They stayed like that for a moment, breathing hard, his weight pressing her into the wall. His forehead rested against her shoulder, his breath hot on her skin.
"Mihika means nothing," he said finally, his voice rough. "She's Nisha's friend. I'm polite to her because of that. Nothing more."
It wasn't a declaration of love. Wasn't even particularly romantic. But it was more than he'd ever given her before—an acknowledgment that her feelings mattered, that her jealousy was justified.
"Then tell your sister to stop," Advika said quietly. "Tell her to stop seating Mihika next to you. Stop letting her think she has a chance."
He pulled out slowly, turning her to face him. His hands cupped her face, his amber eyes intense.
"Fine," he said. "But you need to understand something. This—" he gestured between them "—what we have, it's complicated."
"It doesn't have to be."
"Yes, it does." His thumb brushed across her cheekbone. "Because if I let myself feel more than this, if I let you in..." He shook his head. "People I care about get hurt. Get killed. It's safer this way."
"Safer for who?"
He didn't answer. Just kissed her forehead—a gesture so tender it made her chest ache—and stepped back, adjusting his clothes.
"We should get back," he said. "Before they send a search party."
"Sidharth—"
"I'll talk to Nisha," he interrupted. "About the seating arrangements. About Mihika. Satisfied?"
It wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. But it was something.
"For now," she said.
His lips quirked in what might have been amusement. "Get dressed. And try to look less thoroughly fucked before we go back."
"You're one to talk. I bit your shoulder."
He glanced down at the teeth marks visible through his unbuttoned shirt and smiled—a real smile that transformed his face. "Worth it."
Then he helped her into her dress, his fingers gentle on the zipper. When she was presentable, he pressed one more kiss to her lips—soft, almost sweet.
"For the record," he murmured against her mouth, "I hate when men look at you too. Every single one of them at that gala. I wanted to gouge their eyes out."
"That's not healthy," she said, but she was smiling.
"Neither is this." He pulled back, his walls already going back up. "But here we are."
They returned to the dining room separately. Advika slipped in first, mumbling apologies about not feeling well. Sidharth followed five minutes later, his expression neutral.
But when he took his seat, he moved his chair fractionally away from Mihika. And when she tried to touch his arm again, he shifted, the movement subtle but clear.
A rejection. A boundary. A statement.
Across the table, Nisha's eyes narrowed. She knew something had shifted, even if she didn't know the details.
And Advika? Advika met her sister-in-law's challenging gaze and smiled.
Small victories. She was learning to treasure them.
Even if they came at the cost of falling deeper in love with a man determined not to love her back.
Later that night, long after the guests had left and the house had gone quiet, Sidharth came to their bedroom.
