After freshening up, I headed to the dining table. Everyone was already gathered, and Mom had gone out of her way to create an inviting atmosphere. As | approached, Kiara entered with Sanya, both laughing softly at something. Mom welcomed them warmly and insisted they sit next to her. Kiara's curious gaze found me as soon as she settled into her seat. "You must be Saira," she said with a friendly smile. "My new stepsister?"I nodded, managing a polite smile in return"That's me."Her smile widened .She introduced herself, sharing that she had been overseas for the past five years, focusing on her studies and then a job. Now that she had resigned, she planned to settle back here and start her own perfume business. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and for a moment, I found myself genuinely interested in her story. Just as the conversation was settling into a comfortable rhythm, The peace didnāt last long. Raj entered the dining room. Sanya's eyes lit up as she quickly gestured to the
Rajās arms held me tightly, his warmth enveloping me as we lay tangled together. His hand started to move, trailing along my back with slow, deliberate strokes. My breath when he placed a gentle kiss on my head, I felt butterflies erupt in my stomach.My heart raced I hesitated, then tilted my head up, meeting his gaze. His dark eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, everything else faded away. There was an intensity in his look that made it impossible to look away.His eyes flickered to my lips, and I saw him swallow hard. The tension between us was undeniable, a pull I couldnāt explain but felt powerless to resist. Against my better judgment, I felt myself leaning closer to him, and he mirrored the movement.Our breaths mingled as the distance between us disappeared, our lips just a heartbeat awayāBang, bang, bang!The sound of a fist pounding on my door shattered the moment.āSaira! Open this door right now! Is Raj in there? Open it!ā Sanyaās sharp, commanding voice echoed throu
š¦š®š¶šæš®'š š£š¢š© I sat at my desk, staring at the endless stack of files Sophia had dumped on me the moment I stepped into her cabin. My fingers ached from typing, my eyes burned from staring at the screen, and my patience was dangling by a thread. Sophia had assigned me more tasks in a single morning than I thought humanly possible. If that wasnāt bad enough, she kept calling me every fifteen to twenty minutes, adding small āurgentā tasks or nitpicking over the ones I had already completed.By the third call, I wanted to scream. By the fifth, I started questioning whether she had a personal vendetta against me. āDoes she think Iām a machine?ā I muttered under my breath, rubbing my temples. The woman was relentless, and I couldnāt shake the feeling that she was doing this on purpose.As I worked on yet another modification, my phone buzzed again. Of course, itās her, I thought bitterly, but when I checked the screen, it wasnāt Sophia this time. It was Raj. I stared at the nam
š¦š®š¶šæš®'š š£š¢š© I sat on his lap, begrudgingly reviewing the project on the screen. Despite my frustration with the situation, I couldnāt deny itāthe idea was brilliant. It was the kind of concept that could make waves, and as much as I hated to admit it, Raj had outdone himself.Without thinking, I glanced at him, unable to hide a flicker of admiration in my eyes.He caught my gaze, and I immediately regretted it. His smirk widened, and he tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes gleaming with mischief.āDonāt look at me like that, Saira,ā he said, his voice low and teasing. āYouāll make me lose control.āMy heart skipped a beat,My cheeks flamed at his words. The audacity of this man! As if sitting on his lap wasnāt bad enough, now he was throwing lines like that at me? I squirmed, trying once again to stand, but his arm around my waist refused to budge.āRaj,ā I snapped, trying to push against his chest to stand. āYouāve already gone too far. Let me go.āHe ignored my protests,
š¦š®š¶šæš®'š š£š¢š© I sat at my desk from my office, trying my best to immerse myself in the task Sophia had dumped on me, but my mind was a mess. No matter how hard I tried to focus, my mind kept drifting back to the kissāRajās boldness, his smirk, and those infuriating words that echoed in my head. "Donāt look at me like that, Saira. Youāll make me lose control.ā The memory of his smirk made my blood boil. What was wrong with me? Why couldnāt I push it out of my mind and concentrate on work?I tapped my pen against the desk, frustrated with myself more than anything else and clenched my fists. I shook my head, attempting to clear the lingering sensation of his lips against mine and trying to push the memory aside. Just as I managed to get back to typing, my cabin door flew open with a loud bang. I looked up, startled, to see Saniya storming in like a hurricane. She didnāt even bother to knockājust barged in, her face twisted with anger. "What the hell is your problem?ā I snap
Saira;s pov"What the hell are you doing in my step father's house " I screamed in shock and disbelief as how can my fate could play such rubbish tricks on me ."Hey babe relax you should have asked your beloved mother as who are there in her new family and plus I don't think I look like a ghost after all I have a handsome face on which girls dies to kiss and here you are screaming like seen a ghost with no clothes."he said making my blood boil and my brain function mess this guy is the worse person I could ever meet again. I was happy since after High school we were worlds apart but what the hell is he doing here now .Couple of hours before...........Saira my darling I am happy that after a lots of hardships to make you understand what is best in current situation you grasp the line and took the initiative to meet your new family I am overwhelmed and excited at the same time as after you joining us our family will be complete and we will live happily ever after...! Mamma is so happ
