“Please sit. I hope you like Jasmine.”
“Um–” I hesitated, not because of the tea, but a tiny niggle that warned something wasn’t quite right. Outwardly he appeared perfect, yet it was the composed kindness that got to me, it almost seemed too practice, like he was scripted on what to say.
He handed me a cup, his expression a serene calm that unnerved me. Was I reading too much into this. Perhaps it was my obscure relationship with a man like Remo that made normal men seem abnormal. I took the cup with a small smile.
“Raif seems quite taken with you.” Cup in hand, he took a seat opposite me.
I frowned. “Raif?”
“Your brother?” At my surprised look, he chuckled. “You must’ve known him by another name?” I nodded. “You made an impression.”
A jolt of warmth shot through me. “Thank you for allowing me to meet him.”
He tilted his head, dark eyes studying me, the look more admiration than lewd. “I can see why though, you possess a gentle beauty about you, anything or anyone would be attracted to you, friend and foe alike.”
I sipped the scented tea.
“You don’t owe me any thanks,” he continued when I said nothing. “I’d like you both to have a chance to reconnect. It’s the least I can do.”
The least he can do?
For what? A crime he didn’t commit. Or one he was pretending not to openly acknowledge. I sipped the tea to avoid lashing out. I was in a foreign country, in a stranger’s house with no access to any form of help if I needed. I hadn’t even mentioned my visit to Remo, that was an oversight I suddenly regretted.
“You don’t speak much, do you?” His tone was way too gracious for my liking. “You must be overwhelmed, learning about Raif. Processing so much at once.”
I stiffened. “How do you know what I’ve processed?”
His smile was soft, almost sly if I had to be blunt. “Your uncle mentioned you’re an extremely private person. I assumed you wouldn’t share your feelings easily.”
I felt the tiny shift in his tone, almost like he was pushing for an answer while trying to remain within the script.
“Perhaps that will change in time, considering we’re to marry?” His eyes remained warm but something sharp flickered beneath the surface, a glint I almost missed. More a deep analysis than malice.
Know thy enemy?
“I want to make this process as painless as possible,” The gentleness was back. “Your brother means a great deal to me. I grew up with him. He’s family.”
Family. The word lodged in my throat. “He’s my family,” I softly corrected.
Ajay’s mask slipped, barely but enough for me to see it. “Of course,” he replied, lowering his gaze to his cup. “I didn’t mean to overstep.”
But he did and he knew it, that small hitch to the side of his mouth suggested as much. Dealing with a man like Remo taught me to pick up on the smallest of nuances.
I set the cup down on the side table. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Why help me meet him? Why now?”
He didn’t blink, didn’t hesitate. “Because you deserve to know he’s alive,” he replied. “Because he deserves the truth and because I don’t want the sins of my father to ruin more lives.”
It was a good answer, almost perfect if it didn’t come with a condition. “And the marriage?”
He shrugged. “It’s a tradition my father insisted I keep and…” he trailed off, studying his cup again.
“And?” I pushed.
He looked up. “Honestly, I was against an arranged marriage too but meeting you now, I think we’ll be happy together.”
