Sinful contract (His sweet possession)

ch 10

The next morning, Kartikey woke earlier than usual. He had spent most of the night tossing and turning, his thoughts circling endlessly around one thing: Uma. Despite his efforts to brush her aside, she lingered in his mind like a puzzle he couldn’t solve, a mystery he couldn’t quite unravel.

He got out of bed with a sigh, his mood already darkened by the restless night. After a quick shower, he dressed in a crisp, tailored suit and headed downstairs. His best friends, Vivaan and Veeranshu, were already at the dining table, casually flipping through their phones while the maid served breakfast.

"Morning," Kartikey muttered as he took his seat.

"Morning," Vivaan responded, glancing up with a knowing smirk. "You look... refreshed. Did you finally get some sleep, or were you up all night thinking about a certain café owner?"

Kartikey shot him a glare. "I'm not in the mood for jokes today."

Vivaan raised his hands in mock surrender, but the teasing gleam in his eyes remained. "Relax, man. Just checking in."

Veeranshu, ever the quieter of the two, watched Kartikey closely, his gaze thoughtful. "You’ve been distracted for days now," he remarked. "And if we’re being honest, we both know why. Just admit it."

Kartikey clenched his jaw, stabbing at his eggs with more force than necessary. "Admit what?"

"That she’s gotten to you," Vivaan said, leaning forward slightly. "You can’t stop thinking about her, can you?"

Kartikey’s irritation flared, but he didn’t immediately respond. His friends weren’t wrong—they had a way of seeing through him, even when he wanted to keep his thoughts private. He knew denying it wouldn’t help, but admitting it felt like giving up control, and Kartikey hated losing control.

After a moment, he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I don’t know what’s happening to me," he admitted, his voice low. "Every time I see her, I feel... unsettled."

Vivaan grinned triumphantly. "Ah, so you are thinking about her."

Kartikey glared at him but didn’t deny it. Instead, he stared down at his plate, his mind already drifting back to Uma—her kindness, her smile, the way she effortlessly balanced running a café while helping everyone around her. She was nothing like the women he usually encountered, who were often more interested in his wealth and power than in who he was. Uma, on the other hand, seemed indifferent to all that. She lived in her own world, separate from his.

And that intrigued him.

"You know," Veeranshu began slowly, "it wouldn’t hurt to get to know her better. You’re curious about her, right? Maybe finding out more about her will clear up whatever it is you’re feeling."

Vivaan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, instead of obsessing from a distance, why not just talk to her?"

Kartikey frowned, the idea of approaching Uma stirring something uncomfortable inside him. He wasn’t the type to chase after anyone, let alone someone like her. In his world, people came to him. He didn’t seek them out. And yet, he couldn’t deny the pull he felt toward her, like an invisible thread tying them together.

But no matter how much he tried to rationalize it, Kartikey knew one thing for sure: he wasn’t going to just sit back and do nothing. He needed to figure out what this strange connection was, and the only way to do that was by getting closer to her.

With a reluctant sigh, Kartikey pushed his plate away and looked at his two best friends, who were both staring at him expectantly. “Fine,” he muttered. “But I’m not going to chase her like some lovesick fool. I just... need answers.”