I stood there, frozen in place, my brain struggling to process what I was seeing. The Malhotra. The biggest business tycoon, a man whose name carried weight in almost every industry, was standing right in front of me. Andā¦ he just called me daughter. Waitāwhat? This man wasnāt just some distant figure Iād seen on TV or read about in business magazines. He wasnāt some untouchable mogul. No, apparently, he was now my stepfather. The words felt too surreal to even process. "This canāt be real. I have to be dreaming. Thereās no way my mother married him," I thought, my heart pounding in my chest. I pinched myselfāagaināhoping that somehow, Iād wake up from this ridiculous situation. But no, the sharp sting was very real, and so was the man standing in front of me with that proud, fatherly smile on his face. What the actual hell is happening? I looked over at my mother, who was watching me with an amused expression, clearly enjoying my confusion. And then, she did the unthinkableāsh
After the grand introduction ceremony, my mom, new dad, and the entire household staff welcomed me into the mansion. The way they decorated the entrance, the preparations for our arrivalāit was all breathtaking. It felt like a dream come true, and for a brief moment, I wanted to pause time and savor every second of it. Everything was perfect.My life felt like a scene from a fairytale. But, unlike fairytales, reality always finds a way to throw in twists.Now, after all the excitement, I found myself in the library. My new home had an actual libraryāa massive oneāand it instantly became my favorite place. I had always dreamed of having a big library, filled with rare and beautiful collections, and now here I was, surrounded by endless shelves of books. It felt like heaven.My stepfather had instructed the workers to let me explore the mansion, and after touring the grand halls and rooms, I finally found solace in the library. I had asked the staff to leave so I could have some time alo
š¦š®š¶šæš®'š š£š¢š© I sat at my desk from my office, trying my best to immerse myself in the task Sophia had dumped on me, but my mind was a mess. No matter how hard I tried to focus, my mind kept drifting back to the kissāRajās boldness, his smirk, and those infuriating words that echoed in my head. "Donāt look at me like that, Saira. Youāll make me lose control.ā The memory of his smirk made my blood boil. What was wrong with me? Why couldnāt I push it out of my mind and concentrate on work?I tapped my pen against the desk, frustrated with myself more than anything else and clenched my fists. I shook my head, attempting to clear the lingering sensation of his lips against mine and trying to push the memory aside. Just as I managed to get back to typing, my cabin door flew open with a loud bang. I looked up, startled, to see Saniya storming in like a hurricane. She didnāt even bother to knockājust barged in, her face twisted with anger. "What the hell is your problem?ā I snap
š¦š®š¶šæš®'š š£š¢š© I sat on his lap, begrudgingly reviewing the project on the screen. Despite my frustration with the situation, I couldnāt deny itāthe idea was brilliant. It was the kind of concept that could make waves, and as much as I hated to admit it, Raj had outdone himself.Without thinking, I glanced at him, unable to hide a flicker of admiration in my eyes.He caught my gaze, and I immediately regretted it. His smirk widened, and he tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes gleaming with mischief.āDonāt look at me like that, Saira,ā he said, his voice low and teasing. āYouāll make me lose control.āMy heart skipped a beat,My cheeks flamed at his words. The audacity of this man! As if sitting on his lap wasnāt bad enough, now he was throwing lines like that at me? I squirmed, trying once again to stand, but his arm around my waist refused to budge.āRaj,ā I snapped, trying to push against his chest to stand. āYouāve already gone too far. Let me go.āHe ignored my protests,
š¦š®š¶šæš®'š š£š¢š© I sat at my desk, staring at the endless stack of files Sophia had dumped on me the moment I stepped into her cabin. My fingers ached from typing, my eyes burned from staring at the screen, and my patience was dangling by a thread. Sophia had assigned me more tasks in a single morning than I thought humanly possible. If that wasnāt bad enough, she kept calling me every fifteen to twenty minutes, adding small āurgentā tasks or nitpicking over the ones I had already completed.By the third call, I wanted to scream. By the fifth, I started questioning whether she had a personal vendetta against me. āDoes she think Iām a machine?ā I muttered under my breath, rubbing my temples. The woman was relentless, and I couldnāt shake the feeling that she was doing this on purpose.As I worked on yet another modification, my phone buzzed again. Of course, itās her, I thought bitterly, but when I checked the screen, it wasnāt Sophia this time. It was Raj. I stared at the nam
