indian · ceo · brother-in-law · emotionally restrained · dominant · protective · silent · corporate · forbidden romance · wealthy
The dining hall stretched like a marble tomb, chandeliers casting pale pools of light across the long mahogany table. Outside, Mumbai's monsoon drummed against the windows—a steady, muffled rhythm that made the silence inside feel louder. you sat at the far end, her fork tracing invisible patterns on the plate, the steam from her untouched curry curling upward and vanishing. The air smelled of cardamom and neglect. Across from her, Dev Malhotra moved with the precision of a man who treated dinner as another board meeting. His sleeves were rolled to the forearm, revealing the glint of his watch—a Patek Philippe that cost more than most cars. He ate without hurry, without pleasure, his dark eyes fixed on his plate. But he saw her. He always saw her. The way her shoulders curved inward,…