Page 51 of The Defiant Wife

Normal NGO chaos.

At one point Lucky climbs onto a chair and starts giving instructions nobody asked for. At another point Rani quietly slips a handmade paper flower into Veeraj's folder before pretending she didn't.

He notices. Of course he notices.

But instead of embarrassing her by mentioning it, he simply places it carefully inside the file. Like it's something valuable.

My chest squeezes unexpectedly. God.I hate when he does that.The thoughtful things. The kind things.The things thatdon't match my image of him.It's becoming increasingly difficult to fit him in my rich-people-are-the-worst agenda.

A little later the children run outside for evening playtime. Leaving the room surprisingly quiet.

I lean against the doorway.

Veeraj continues organizing supplies. Focused. Efficient. Infuriating.

I cross my arms. "You know."

He doesn't look up. "Hm?"

"I gave you this task because I thought you'd hate it."

That gets his attention. His eyes lift. Dark and steady.

"And?"

"And you were supposed to complain or be annoyed.You were supposed to suffer."

The corner of his mouth twitches. Tiny. Almost invisible. But I catch it. Victory.

"That's concerning, Diya.You spend a lot of time thinking about my facial expressions." He cocks an eyebrow.

The words are calm. Simple. And devastating. Because unfortunately . . . He's right.

My mouth opens. Closes. Then opens again. Nothing comes out.

The bastard.

He finally looks up.And for the first time all day there is unmistakable amusement in his eyes. Not a smile. Worse. Much worse. Because now he knows. And judging by the look on his face . . . He's enjoying it.

I immediately point toward the door. "Get out."

His eyebrow rises."You asked me to be here."

"I've changed my mind."

"That's not how that works."

"It should be."

A quiet huff escapes him. Almost a laugh. Almost. Then he picks up another box and continues working. Completely unbothered. Completely calm. And completely impossible.

I watch him for another second before giving up. BecauseOperation Make The Prince Reactis proving significantly more difficult than expected.

The worst part?

I'm beginning to suspect he's enjoying the game just as much as I am. And somehow . . . That's even more dangerous.

14. IMAGE ISSUES