An unexpected encounter that left her heart trembling.
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"Don't tell me… I owe you a debt of gratitude," Anchana snapped back, though her voice softened at the end—unwittingly touched with sympathy for him.
He sighed—long and heavy. That kind of sigh could only mean one thing: trouble within his family.
"Forget it…" he muttered, resignation heavy in his tone.
"So, what now? Your aunt won't mind if we refuse, right?" she steered the conversation back to the point.
Before he could answer, the doorbell rang. He strode quickly to the door and peered through the peephole.
"Go sit on the sofa," he instructed as he returned to the table where she sat.
"Fine… Just tell me if I should help. I bet it's your little sweetheart," she teased, flashing a mischievous smile.
He only gave her a silent glance before turning away. The doorknob rattled—then swung open. A delicate young woman stepped in, dressed as though headed for a ballroom. Her heels clicked against the floor, step by step, until she stopped directly before Anchana, who sat calmly on the sofa, flipping through the channels with the remote.
"What is she doing here… huh, Raj?" the girl hissed. In an instant she snatched the remote from Anchana and nearly swung it at her, only to be stopped by Suraj's firm grip.
"Ni… go wait in the bedroom," he urged, steering her by the shoulders.
"There's nothing, babe. Calm down. She's only here to discuss business," Anchana overheard him soothing the girl.
Peeking over her shoulder, Anchana caught sight of the two locked in an embrace, their lips meeting as though the world outside didn't exist.
"Well, what a free show!," Anchana muttered with a laugh under her breath.
The heavy steps of his shoes soon echoed back toward Anchana. He seized her wrist.
"Tonight we're going dancing. Come with me." His voice held an unexpected plea, and it startled her enough to meet his gaze.
"Why drag me along as the third wheel? She'll claw me to death on the dance floor—and we'll both end up at the police station," Anchana retorted, suspicion lacing her tone.
"I'll take responsibility," he countered firmly.
"And I'm supposed to wear this to the dance floor?" she arched a brow at her plain clothes, but he didn't wait. He disappeared into the bedroom, returned with a flowing blue chiffon dress, and held it out to her.
"She'll lose her mind if she sees me in that. It must be hers," Anchana frowned.
"It's not hers. Just change. Wait for me—an hour." His command was quiet but decisive.
He disappeared into the bedroom again, the click of the lock sealing the door behind him.
Anchana stared at the dress in her hands, chuckling softly to herself. This man—so tangled in his own mess—was dragging her into the chaos between him and his lover. And for what? To play the unwilling pawn?
Aunt Kangsadan must have had some plan in sending her into his path… though Anchana herself had no idea what future awaited her now.
In the bathroom mirror, the chiffon clung to her curves, elegant yet daring.
'If his sweetheart sees me like this', she thought, 'she'll shred me to pieces before midnight'. Anchana smirked to herself, bracing for battle with a leopardess in disguise.
Exactly an hour later, the bedroom door opened. He emerged in a navy suit over a crisp white shirt, hair neatly combed. At his side—the sweet-faced beauty, radiant from fresh indulgence, smiling triumphantly. She offered Anchana a smirk sharp enough to cut.
"Hello… I forgot to greet you earlier," the young woman said coolly.
"No worries. I was just waiting here, minding my own business—while you two finished whatever you were up to," Anchana shot back, her tone razor-edged.
"Raj… does she really have to come with us?" the girl asked, clinging to his neck, trying to pull him down to her level.
"Your darling here invited me. I had no choice but to accept. My apologies," Anchana quipped, eyes deliberately avoiding theirs.
"Are we leaving yet? Will it be a late night? I'd rather be home soon," Anchana pressed.
"Not late. I'll take you home myself," he promised.
"Raj… then how am I supposed to get home if you're dropping her off?" the girl demanded.
"It's fine. Our business is finished anyway. Honestly, I shouldn't even be going dancing with you two," Anchana muttered.
"Exactly! Why must she come?" the girl fumed.
"Enough, Ni. Stop! My head's already pounding," he snapped.
The matter settled with tense silence. He opened the door, allowing his girl to sweep out first with clinging to his arm like a prized trophy. Anchana followed behind, lips pressed in weary amusement.
At the club, laughter and champagne flowed freely among the elite. Anchana sat alone, sipping wine, until a young man approached.
"No partner? Dance with me," he asked, extending a hand.
"No, thank you. I came with them," she replied, nodding toward Suraj and his sweetheart twirling on the floor.
"Come on, don't just sit there. Let's have some fun," he insisted, grasping her wrist.
"I said no." Anchana shook him off, but he pressed harder.
"Then I'll at least drink with you," he said, sliding in beside her.
"Fine. But don't get handsy," she warned.
When persistence turned to aggression, she slapped him hard, sending him into a rage. In the chaos, Suraj stormed in, breaking up the fight. His eyes burned with anger as he turned on Anchana.
"What did you do to them?"
"I was minding my own business—they wouldn't leave me alone. Can we go now? I'm not enjoying this," she snapped back, exasperated.
The night spiraled further into tension, until Anchana found herself dragged into the shadows of the men's restroom, a hand clamped over her mouth. The drunkard from earlier returned, eyes burning with vengeance.
"You little witch… I'll take what I want now."
She fought back with knees and fists, but his blows knocked the breath from her lungs. Her scream echoed—just in time. Suraj burst through, fists flying, beating the man to the ground.
Anchana's sobs broke free, trembling in his arms.
"It's over… you're safe now," he whispered, holding her close.
But safety was an illusion. His sweetheart stormed in, eyes blazing, and yanked him away.
"Raj! Let her go!"
"She was attacked, Ni! Can't you see?" he shouted back.
"She's seducing you!" the girl shrieked.
Anchana, shaken and furious, shoved them both away.
"Leave me alone! Both of you! Just go!"
Her voice cracked, raw with fear and anger—yet stronger than either of them had expected.