A Loveless Alliance

Chapter-3 [Villa-27]

SIDDHARTH'S POV

I hate how she always manages to have the last word. This time, I thought I would win but no! It's all because of her perfume. I had managed to make her nervous but when she stepped forward without breaking our intense eye contact, something in me froze. I felt binded by some unknown force.

As she got closer to me, her maddening hypnotising fragrance filled my nostrils. Her perfume was the perfect blend of vanilla and rose, a kind that leaves you licking your lips. I kept standing there with hardened expressions, my eyes tracing her each step as she walked away while flipping her hair. My jaw relaxed when I saw her laughing with her friends as a small smile unknowingly formed on my lips and a jolt ran through my back, like a sudden current.

I immediately shook my head bringing myself back to senses and retrieved my eyes away from her smiling self. I was going to get some water for myself when my phone rang, making me stop in my tracks. Shoving two of my fingers in my pocket I took out the sleek metal device, The name displaying on the screen crashed my brows in confusion. I found a secluded area before picking up the call.

"Yes Mr. Chaddha?" I asked formally, through the call. Mr. Chaddha was one of the oldest and most trusted man in our company. He had been working with my father since the very start of our company. He was the only person in "Kapoor's elite estates" who could speak against my decision and I would listen to him calmly.

"There is a problem sir." He sounded disturbed.

Well, I already guessed it. He would have never called me after office hours if it wasn't something urgent. My grip over my phone tightened as I let out a long breath maintaining my composure before my stern tone reached his ears.

"What happened?"

"The owner of Villa 27 in sector 5 sold his land to Mr. Mahesh Rathore-"

"What??" I interpreted him before he could even complete his sentence, that half sentence was enough for my heart to sink down. I could see all my hardwork flooding down in vain in a split of a second. It was my first time handling such a massive project, the one I had been working on for months if not years.

How easily it slipped away from my hand when I was grasping on it so firmly? For a moment, it felt like every person in that room was laughing at me. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I clenched my jaw before speaking through the phone.

"How?"

"Sir please calm down, we-"

I cut him off.

"I want answers, Mr. Chaddha." 

I was in no mood for his sympathy. I lost the deal we were working on for months, our company's reputation was at stake. I needed data or facts instead of this emotional bullshit. I could hear him shuffling through some files from the other side of the call before he explained. 

"Allegedly Mr. Rathore bribed the owner personally, that made him win the contract."

"But our deal was almost done! If he wanted more money, he could have freaking asked for it."  I argued, as frustration took over me.

Villa 27 was a prime location, we planned to build a shopping complex there. Heck! We were about to lock the contract next week. This news hit me hard, all those sleepless nights flashed in front of my eyes when I stayed up late finalising the shopping complex's design.

"I am sorry we can't do anything now. They have already signed the final contract."

Mr. Chaddha answered back in a polite tone, followed by a sigh.