Chapter 66

The House of Secrets

Jaipur – November 14, Six Days Before the Wedding

The gates of the Sharma estate opened slowly, the white car gliding past the guard post as Rhea looked out the window in silence. The house was beautiful—red sandstone pillars, flowering trees, and distant hills framing the skyline. It was perfect.

Too perfect.

"Are you ready?" Manik asked gently from the driver's seat.

Rhea turned to him, studying his face. Calm, as always. Reliable. Safe. And yet—they both knew the truth.

"No," she said honestly. "But let's do this anyway."

He gave a soft laugh and reached over to squeeze her hand. "We'll be fine. As long as we stick to the plan."

She nodded.

Because the wedding was real. The rituals were real.

But the reason behind it—that was something no one else knew.

Not yet.

---

The Private Conversation – One Week Ago

It was late, the lights low, and they sat across from each other in Manik's apartment, the ring box untouched on the table.

"I love you, Rhea," Manik had said. "But I also know you don't love me. Not like that."

She hadn't denied it.

She couldn't.

"But you need a way out. And I need to prove something to my family," he'd continued. "This… could work. If we're both honest about what it is."

"A deal?" she asked, stunned.

"An escape. For both of us."

And maybe—somewhere deep down—they both hoped they might find something real by pretending.

But now, as they walked into the Sharma family home, with relatives preparing trays of marigolds and music playing in the courtyard, that deal suddenly felt heavier than expected.

---

That Same Evening – A Quiet Garden Outside

Lex stood in the shadows beneath a neem tree, watching the house from a distance. He wasn't dressed like a guest—just a man in a black kurta, eyes sharper than ever, emotions dangerously close to the surface.

He had followed them here.

He wasn't invited. He wasn't expected.

But that had never stopped him before.

When he saw Rhea step onto the veranda, laughing politely as Manik's mother fixed her dupatta, something inside him cracked. That wasn't the girl he'd kissed in London. That wasn't the woman who'd whispered his name when no one else could hear.

That wasn't his Rhea.

He stepped forward.

---

The Confrontation

Rhea found him near the back garden, standing beneath the lantern light, hands in his pockets. Her breath caught.

"Lex?" she whispered, almost as if she didn't believe he was real.

"Nice dress," he said, voice calm. "You always did look good in red."

She froze. "You're not supposed to be here."

"And yet… here I am," he said, taking a step closer. "About to watch the woman I—"

He stopped himself.

Bit down on the words.

"You're getting married in six days," he said, bitterness creeping into his voice. "To him."

Her jaw tightened. "Don't do this, Lex."

He stared at her, heart pounding. "Why him, Rhea? Why now? Was I really that easy to forget?"

"You don't know what I've been through—"

"No. I don't. Because you disappeared. You cut me off. No goodbye, no answers—just silence. And now you expect me to believe this," he gestured toward the glowing house, "is love?"

She didn't speak. Not right away.

Then, quietly, she said, "It's safe."

Lex laughed, hollow. "So that's it. You'd rather live a lie than face the truth?"

She looked him in the eyes. "The truth hurt too much."

He stepped closer. "I still feel you, Rhea. Every night. I still see you in my dreams. I still remember the way you looked at me like I was the only one who understood you."

She swallowed hard. "You did."

"Then why are you running?"

Silence fell between them.

A door opened behind them. Manik's voice broke the quiet.

"Everything okay?" he asked, stepping into view, eyes flicking between them.

Lex looked at him. Then at Rhea.

And in that moment, something cold settled in his chest. Not anger. Not jealousy.

Resolve.

"I hope the truth comes out before your wedding," Lex said to her. "Because when it does—this whole thing will fall apart."

He turned and walked away, disappearing into the darkness.

And Rhea… she just stood there.

Watching him go.

And for the first time in weeks—wishing he wouldn't.