Page 91 of Right Where I Belong

“I thought I’d killed someone… It… it happened when I was eighteen...”

Her voice was a whisper, but the words exploded through him like a thunderclap. He stopped dead in his tracks, turning around in disbelief. He simply couldn’t process the admission she’d just made.

His phone buzzed sharply in his pocket, and at the same time, his mother’s assistant, Mr. Dutta, appeared by his side.

“Mr. Wahi,” the man said briskly, “Your mother is waiting for you. The Chief Minister is here.”

Aditya’s gaze stayed locked on Sabrina. Fuck. Was that true? Did she say shethoughtshe hadkilledsomeone?Thought? What did that even mean?

A throat cleared from beside him. He glared at his mother’s assistant, and the man backed away. Immediately, his phone rang.

“Fuck.” He shook his head. “I have to go.”

Without waiting for her reply, he turned and walked away.

33

The moment Aditya disappeared from sight, Sabrina pressed a trembling hand to her mouth, desperate to stop her sobs from breaking free. Her chest heaved, the ache so sharp she thought it might split her in two. God, what had she done? Thanks to her stupidity, she’d pushed away the only man she had ever truly loved. He was right. She’d played with his emotions, stringing him along as per her convenience. She deserved every ounce of his fury.

“Sabrina?”

Her head jerked up. Shauna was striding toward her, radiant as ever.

“Shauna…” she whispered, quickly wiping her wet cheeks. “Hi. How are you? You didn’t tell me you were coming. When did you get back from Singapore?”

“Last night. I wanted to surprise you,” Shauna said, tilting her head as she studied her closely. “I’ve got a few days off, but what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Sabrina shook her head, forcing a wobbly smile. “Sorry, it’s just…” The words broke her. Shauna’s hand closed gentlyaround her arm. That was all it took. She folded into the younger woman’s embrace, the dam inside her cracking wide open.

“It’s Aditya…” Sabrina choked, clinging tighter. “I… I ruined everything. He loved me, Shauna, and I pushed him away because of my past. And tonight, his mother—” Her voice shook with fury and horror. “His mother despises me. She went out of her way to humiliate me, to make me feel small. And then Aditya… He… he walked away when I finally tried to explain.”

Shauna took a small step back. “Hey, hey. Slow down. Tell me everything.”

So Sabrina did. Shauna had been a good friend to her, and they’d kept in touch ever since Singapore. Except for giving her details about her past, Sabrina told her everything. Shauna was already aware of what was going on between Aditya and her, so confiding in her was easy.

Finally done, Sabrina wiped her face and stepped back. “I don’t know what to do, Shauna. How can I return to the party and go on as if everything is alright? As if I’m not breaking? How do I face his mother? I won’t be a victim to her scorn. And all his friends… Keya, Rithwik, Raashi… I’m sure everyone must be here tonight. How do I go out and face them again?”

Shauna studied her carefully. “Honestly, I don’t know what to tell you. I’m too naïve in matters of the heart. But… I know someone who can help. Do you trust me?”

Sabrina hesitated.

“Trust me,” Shauna said.

At Sabrina’s nod, Shauna stepped away from her, pulling out her phone. She spoke to someone softly and, a moment later, returned to her side with a bottle of cold water.

“Drink,” Shauna ordered. “You have to be strong. Everything will be alright. You just wait and see.”

Sabrina frowned. Who had Shauna called to gain such confidence? A second later, the sound of approaching footstepsmade her turn. Sabrina was surprised to see Akash walking toward them. But he wasn’t alone. At his side, regal as ever, was Janak Sehgal, the founder of Sehgal Corporation and Shauna’s grandfather.

Sabrina’s jaw dropped upon seeing him. Beside her, Shauna’s lips set in a mutinous line when she saw Akash.

“Why are you here?” she snapped at him. Her eyes landed on her grandfather. “Why did you bring him with you?”

Janak’s brow furrowed at her tone. “He was with me when you called. He heard Sabrina’s name and was concerned. He decided to come along, and you know as well as I do, Shauna, that when he puts his mind to something, then even I cannot stop him.”

Shauna rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever.”

Akash held Sabrina’s hands. “Hey, what happened? Is something wrong?”