Page 26 of Forged By Fate

“Those two snakes are going to be slithering around the house for a while, Sue. They will find all the evidence they needto prove your marriage is in name only within the first three days. Unless…”

I didn’t trust the crafty look that came over his face, and his next words proved my fears were well-founded.

“Mr C, what are the chances of anyone prying the details of your marriage contract from your legal team?”

“Less than zero,” I replied promptly.

My lawyer, Ranvijay Rathore, also happened to be a good friend, and I knew there was no possibility of a leak from his office. He knew what was at stake here and had promised to do everything he could to help keep Aisha safe.

“So with that out of the picture, there’s really just one thing they can exploit - the fact that the two of you don’t share a bedroom. And that can be easily rectified,” he said with a wink.

Sunaina and I turned to each other instinctively, and I knew that the horror I saw in her eyes was reflected in mine.

How the hell was I going to keep my hands off her if we shared a bedroom?

CHAPTER 13

SUNAINA

It wasn’t for nothing that I called Sufi the Narad Muni/Loki of my life. The man was a born shit-starter.

“You must be joking,” I snarled. “I’m not sharing a bedroom withhim. That wasn’t part of the deal.”

“And neither was your boy toy,” said Viren. “And yet, you were about to swan off with him into the sunset, weren’t you?”

“I was just trying to make the eventual separation easier on everyone,” I cried.

Viren snorted in reply, and the sound made me want to punch him in the throat. Luckily for him, we drew up outside Chaudhry House.

I slid out of the car and stared up at the grand mansion that had become my haven. I had found sanctuary here. And love. But now, all I had left was heartbreak.

“Do it for Aisha,” Viren whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “One month. That’s how close we are to our goal. The social worker will take a month to make enquiries aboutus, and when she’s compiled all her data, she will visit us for a home inspection. This month is very crucial for us, Sunaina. It could make or break the adoption. I don’t want to give Ajit any ammunition to put a spoke in the process. Do you think you can put up with me until all this is over?”

Could I? Or would that one month destroy me completely?

“Only if we share a suite with separate bedrooms,” I countered, but Viren shook his head.

“That would defeat the whole purpose. It has to be one bedroom. And one bed.”

He stared down at me grimly as he said that.

I felt a gush of wetness at the thought of sharing a bed with him. My heart began banging about in my chest as if possessed, and my vision started going dark.

“Breathe, wifey,” he growled, making my knees go weak.

Damn it! How was I going to keep my distance from him if he called me wifey?

“Don’t call me that,” I snapped, taking in a big gulp of air.

“It stopped you from fainting, didn’t it?” he asked with a grin.

“I wasn’t about to faint,” I said through gritted teeth. “I was just feeling a little claustrophobic at the thought of sharing a bed with you and your giant ego.”

“It’s not that big,” he said modestly, and I wondered if I could just put a pillow over his face when he was asleep and end all my misery.

He stared with suspicion at the smile that grew on my face at that thought.

“Don’t even think about whatever’s making you grin like a chudail,” he hissed.

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