The private lounge had grown quieter after the cake, the warm glow of candles casting dancing shadows on the walls. The conversation about auction strategies had ended—or at least, it should have—but the air between them was too charged for ordinary farewells.

Veeresh leaned back in his chair, fingers lightly drumming on the table. “You’re sharper than I expected,” he said, tone casual, but the heat in his gaze betrayed him.

Poornima crossed her arms, resisting the pull in her chest that he always seemed to ignite. “I could say the same about you. You’re… infuriatingly precise, Mr. Raj.”

He smirked, that dangerous tilt that made her pulse skip. “Infuriating? I prefer unforgettable.”

She rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched into a smile she immediately tried to hide. “You’re impossible.”

“And you,” he countered, leaning slightly forward, “are… dangerously magnetic.”

Her breath caught, but she shook her head, forcing herself to laugh. “Stop. You’re trying to flatter me, and it’s not going to work.”

Veeresh’s smirk widened. “Oh, I’m not flattering. Just stating facts.”

Poornima picked up her clutch, standing, signaling that the night was over. “Well, Mr. Raj, the fact is I have work to do. And birthdays—even unwanted ones—don’t give you the right to summon people to hotels at midnight.”

He stood as well, walking her to the door, but his hand brushed hers briefly. A spark shot through her, and she quickly pulled back. “I said—stop.”

“Stop?” he echoed softly, leaning in just enough that her heart thumped painfully. “I don’t even know what we’re stopping.”

Poornima’s jaw tightened. “Whatever this… whatever you think is happening, it’s not real. You’re… you’re dangerous. I’m not falling for it.”

Veeresh’s gaze darkened, a mixture of amusement and challenge flickering in his eyes. “Falling? Me? Please. I don’t do that. Not with you, Ms. Mewar.”

Her heart betrayed her, pounding as if to announce the truth they both refused to speak. “Good. Because I’m not falling for you either. Not now, not ever.”

He tilted his head, smirk never fading, eyes holding a glint of mischief. “We’ll see about that.”

With a curt nod, Poornima stepped out into the night, heels clicking on the marble floor. Veeresh watched her go, arms crossed, a satisfied smirk on his lips. He would deny it all he wanted—but inside, he knew the truth. She got under his skin in a way no one ever had.

And for Poornima, despite the walls she’d built, she felt it too—the magnetic pull, the dangerous attraction, the undeniable spark. She denied it fiercely, telling herself it was all in her imagination… but deep down, she knew it wasn’t.

The game was on. And neither of them were ready to admit just how much they wanted to win.