Page 114 of Lawfully Yours

She blinked, thrown off by the sudden turn, and by the intensity of his tone. Still, she raised her chin, masking her reaction behind carefully built pride.

He smirked at that…recognizing her performance for what it was….and stepped even closer, lowering his voice to something naughtier.

“Say yes,” he murmured, “and I promise the next time I touch you… You won’t just see stars. You’ll see the whole damn Milky Way all night.”

Her lips parted. She should’ve snapped at him. Should’ve put him back in his place. But the only thing that left her mouth, caught somewhere between a gasp and a curse, was one stunned word:

“F*ck.”

Because if his promises could make her legs weak, what would the reality feel like?

Chapter 20

Private Stay Villa – Dalhousie

Noyonika paced near the window with her phone pressed to her ear as she confirmed details with her travel agent. She was ready. Bags zipped. Lies buried. And freedom, just a flight away.

“Yes, please web check-in for my tomorrow’s Dubai flight,” she said crisply, glancing at the already packed suitcases lined neatly by the door.

That’s when the doorbell rang.

Assuming it was her lunch delivery, she walked over distractedly, still speaking to the agent. “Just send the boarding pass to my email. Thanks.” She ended the call and opened the door, only to freeze.

Standing before her were Kushal Nair and Arundhati Nair.

The two faces that had dominated headlines across the country as the top divorce lawyers embroiled in the Anant–Sadhna Mukherjee scandal.

Kushal offered a slow, almost mocking grin. “Judging by that expression, I guess we can skip the introductions. Saves us time. And trust me, we’ve wasted enough of that on you already.”

Without waiting for permission, he stepped forward, forcing her to instinctively move back as he entered the room.

“We need to talk,” he said flatly.

Noyonika’s thoughts snapped back into place. “Not without my lawyer,” she replied, planting her feet. “I’m not saying a word until I call them. Please leave now. Or I’ll call security.”

“You don’t have that luxury anymore, Miss Talwar,” Arundhati interjected, stepping inside. “With or without your lawyers, youwillanswer our questions.”

Noyonika felt her pulse spike. Arundhati continued being deliberately professional.

“And here’s a free legal advice: if you don’t start talking right now, forget flying to the UAE, your lawyers won’t be able to shield you from the criminal charges if we file defamation suits on our client, Anant Mukherjee’s behalf.”

The blood drained from Noyonika’s face. Kushal nodded slowly and took up the thread Arundhati left behind.

“The choice is yours,” he added coolly. “Either you cooperate, give us what we need, and walk out of this villa free… or you stay stubborn and get dragged through court battles and criminal proceedings for the next few years. Your call.”

Noyonika’s eyes flashed panic. A bead of sweat slid down her temple as she stared at them, unable to speak.

Kushal raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at Arundhati with a smirk. “Look at her. She’s already sweating. If this is her reaction now, I wonder how she’d manage a jail cell.”

“Jail?” Noyonika burst out. “Why would I go to jail? I haven’t done anything!”

Arundhati stepped closer. “You publicly defamed our client. You planted false stories in the media, resurrected an old relationship to feed a scandal, and claimed emotional abuse that never happened. You provided ‘evidence’ of an affair with Anant Mukherjee that had ended long before his marriage to Sadhna. You painted him as an adulterer, manipulated public sentiment, and nearly destroyed his career.”

Noyonika’s face paled further. She tried to speak, but nothing came.

Arundhati took a breath and continued.

“That’s defamation and potentially perjury, fraud. If we choose to proceed, this ends in criminal court, not just divorce proceedings. And if this goes to trial, jail is a very real possibility. And we have no intention of protectingyoufrom it.”