Part 7

Rudra POV

I walked downstairs, hoping for a peaceful breakfast. Big mistake.

The moment I entered the dining area, chaos welcomed me like an old friend. My dad was reading the newspaper like he was running the country, my mom was hovering around the table, fussing over breakfast, and my younger brother, Ajay, was laughing at something on his phone.

And then there was Simran—sitting cross-legged on the chair, scrolling through social media while simultaneously devouring a plate of pancakes like a human food processor.

"Look who finally decided to wake up!" Ajay smirked without even looking up.

"Shut up," I muttered, grabbing a toast.

"Bhai, are you excited for work today?" Simran grinned mischievously.

I narrowed my eyes. "Why?"

"Because your fiancée might pay you a visit."

My grip on the toast tightened. "Don't push it."

Aryan chuckled. "Man, Isha really knows how to get under your skin. You're getting married soon; you should be used to her presence by now."

I grabbed a spoon and threw it at him. He dodged it effortlessly.

Simran burst out laughing. "Nice aim, Bhai."

I groaned. "I'm leaving."

"Be nice to Isha, okay?" Mom called after me.

I pretended not to hear and walked out.

I drove to my office in my limited-edition sports car, ignoring the envious stares of people along the way. As soon as I reached the office, employees stood up to greet me.

"Good morning, sir!"

"Welcome, sir!"

I ignored them all and walked straight to my cabin. Too early for fake smiles and unnecessary greetings.

But the moment I pushed open the door, I froze.

Isha was sitting in my chair.

What. The. Hell.

I clenched my jaw, inhaling sharply to stop myself from exploding. "What are you doing here?"

She spun around in my chair like a queen and smirked. "What else? Came to meet my fiancé."

I gritted my teeth at that word. Fiancé. The word felt like acid in my ears.

"Get out of my chair, Isha," I said, my voice dangerously calm.

She pouted. "Aww, so mean." But she got up, walking towards me.

Before I could react, she suddenly stood right in front of me and placed her hands around my neck.

From an outsider's perspective, it looked like she was about to kiss me.

And unfortunately, there were outsiders.

I heard gasps.

I turned my head slightly—some employees had just walked by the glass door, their jaws nearly hitting the floor. Fantastic. Just what I needed—office gossip.

I clenched my fists. "Isha, what the hell are you doing?"

She just grinned. "Making your life interesting."

I was going to lose my mind.

Isha was still standing too close—her hands on my neck, her smirk growing wider by the second.

I clenched my jaw, inhaling sharply through my nose. Calm down, Rudra. She's just trying to irritate you.

"Let go," I said through gritted teeth.

She tilted her head, pretending to think. "Hmm... nah. I think I like this."

I swear, if murder wasn't illegal—

Taking a deep breath, I stepped back, breaking her hold. "Enough of this, Isha. What do you want?"

She gave me an exaggerated sigh and dramatically placed a hand on her chest. "So cold, Mr. CEO. Is this how you treat your loving fiancée?"

I rubbed my temples. "You and I both know this engagement is nothing more than a deal between our families."

Isha chuckled. "Oh, come on. What's wrong with having a little fun before we tie the knot?"

I shot her a warning look. "We are not tying any knots. This is an engagement, not a marriage. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

She gasped mockingly. "You wound me, Rudra. I thought we were a perfect match."

I gave her a deadpan stare. "I'd rather marry my work."

She dramatically clutched her chest. "Ouch." Then, smirking again, she took a step closer. "Are you sure you don't feel even a little bit of something for me?"

I crossed my arms, my patience wearing dangerously thin. "Isha—"

"Oh, you're no fun," she interrupted, rolling her eyes. "But at least she might have something interesting to say to you."

I frowned. "Who?"

She grinned mischievously. "Maher, of course. She's in the office too."

My entire body stiffened.

"What?" My voice came out sharper than I intended.

Isha smirked, obviously enjoying my reaction. "Yeah, didn't you know? She's here for some meeting. Who knows? Maybe she already heard about our moment just now."

My stomach dropped.

I felt my pulse quicken, my mind racing a mile a minute. If Maher was in the office... if she had seen or heard anything—

Shit.

Shit.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my expression neutral. "When did she arrive?"

Isha shrugged casually. "A little while ago. Maybe she's already gotten an earful of the fake kiss rumor that's probably spreading like wildfire right now."

I clenched my fists. That was exactly what I was afraid of.

I turned on my heel, striding toward the door.

"Oh?" Isha called out behind me. "Going somewhere, fiancé?"

I didn't respond.

Right now, I had only one priority—finding Maher before this ridiculous misunderstanding got out of hand.

I had barely taken a step toward the door when I saw my PA, Aman, standing there, looking hesitant but professional as always.

"Sir," Aman said, adjusting his glasses. "You have a meeting scheduled in five minutes with the CEO of Veltrix Corp.

I exhaled sharply, my impatience simmering just beneath the surface. Not now.

"Is it important?" I asked, hoping he'd say no so I could leave and find Maher.

"Yes, sir," Aman nodded firmly.

Of course.

I ran a hand down my face, feeling my already-thin patience evaporate. "Fine," I muttered. "Let's get this over with."

I turned to leave, throwing one last glare at Isha, who was now sitting on my chair again, looking utterly amused.

"Have fun," she called out sweetly.

I ignored her.

I stepped into the meeting room, my mind still clouded with thoughts of Maher and the ridiculous rumor that had probably spread through the office like wildfire. My jaw was tight, my fists clenched at my sides, but I forced myself to maintain my usual composure.

I had barely taken two steps inside when my gaze landed on her.

Maher.

For a split second, everything else in the room faded. The muffled chatter, the polite exchanges—it all dissolved into nothing.

She stood there beside the CEO, holding a notepad, her posture poised and professional. Dressed in a sharp black blazer over a white blouse, she looked every bit the efficient assistant. Her dark hair was pulled back neatly, not a strand out of place, and she held herself with that quiet confidence I knew so well.

But the one thing that struck me the hardest?

She wasn't looking at me.

Not once. Not even a flicker of acknowledgment in my direction.

It wasn't an accident—it was intentional. A deliberate attempt to pretend I wasn't here.

My jaw clenched. So, she had heard about it. The fake kiss. The one thing I had hoped she wouldn't know about.

I forced my attention away from her and focused on the man standing next to her—the one I was actually here to meet.

"Mr. Rudra Singhania," the CEO greeted, stepping forward with an easy smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

I extended my hand, shaking his firmly. "Mr. Kian Malhotra. Welcome to Singhania Enterprises."

Kian Malhotra—CEO of Veltrix Corp.

A company that had recently been making waves in the business world, Veltrix Corp. was quickly rising as a major competitor. We had been in discussions about a high-profile collaboration, and today's meeting was supposed to finalize the deal.

Except now, the meeting had just taken an unexpected turn.

Because she was here.

I released Kian's hand and took my seat at the head of the table, maintaining my usual aura of control. My face was unreadable, my voice perfectly composed.

But inside?

My mind was racing.

Maher was working for Kian Malhotra.

She had probably heard about the rumored kiss between me and Isha.

And worst of all—she was acting like I didn't exist.

Fine.

If this was the game she wanted to play, I'd play along.

"Let's get started," I said coolly, leaning back in my chair.

Even as the meeting began, my mind wasn't on the business deal.

It was on the woman sitting across from me, pretending we were strangers.

And I hated it.

Hey Guys

So how was the chapter .

Now, What do you think of Isha and Rudra

Please do tell me.

If you find any grammatical error do tell me.

Thank you