chapter 23

Kabir's POV

Restraint had always been Kabir's strength. It had built his empire, shaped his control, and ensured that no one could ever take anything from him again.

But last night, sitting across from Aria, listening to her speak about her fight for freedom, that restraint had felt fragile.

She wasn't like the others who moved in his world—those who wanted power for power's sake, who played their roles to secure their positions. She had fought for something different. Not wealth. Not status. A choice.

And that struck something deep inside him.

Because he understood. He had once fought for the same thing.

But now, sitting in the morning light of Veda Islands, waiting for Aria's team to arrive, he knew one thing for certain.

He wasn't seventeen anymore. He wasn't powerless.

This time, he wasn't walking away.

The Meraki team arrived on time, stepping into the lounge where Kabir waited. He rarely led branding briefings himself—there were entire teams for that. But today, he was handling this personally.

Because this wasn't just business anymore.

Aria entered last, scanning the room before her eyes locked onto his.

She hesitated for the briefest moment. Not long enough for anyone else to notice. But Kabir caught it.

She wasn't unaffected.

Good.

He greeted the team smoothly, his tone as polished as ever, but his attention never really left her.

As they walked through the resort, Kabir took them through the vision behind Veda Islands.

"We're not just selling luxury," he explained, leading them to the terrace overlooking the pools. "We're selling exclusivity. Privacy. People come here to disappear—not just from their schedules, but from their entire world."

Aria nodded, making notes. "So we're marketing an escape."

He inclined his head slightly. "More than that. An alternate reality. A place where the rules of their regular life don't apply."

She tapped her pen against her notebook. "That means the branding needs to be immersive. If we're positioning Veda Islands as a retreat from everything, the messaging needs to feel like it's already pulling them away before they even book their stay."

Kabir watched her carefully.

She got it.

She understood exactly what he had built here.

One of his team members added something about the current marketing approach, but Kabir barely heard them. Because as much as this meeting was about Veda Islands, his attention kept drifting back to Aria.

She was poised, professional, sharp as ever. But every now and then, he caught the small tells—the way she flicked her fingers against the spine of her notebook, the way she stole glances in his direction.

Like she was still thinking about last night.

And that made two of them.

Just as they were about to move on, Aria's phone rang.

Kabir didn't have to look at the screen. He already knew.

Aarav.

Aria sighed, ignoring the call.

Then it rang again.

And again.

Kabir's fingers twitched, but he kept his expression neutral.

The rest of the team continued moving forward, but Aria lingered behind, her phone still vibrating.

This time, Kabir didn't walk away.

He turned slightly, voice low. "You should take it."

She looked up, mildly irritated. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Maybe he has something important to say."

Aria rolled her eyes but answered the call anyway.

"Aarav, what?"

Kabir leaned casually against the railing, watching.

Aarav's voice carried through the speaker, effortlessly playful. "Babe, you wound me. I don't get an invite to the paradise resort, and now you're ignoring me? I thought we were closer than that."

Kabir smirked.

Aria's expression was flat. "We're not. And stop calling me babe."

Aarav laughed. "Cold. Very cold. You need me there to warm things up."

Kabir exhaled slowly, shaking his head slightly.

Aarav kept talking, persistent. "Seriously, though, what's Oberoi's place like? You sure he's not keeping you hostage in a glass tower or something?"

Aria let out a long-suffering sigh. "Aarav, I'm here for work. And even if I were being held hostage, it would be in a very nice suite with excellent food, so I'd survive."

Kabir chuckled under his breath.

Aarav didn't seem to notice. "Come on, let me visit. I promise to behave."

Aria scoffed. "You don't even know how to behave."

"Untrue. I am an excellent guest. Just ask—"

"Aarav?" Aria cut him off, her voice deceptively sweet.

"Yeah?"

"Find someone else to bother."

Then she hung up.

Kabir let out a quiet laugh. "That was efficient."

Aria slid her phone back into her pocket. "He was getting annoying."

He nodded, glancing toward the rest of the team before lowering his voice slightly. "A long list of admirers to fight off, I see."

She gave him a flat look. "Hardly."

His smirk deepened. "Should I be concerned?"

She raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

He let a beat of silence settle between them before his gaze dropped, just for a second, to her lips. Then, voice measured, he said, "Competition."

Aria's breath hitched.

It was subtle. Barely noticeable.

But he saw it.

She recovered quickly, rolling her eyes. "If you're losing to Aarav, you should be."

Kabir chuckled, low and deep. "Fair point."

She turned, brushing past him to rejoin the others.

He let her go.

For now.

Because Aria might have pushed Aarav aside. But she hadn't pushed him away.

And that meant only one thing.

He was getting closer.