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Tara's POV

The night was young, and the lights of the club pulsed in rhythmic waves, casting a colorful glow over the crowd. The bass of the music vibrated through the floor, sending waves of energy into my body as I swayed along with my friends. It was Neha's birthday, and we were all here to celebrate. We had spent the last few weeks planning this night down to every last detail - the venue, the outfits, the guest list. It was supposed to be our night to let loose, to forget about everything for just a few hours, and I was determined to enjoy it.

The laughter of my friends, the clinking of glasses, and the chatter of the crowd around me filled the air. I took a sip from my glass, a sweet cocktail with a little too much vodka in it. It burned a bit as it slid down my throat, but I liked it that way. The mix of sharp alcohol and sweet fruit was a perfect balance for the energy in the room.

"To Neha!" I raised my glass, smiling brightly, and the others followed suit, joining in the toast. Neha's laughter rang out above the noise, and I felt my heart lighten. Tonight, nothing mattered.

For a moment, I closed my eyes, feeling the music vibrate through my bones, the beat matching the pounding rhythm of my heart. But before I could lose myself in the rhythm, I felt a presence behind me. My senses sharpened, and I turned instinctively, only to lock eyes with Isha.

Her gaze was cold, almost calculating, and a twisted smile played at the corners of her lips. I knew exactly why she was here - she always had to show up when I was happy, didn't she?

Isha was the type of girl who thought she was above everyone. Her eyes were always scanning the room, looking for ways to put others down so she could feel better about herself. And tonight, she had one target: me.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as she walked over, the clink of her heels echoing over the music. She didn't waste any time making her presence known. Without a word, she reached for a wine glass from the counter, filling it with red wine.

The movement was swift, deliberate. And then, before I could react, she threw the entire glass at me.

Red wine splashed across my dress, staining the fabric in an instant. My heart skipped a beat, the shock making my breath catch in my throat. But I didn't let it show. I didn't flinch. Instead, I smiled.

"Really, Isha?" I asked, my voice cool and calm despite the storm brewing in my chest. "Who throws red wine on a red dress? Huh?"

She sneered at me, her eyes burning with jealousy. I knew exactly what she was thinking. She was pissed because all the boys in college had crushes on me. And now, her boyfriend had apparently started to notice me, too. Isha couldn't handle that. She couldn't stand the idea of me even existing in the same room as her precious boyfriend.

"You're just a cheap little flirt, Tara," Isha snapped, her voice dripping with venom. "You're seducing my boyfriend!"

I arched an eyebrow, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. "I don't have time for him," I said, keeping my tone light, as if her words didn't bother me. "I haven't even noticed him. And frankly, I don't care."

I saw Isha's face flush with anger, her grip tightening around the wine glass. She opened her mouth to say something, but Shivangi, my best friend, stepped in.

"Tara is right," Shivangi said, cutting through Isha's words. "Maybe you should focus on controlling your boyfriend instead of blaming her for your insecurities."

Isha's face twisted in rage. "You think Tara is pretty, huh?" she spat, her voice mocking.

Shivangi, without missing a beat, gave her a smirk. "Yes. She is pretty, Isha," she said, throwing a glance in my direction.

The words hit Isha like a slap in the face. She turned red, but instead of backing down, she threw another insult. "If she's so pretty, then she should prove it. Go to the VIP zone, Tara," she challenged, her voice dripping with malicious intent. "Go seduce one of the handsome men in there and bring him out."

I felt a pang of irritation shoot through me. I didn't want to get involved in her petty games, especially not tonight. But the hurt in Isha's eyes... the sheer anger... it got to me. It hit something inside me, something I hadn't even realized existed until that moment.

"Why should I do that, Isha?" I asked, my tone growing colder as I crossed my arms over my chest. "The VIP zone, I heard there's a meeting going on in there. Are you so clueless Isha hmm "

The words hung in the air for a moment, and I watched as Isha's expression flickered. She clearly didn't expect me to know anything about the secretive nature of the VIP area.

But Isha was relentless, her eyes narrowing. "Scared, are we?" she taunted. "You're a loser who's too afraid to take risks. Always hiding behind excuses."

I could feel my blood boiling at her words. She was trying to get under my skin, to make me feel small. But it wasn't going to work. Not tonight.

I glanced at Shivangi, who raised an eyebrow, an unspoken challenge in her gaze. "You should do it," she said with a sly grin. "Show her you're not scared."

For a moment, I hesitated. I didn't want to play into Isha's game. But something in me snapped. The need to prove her wrong, to show her that I was not the scared little girl she thought I was, burned brightly inside me.

"Fine," I said, my voice low but firm. "I'll do it. But not because you told me to."

I turned away from Isha, who looked triumphant, as if she had won. But little did she know, she had just pushed me into the very thing she was trying to stop.

As I walked toward the VIP zone, my mind was racing. What was I about to get myself into? I knew about the meeting taking place. I knew it was no place for me. But the fire in Isha's eyes, the way she had tried to manipulate me, made me want to prove something.

The door closed behind me with a soft click, and the world outside seemed to vanish in an instant. I was plunged into a long, dimly lit corridor that stretched before me, its walls lined with shadows. My footsteps echoed softly as I moved forward, each step slower than the last, my nerves gnawing at the edges of my confidence. This place... it felt wrong. Like I had stepped into a world that wasn't meant for me.

But I couldn't stop now. Not after what Isha had said.

I kept walking, my eyes darting from side to side, trying to keep my mind focused. At the end of the corridor, I saw a room. The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear voices. A low hum of conversation, mixed with the occasional laugh. But it didn't sound like the kind of conversation I was expecting.

