.

Her breath hitched.

There was nothing overtly suggestive about the words, and yet they settled deep in her chest, making it impossible to ignore the unspoken weight behind them.

She shouldn't respond.

Instead, she locked her phone and tossed it onto the couch.

This was business.

Just business.

Then why did it feel like something else entirely?

Kabir's PoV

At Veda Islands, Kabir stood on the terrace of his private villa, staring out at the inky pool.

The resort was quiet at this hour. The pool stretched out before him, the water perfectly still, reflecting the moon's pale glow. The breeze carried the faint scent of night-blooming jasmine, mixing with the lingering smoke from his half-burned cigar resting in the ashtray.

He exhaled, rolling his shoulders, trying to shake off the tension still coiled in his muscles.

But it wasn't the day's work that had him restless.

It was her.

He had expected competence. Intelligence. A woman who knew her game.

What he hadn't expected was her.

Aria Vijay was sharp, yes. Witty, with a mind that moved fast. But there was something else. Something in the way she held herself, in the way she refused to be impressed, in the way she looked at him like she saw right through the polished charm to the man beneath.

And then there was that moment.

He could still feel it.

The subtle brush of her fingers against his. The almost imperceptible intake of breath. The way she didn't pull away immediately.

It hadn't happened. That was the truth.

A fraction of an inch more, and it would have.

But it hadn't.

So why did it feel as if it had?

He let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head.

It was ridiculous. She wasn't the first woman to challenge him, and she wouldn't be the last.

And yet—

His phone vibrated on the table beside him.

For a split second, he thought she had replied.

But it was just a work email.

He smirked, tossing the phone down.

Aria Vijay was a problem.

And Kabir Oberoi never ignored a problem.