Rajās arms held me tightly, his warmth enveloping me as we lay tangled together. His hand started to move, trailing along my back with slow, deliberate strokes. My breath when he placed a gentle kiss on my head, I felt butterflies erupt in my stomach.My heart raced I hesitated, then tilted my head up, meeting his gaze. His dark eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, everything else faded away. There was an intensity in his look that made it impossible to look away.His eyes flickered to my lips, and I saw him swallow hard. The tension between us was undeniable, a pull I couldnāt explain but felt powerless to resist. Against my better judgment, I felt myself leaning closer to him, and he mirrored the movement.Our breaths mingled as the distance between us disappeared, our lips just a heartbeat awayāBang, bang, bang!The sound of a fist pounding on my door shattered the moment.āSaira! Open this door right now! Is Raj in there? Open it!ā Sanyaās sharp, commanding voice echoed throu
After freshening up, I headed to the dining table. Everyone was already gathered, and Mom had gone out of her way to create an inviting atmosphere. As | approached, Kiara entered with Sanya, both laughing softly at something. Mom welcomed them warmly and insisted they sit next to her. Kiara's curious gaze found me as soon as she settled into her seat. "You must be Saira," she said with a friendly smile. "My new stepsister?"I nodded, managing a polite smile in return"That's me."Her smile widened .She introduced herself, sharing that she had been overseas for the past five years, focusing on her studies and then a job. Now that she had resigned, she planned to settle back here and start her own perfume business. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and for a moment, I found myself genuinely interested in her story. Just as the conversation was settling into a comfortable rhythm, The peace didnāt last long. Raj entered the dining room. Sanya's eyes lit up as she quickly gestured to the
š¦š®š¶šæš®'š š£š¢š© I couldnāt believe what was happening. One second, I was glaring at Raj, trying to understand why heād followed me to my room. The next, his lips were on mine.Raj's lips captured mine in an unexpected, fiery kiss. The world seemed to tilt, my breath hitching as I felt the heat of his touch. It wasnāt just a kissāit was a storm. A fiery, overwhelming surge of emotions that left me breathless. I pressed my hands against his chest, trying to push him away, but he was unrelenting. His grip on my waist tightened, not harsh but firm, as if he was afraid to let go. This is wrong. My mind screamed at me, louder with each passing second. This was Rajāthe same man who had tormented me in high school, humiliated me without a second thought. Yet my body betrayed me. My heart raced as the heat of his kiss spread through me. His lips moved against mine with passion and I hated myself for responding. I froze, then felt my resistance falter. My hands, which had been pushin
ššš¢š«šāš¬ ššš The ride home was anything but comfortable. I tried my best to focus on the passing streets, the gentle hum of the car, and anything else but him. Yet, I could feel Raj's gaze on me, intense and unwavering. Every time the car stopped at a traffic light, his eyes would linger on me. I didnāt dare to look his way, but my heart betrayed me, thundering in a rhythm I couldnāt control. A tug of war raged inside meāanger and distrust battling with something I didnāt want to acknowledge. Why did he always have this effect on me? I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay composed. As soon as the car pulled into the driveway, I didnāt wait for him to say anything. I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and practically bolted out of the car, heading straight into the house. The moment I stepped inside, I froze. Two women were seated in the living room, laughing and chatting with my mom and stepdad. They were stunningāone with sleek, raven-black hair and sharp features, the o
Sairaās POVI shook my head, my reflection staring back at me in the mirror. No. I couldnāt trust Rajānot after everything. The cruel boy who had tormented me in high school wasnāt someone I could ever rely on. People like him didnāt change, no matter how much they pretended.But as I clenched my fists, determined to push him out of my thoughts, my gaze fell to my lips. Unbidden, the memory of the kiss weād shared earlier flooded my mind. The way his lips had pressed against mineāfirm yet tender, with a passion that caught me off guardāsent a shiver down my spine. My body betrayed me, reacting in a way I didnāt want it to."No," I whispered to myself, shaking off the sensation. Desperate to regain control, I turned on the tap and splashed cold water on my face, the icy shock breaking the spell his memory had cast over me. My heart raced, but I forced myself to breathe deeply, pushing away the unwanted warmth his touch had left behind.Drying my face, I straightened and squared my shou
Rajās POVAs soon as Eira's words ended, I cut the call, irritation simmering just beneath the surface. The nerve she had to waltz back into my life, throwing around old titles as if they meant anything. I wouldnāt let her unravel everything Iād been working toward.I punched in another number, my tone sharp as soon as they picked up. āI need all the data now,ā I commanded, leaving no room for delay. There were things I needed to be ahead of, things I couldn't let linger in the shadows any longer. Eira wanted to resurface? Fine. But this time, Iād make sure she wouldnāt get close enough to ruin anything, especially not with Saira.Sairaās POVIn the restroom, I stared at my reflection, but all I could see was the younger me, the girl Iād been in high schoolāthe girl Raj had done his best to humiliate.The memory was so clear it felt like I was back there, standing alone in the school corridor, feeling a wave of dread as I watched my classmates snicker and whisper, their eyes darting t