Two guards stood outside, their arms crossed, blocking the entrance. I stopped just before them, my mind racing. I needed to get inside without drawing attention. I had to think quickly.

I took a breath, then put on my most confident face, walking right up to them.

"Hey," I said, leaning toward them with a worried look on my face. "There's a fight outside. Things are getting out of hand. If it escalates, it's going to turn into a police case. You two should go check it out."

One of the guards looked at me, confused. "A fight?"

I nodded, my voice steady. "Yeah, you need to get out there fast. They're starting to cause a scene."

They exchanged a glance, then without another word, they turned and rushed off in the direction I had pointed. I didn't waste a second. As soon as they were out of sight, I pushed open the door and slipped inside.

The room was enormous. It was dimly lit, but the faint glow from the chandeliers highlighted the expensive furniture scattered around the space. Sofas lined the corners, a polished wooden table in the center, and the air was thick with the smell of alcohol and something else I couldn't quite place.

A few girls, dressed in revealing outfits, lounged lazily on the sofas, sipping drinks and chatting in low voices. But the sight that caught my attention wasn't them. It was the men.

Some were kissing each other, their hands roaming greedily over one another's bodies. Others... well, they were doing more than just kissing. I felt my stomach twist as I looked away, trying to ignore the scene unfolding in front of me.

But then, my gaze landed on him.

He was sitting in the middle of the room, completely still, his eyes locked on me the moment I stepped inside. His stare was like a predator's - cold, calculating, and intense. The way he looked at me made my heart skip a beat. It was as if he was sizing me up, like he could see through every layer of my disguise. His gaze didn't feel normal. It felt... dangerous. Like he was about to devour me, raw.

I stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do. My mind screamed for me to leave, to walk out and forget this madness, but my feet didn't move. The air between us felt thick, charged, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.

Dhruv's POV

I sat there, my gaze sharp as ever, surrounded by the usual mix of mafia associates - men from every corner of the world, each one as ruthless as the next. The room was thick with tension, and the air had that heavy weight, a mix of alcohol and danger. The girls tried, as they always did, to approach me with their flirtations, their soft smiles, their bodies draped in barely-there fabric. I could feel their eyes on me, desperate, but I wasn't interested.

One of the girls leaned closer, her fingers brushing against my arm, her breath warm on my neck. I didn't flinch. I never did. Instead, I gave her a look - one that had made many others pull back in fear. She quickly stood up, her face paling, and in a moment, she was off to find another man to try her luck with. The others followed suit, their attempts falling flat as they quickly moved on, leaving me with only the business at hand.

As the girls scattered, I turned my focus back to the men beside me. We were deep into the conversation about gun smuggling, the Russian mafia and the Japanese mafia. We were arranging the details of a deal - where it was going to happen, how much the transaction would be, and which ports would be used for transport. The talk was dry, filled with codes and numbers, but it was necessary. This was my world. A world of deals, power, and control.

I was an Italian mafia boss. No one crossed me. And no one could ever take my position.

But then, the door creaked open.

I didn't pay attention at first, focused on the negotiation at hand, but then... I felt it. Something shifted in the room, a presence, one that didn't belong.

I looked up, and there she was.

The girl who had entered the room was unlike anyone I had ever seen. She wasn't just another face in the crowd. No, this one... this one was different. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves, like a river of silk. The way the light hit her hair made it shine, like it had its own halo. She wasn't wearing something overtly revealing, but the red dress she wore... it hugged her curves perfectly, clinging to her in all the right places. The fabric wasn't too tight, yet it wasn't too loose. It fit her like it was made for her.

The deep red of the dress made her stand out even in this dim, sultry room. It was a color that commanded attention, and she wore it like she owned it. But it was her demeanor that caught me the most.

She wasn't looking scared or hesitant like the others. No, she was confident, almost amused. Her eyes scanned the room with that kind of casual indifference, as though she was above all of it. She made faces, small, almost imperceptible expressions, like she was finding the whole situation laughable, as though we were all nothing more than a joke to her.

And then our eyes locked.

For a second, time froze. The noise around us faded, the discussions, the hushed whispers, the clinking of glasses - everything just disappeared. It was just her and me.

Her gaze was like a challenge. She didn't look away, and I couldn't either. The room might as well have been empty because in that moment, there was only her. I couldn't help but notice how stunning she was. Her skin was flawless, glowing in the dim light, and her lips, slightly parted, were the color of fresh roses. She wasn't overly beautiful in the conventional sense. No, she had something much more potent. A wild, untamed beauty.

Her eyes - dark, deep, and unafraid - stared into mine, and I could feel the heat rise in my chest.

I never wanted anyone. Not like this. Not the way I wanted her.

There was a sudden urge within me - an urge I couldn't explain, a possessive hunger that tightened my chest. She was unlike any woman I'd ever seen. I hated the thought of anyone coming close to me, but the idea of her, standing there in that dress, with those eyes locked on me, made me forget how to breathe.

My body was frozen, my mind racing with thoughts I couldn't control.

And then I realized something: I didn't just want her. I needed her.

I couldn't take my eyes off her. I wouldn't. The urge to claim her, to pull her closer, to make her mine surged through me, stronger than any business deal, stronger than any conversation. I just wanted her.

But for now, I stayed still, watching her every move, as she made her way deeper into the room. She didn't seem intimidated. She didn't seem afraid.

She looked like she belonged. And that, more than anything else, made her impossible to forget.

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