AUTHOR'S POV
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He closed his eyes, seemingly finding relief from the headache. She was so lost in the moment that she didn't realize how close she had come to his face, thinking he might be asleep.

The moment he opened his eyes, she jumped back, exclaiming, "Oh God! Why do I keep embarrassing myself?" she thought, cringing inwardly.

"Good night, sir,"

She stammered, starting to retreat to her room. But his voice stopped her.

"WAIT, Siya!"

He called out, making her heart skip a beat.

"Yes?" she replied, nervously.

"Sit here."

She quickly settled on the other sofa.

He made a call, instructing someone to bring something inside. Moments later, a man entered with some boxes.

"Put them on the table and leave!"

He ordered curtly.

"There's a very important business party tonight, and you're coming with me. These boxes contain dresses, shoes, and jewelry. Get ready. We leave at 10:00."

"What if I..." she started to ask.

He rose from his seat, came close to her, and whispered huskily in her ear, "Then the consequences won't be pleasant."

With that, he walked away.

Stunned, she quickly gathered the boxes and hurried to her room. Opening them, she was amazed at the beautiful items inside.

Realizing it was already 9:15, she began to get ready in a hurry.

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It was now 9:50 PM, and Arjun waited for Siya in the living room, looking devilishly handsome. He wore a luxurious black tuxedo that perfectly complemented his well-groomed hair and striking features.

As he glanced at the staircase, his breath caught at the sight before him.

Siya was descending the stairs, looking stunning. She wore a beautiful silvery white gown that highlighted her figure perfectly. Her diamond jewelry sparkled, enhancing her angelic beauty.

She looked like a goddess, truly mesmerizing.

Arjun couldn't take his eyes off her as she approached.

"Shall we go?"

She asked, breaking the spell.

"Yes, let's go."

He quickly composed himself.

They left the penthouse, went downstairs, and got into the car. The silence inside was comfortable for Arjun but awkward for Siya.

After about half an hour, they arrived at their destination. Siya glanced at Arjun, surprised to find him already looking at her.

She coughed, and they both looked away.

"Before we go in, I need to tell you something."

Arjun said coldly.

"There will be many important people at this party. Behave properly, or you know what I can do."

She nodded, understanding she had no choice.

"And just to be clear, just because I haven't said anything today doesn't mean I like you. My reputation is everything. So act like a good wife tonight. Got it?"

She nodded again.

The driver opened the door for them, and they stepped out. Arjun placed his hand on her waist, making her shudder at the close contact. Cameras flashed everywhere- it was a party for the elite, after all.

They walked inside, Arjun keeping his cold demeanor. Siya gasped at the beautiful scene in front of her, whispering to herself, "Oh my goodness."

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SIYA'S POV
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Upon seeing the scene before me, my eyes widened. When I heard about the party, I expected it to be good or lavish because it was hosted by wealthy people.

But this was nothing short of a royal affair! Everything was so beautiful, words couldn't describe it.

Arjun's hand was on my waist as he led me inside. I was looking around like a curious child discovering a new world.

I turned to Arjun to ask something but was surprised to see him already looking at me. I blinked a few times, but he never averted his gaze.

There was a depth of emotion in his eyes that I wanted to understand. We were lost in each other's eyes until a couple's voice brought us back to reality.

"Welcome, Mr. Rathore. Thank you for coming to our party."

A man in his fifties greeted him. As usual, Arjun just nodded.

"Who is this beautiful lady with you?" asked his wife, who appeared to be in her early fifties.

I was about to introduce myself as his secretary, but Arjun tightened his hold on my waist.

"My wife, Mrs. Siya Arjun Singh Rathore."

I said in a stern voice.

I didn't know why, but he seemed obsessed with introducing me as his wife, even if he didn't mean it. Yet, my heart always fluttered when he did.

"Oh! She is so beautiful, like an angel. Arjun, you are a very lucky man,"

The lady remarked, Arjun nodded respectfully.

"Enjoy the party."

They said before moving on to greet other guests.

Arjun was engaged in conversations with some businessmen-well, they were talking to him while he mostly nodded or gave one-word replies.

Meanwhile, I stood obediently beside him, feeling bored.

