“That’s fair,” Daksh shrugged. “But what does Vedika want?”
Her mouth went dry at the sound of her name on his lips, the deep baritone, a soothing salve to the burn of her humiliation.
“Aakash,” Kanak said quietly, warning in her tone.
But Aakash Thakkar was done listening, even to the love of his life. Nobody hurt his family and got away with it.
His voice went deathly cold. “You are not getting anywhere near my daughter.”
“With all due respect Sir,” Daksh stepped into the room, going toe to toe with Aakash, “if your daughter wants me around, God himself couldn’t keep me away.”
His dark, intense gaze switched from her father to her. Vedika’s chest constricted, her breath coming short under the weight of that gaze.
“What’s it going to be, Mouse? Should I stay or should I go?”
CHAPTER 26
DAKSH
Aakash Thakkar lookedlike he was about to explode on the spot. Behind the older man, Vedika’s mother and brother were watching avidly. All they needed was a bucket of popcorn and some 3D glasses for the punch he was pretty sure the Sr. Thakkar was contemplating. He could even see his fist bunching, impressive veins standing out on the back of his hand.
“What are you doing here?” Vedika asked, sounding a little dazed.
“I wanted to check on you,” he told her quietly, staying where he was so her father didn’t decapitate him.
“Why?” Aakash snarled. “Hasn’t your brother done enough damage?”
Daksh met the other man’s angry eyes. “I’m not my brother, Sir,” he said. “I’m just here as…”
“As?” Aakash raised his eyebrows when Daksh faltered. “As what? Ashish’s brother, Prasun’s son? What exactly?”
“Vedika’s friend.” A strange weight landed on his chest as he contemplated just how peripheral he was to her life when she seemed to spend all her time invading his thoughts.
“Being stranded together for a day doesn’t make you her friend,” Aakash snapped. “It doesn’t make you anything.”
“Pa.” Vedika appeared beside him. “Please stop.”
“I won’t have any member of his family hurting you anymore.” Aakash’s jaw clenched. “They’ve done enough.”
“Pa-“
“Enough Vedika. I allowed them to get this close because I thought you loved Ashish. I trusted your judgement and on paper, they looked good. I should have dug deeper. I should have seen what he was hiding and I should have known that he never wanted you. All that family wanted was an in to the Thakkar empire. Fucking social climbing gold diggers.”
Daksh’s gaze was trained on Vedika’s white face, the shocked pain reflecting on it.
“Aakash!” Kanak’s voice cracked through the room.
“What?” Aakash rounded on his wife, his fury blazing hot enough to incinerate all of them. “You want me to show them grace? After what they’ve done to my daughter? He betrayed her! He hurt her, broke her heart!” he roared.
“Stop shouting,” Kanak snapped. “You’re too old for a temper tantrum.”
Daksh’s eyebrows winged up. Was she trying to kill her husband? The man might stroke out with rage.
“I told you he didn’t break my heart.” Vedika’s quiet voice cut through the chaos before Aakash could deliver the blistering retort that Daksh could read on his face.
Everyone turned to her, silence blanketing them.
“He didn’t break my heart. I…wasn’t in love with him. I loved him, yes. He was a good friend to me, a good partner, and I wanted that. To feel safe and comfortable. He tolerated all my neuroses without complaint and that … it meant something. But I wasn’tinlove with him. It doesn’t change the fact that he betrayed me, my trust, our friendship…He jeopardised my work and ruined one of the biggest deals of my career. But he didn’t break my heart, Pa. And none of this is Daksh’s fault.”
