Tangled Alliances: Love in Legal Briefs (On hold)

Chapter - 20

Vedika's POV

We reached the penthouse, and the realization hit me like a punch to the gut—Adhira wasn't here. The memory of her mentioning the week-long photoshoot in Delhi came flooding back, and I cursed silently. Great. Just great.

The last thing I wanted was to be alone with Adrith in this massive, silent apartment. The tension between us had been unbearable all day, a thick, suffocating cloud that I couldn't seem to shake. And now, with Adhira gone, there was no buffer, no escape. It was just the two of us, trapped in this awkward, uneasy silence that threatened to swallow me whole.

Each step I took towards the bedroom felt heavier than the last, like I was dragging a weight behind me. The quiet was oppressive, pressing down on me from all sides, and the thought of spending the rest of the evening in this uncomfortable limbo was driving me crazy. I had never been this quiet before, never felt so out of place in my own skin, and it was eating away at me.

I glanced at Adrith out of the corner of my eye. His expression was unreadable, a mask of calm that did nothing to ease my nerves. It was like he was completely unaffected by the tension between us, while I felt like I was about to implode. The silence stretched on, thick and heavy, until I couldn't take it anymore.

"Um, Mr. Rathore?" I blurted out, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. My voice sounded small, hesitant, so unlike me. I wasn't used to feeling this unsure, this off-balance. But the silence in the penthouse had become unbearable, and I needed to say something, anything, to break it.

Adrith barely turned his head, his expression as impassive as ever. "Good night, Miss Malhotra," he said, his tone cool and dismissive. Then, without another glance, he walked straight into his room, leaving me standing there in the hallway, feeling like a complete idiot.

I knew it. I fucking knew it. Why had I even bothered? What did I expect—a warm conversation, maybe a hint of camaraderie after the strange day we'd had? I should have known better. Adrith Rathore was as unyielding as a wall, and just as cold.

I humphed, frustration bubbling up inside me as I watched his door close behind him. "Akadu Adrith Rathore," I muttered under my breath, a mix of anger and annoyance flaring in my chest. He was impossible. Always so composed, so controlled, as if nothing in this world could ever faze him. And here I was, standing like an idiot in the hallway, letting him get under my skin.

I stomped my feet, more out of defiance than anything else, and stormed off to my room. The door shut behind me with a dull thud, but the sound did nothing to soothe the irritation that was still gnawing at me. I threw myself onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling as if it held the answers to all my frustrations.

"Apne aap ko samjhte kya hain? Huh?" I muttered, my voice a mix of anger and bewilderment. Who did he think he was, dismissing me like that? The nerve! I replayed the brief exchange in my mind, dissecting every word, every flicker of his expression, searching for some sign, some clue that maybe—just maybe—I was wrong about him. But there was nothing. Just that same, cold indifference.

I rolled over, burying my face in the pillow, trying to push the whole encounter out of my mind. I needed to sleep, to shut off the constant swirl of thoughts and emotions that were making my head spin. But the tension in my body refused to ease, the unease still gnawing at me like an itch I couldn't scratch.

And then, as if to mock me, the memories of my nightmares crept into the edges of my mind, the darkness threatening to pull me under. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that tonight would be different, that I wouldn't wake up in a cold sweat, gasping for air, heart racing with fear. But deep down, I knew better. Those nightmares had a way of finding me, no matter how hard I tried to escape them.