The same couple who greeted us earlier returned, now accompanied by a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties wearing a stunning black mermaid dress.

The woman hugged Arjun.

"Hey, Arjun!"

To my shock, Arjun hugged her back.

"Hey, Reha! When did you get back from London?"

My heart sank seeing this after they got separated.

"Forget about me, tell me about you. You got married and didn't even wait for me?"

Arjun said nothing.

She continued, "Congratulations! By the way, who is the lucky girl?"

Arjun looked at me.

"She's my wife."

"Oh, hey! I'm Reha Kapoor."

She introduced herself.

"Hello! I'm Siya Mehra."

I replied with a smile.

"Nice name. By the way, did you know I am your husband's ex-girlfriend?"

She said, and my heart stopped.

I tried my best to hide any emotion and smiled a little at her.

She then held Arjun's hand.

"If I dance with your husband, you won't have any problem, will you?"

For some reason, that hurt me. I was about to respond but stopped when Arjun intruded.

"She won't have any problem. And even if she does, she should know that her opinion doesn't matter."

I looked down in shame as they walked to the dance floor and began dancing together.

I don't understand. What happiness does Arjun find in humiliating me in front of everyone?

"I don't get why I feel so hurt. If Arjun is with another girl, why does it bother me so much? I know he despises me. Then why?"

I screamed in my mind.

They were dancing closely, Arjun's hand caressing her bare back. They looked like a real couple.

I snapped out of my daze when I saw a hand offering a white handkerchief. It was then I realized I had been crying.

I took the handkerchief and quickly wiped my tears before anyone could notice.

"Thank you so much," I said.

"I didn't know the prettiest girl at this party could cry," he said.

I looked up to see a handsome guy in his early twenties, like me, standing before me.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

I asked, still a bit dazed.

"Are you thankful that I gave you my handkerchief?"

He chuckled.

"Yes, I am! Thank you so much again."

I said with a smile, returning the handkerchief.

He took it and tucked it back into his pocket.

"If you're thankful, could you do me a favor?"

"I'd love to" I

Replied with a smile.

He looked at me for a moment, then extended his hand.

"Then dance with me."

"What? Why do you want to dance with me?" I asked, surprised.

He thought for a while.

"I guess I have to explain everything now. So, listen. My friends were teasing me, calling me a coward. To prove them wrong, I told them I'd take a dare. They dared me to dance with the most beautiful girl at the party. So, here I am, in front of you."

He said all with a gummy smile.

I was stunned by his statement. Trying to control my surprise, I replied, "Maybe you just called me beautiful."

"Not maybe, I called you beautiful."

"What if I refuse to dance with you?"

I asked.

He made a sad face.

"Then I'll lose, and my friends will make fun of me. But I know you will dance with me because beautiful girls have beautiful hearts and can't refuse handsome guys like me."

I laughed hard at his remark.

"Okay, I'll dance with you, but only if you stop calling me beautiful over and over again."

"Okay, beautiful!"

He said, pulling me to the dance floor as some song started playing.

The lights were dim, making it hard to see. I was looking around when he asked.

"If you don't mind, may I know the name of the beautiful girl I'm dancing with right now?"

I chuckled and answered, "Hey, I'm Siya Mehra."

"What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl,"

He said playfully.

I lightly hit his chest.

"Stop it, please!"

"Okay! By the way, I am Karthik Arora"

He introduced himself.

"Handsome name for a handsome guy."

I teased him.

"Not bad, Siya! Good learner, huh?" he said, and we both laughed.

I couldn't remember the last time I laughed so openly.

"If you don't mind, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, ask!"

I said with a warm smile.

"Why were you standing there alone, crying earlier?"

H asked with curiosity, and my smile faded.

I didn't say anything. For some reason, I didn't want to tell him about how my so-called husband had just treated me.

Sensing my hesitation, he spoke, "Okay, you don't have to say anything, but can I guess?"

I looked down.

"Did someone hurt you? Break your heart or trust?" he asked.

I looked at him. He wasn't looking at me with pity or sympathy. There were different emotions in his eyes that I couldn't read.

"Tell me, Siya,"

He asked again, and I nodded.

CONTINEU✨