The Billionaire's Bride [ Rewritten]

Part 35 | Strangers with Memories

I am an addict, helplessly relapsing on the mere sight of her.

How else was I supposed to justify staring at the five-foot-six woman who had thoroughly ruined me? Her long lashes fell heavy against her high cheekbones, her mouth slightly parted in the quiet rhythm of sleep. As a chill swept through the open frame of the vehicle, she shifted to her right, instinctively wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the cold.

Without a second thought, I slipped off my coat and draped it gently over her shoulders. She reached out in her sleep, pulling the heavy fabric tight against her chin with a soft, contented sigh.

My lips curved into a bitter, helpless smile. God, I had missed her.

A slow, unbearable ache blossomed beneath my ribs. Memories hit me all at once - the way I used to scoop her effortlessly into my arms, peppering her face with light kisses while she burrowed into my chest. I didn't know then that a day would come when I'd trade everything I owned just to live one mundane, quiet second with her.

The coastal wind played with the loose tresses framing her face. My hand moved on instinct, reaching out to tuck a rogue strand of hair behind her ear. But just as my knuckles hovered inches from her peaceful skin, the phantom echo of her voice shattered the silence, ringing in my head as clearly as it had eight months ago.

"I shouldn't have married a stranger."

My fingers froze mid-air. The memory sliced right through me, sharper than the cold air outside. Slowly pulling back, my hand curled into a white-knuckled fist.

I let out a deep, shaky breath, fighting the sudden burn behind my eyes. I opened the door and stepped out of the Jeep before the silence could suffocate me completely.

The crunch of gravel signaled Arjun's return. He handed me a steaming paper cup from the roadside stall, his face tight with concern.

"So, who's this Aunt Ruby?" I asked, taking a quick sip. The bitter, burnt roast only made me ache for the rich, cardamom-laced coffee Naira used to brew every morning.

"She's Aditi's aunt. Her dad's elder sister," Arjun replied, staring down at his own cup. "Widowed. Her husband died of cancer years ago, so she lives with her son now."

I nodded, watching the steam rise into the night air.

"Naira said Aunt Ruby already knows about me and Aditi... " Arjun added, trying for a confident tone that failed miserably.

I nudged his arm. "What is bothering you? "

Arjun let out a ragged sigh, running a hand over his face. "I'm happy about the baby, Kartik. I really am. It's just..." He swallowed hard, his voice cracking slightly. "What if she isn't? What if she wakes up tomorrow, looks at me, and decides this whole thing - Us - was just one massive mistake?"

He turned to me, his eyes filled with a raw, desperate vulnerability that hit far too close to home.

"I want a family, Kartik," he whispered, his knuckles turning pale against his cup. "All of it. Not fractured pieces, not half-measures. Without her... none of it means a damn thing."