had managed to get an endorsement deal for her crowning glory. Now her hair barely covered her ears. “It was a mistake.”
Sandeep cautiously glanced up, his gaze returning to her chopped-off tresses. “And...how was your vacation?”
Tina stilled. Vacation? Was that what Dev was calling it? Did he think she was under his spell and incapable of staying away? The hurt scored through her like a jagged knife, so swift and ferocious that she couldn’t move.
Her “vacation” had been more like prison. Like hell. The memory of endless white walls, the acrid smell of disinfectant and the oppressive sense of despair washed over her. She gritted her teeth and struggled to stay in the present. “I’m glad to be back.”
The servant took a few shuffling backward steps. “I’ll go find Sahib.”
“No need.” Tina raised her hand to stop him. She had the element of surprise on her side and she wasn’t going to waste it. It was time to act like the mistress of the house instead of an intruder. She only needed the role for a moment and then she’d gladly discard it permanently. “I know you’re busy with the party. I’ll go find him. Where was the last place you saw Dev?”
Sandeep gave a guilty start and looked at his bare feet. “It’s hard to say.” His mumbling words were barely audible over the dance music.
Was it in the arms of a woman or two? Tina’s lips twisted with bitterness. Or was it even worse than she could imagine? She almost wanted a hint of what she would see, but she wasn’t going to ask. This was Dev’s home and the employees had been with him for years. He had everyone’s loyalty and she was the interloper. “Don’t worry, I’ll find him.”
The manservant’s shoulders sagged in defeat. He peered outside the door. “I’ll have someone take your things up to your room. Where is your luggage?”
“I didn’t bring any.” She didn’t plan to stay long.
Sandeep frowned but didn’t voice the questions that were obviously going through his head. He reached out his hand, his fingers lean from decades of work. “Shall I take your purse?”
She instinctively clenched her shoulder bag closer to her body. Tina forced herself to relax. “No, thank you,” she said with a smile as she strode away. Sandeep wasn’t the enemy, but she wasn’t letting her passport or her money out of her sight. They were essential to regain her freedom. She had learned that the hard way when she had walked away from Dev while they were on a movie location in America. Today she wouldn’t even let go of the rolled-up tabloid that was stuffed at the bottom of her bag. The one with her husband’s picture on the cover. That photo and the accompanying story had lit a fire in her that still burned bright.
Tina walked to the center of the large entryway and stared at the sight before her. As she inhaled the stench of alcohol, sweat and cigarette smoke, she recognized a few of the guests. They were celebrities and actors whose faces graced billboards and movie posters. They still looked gorgeous, their damp hair and clothes plastered to their skin, as they moved feverishly to the heavy beat of the drums.
She narrowed her eyes and watched as two guests competed in a drinking game at the bar. So this was how her husband had spent his days while she was away. After reading the weeks-old tabloid, it shouldn’t surprise her.
Tina wondered what the occasion was for the party. It had to be about business. The moment Dev was born he had been destined to reign this world. But it was not enough to take his rightful place at the top. He was driven to succeed, conquer new territories and gain incredible power. Money was secondary to this man yet every moment of Dev’s day was consumed with business.
Well, almost every moment. She had been the exception. Once she thought that the aberration meant he loved her. Now she knew differently.
Tina continued to walk through the house. She wondered if he would claim that it was her welcome-back party. He was bold enough to try. And why not? He could lie and break promises without suffering the consequences. Dev was untouchable.
But her return had been impulsive. She hadn’t known that she was coming back until yesterday. Now she wondered if that had been the wrong decision. Tina bit the inside of her lip as she walked farther away from the main entrance. Her goal was to show that she was no longer vulnerable. That she was stronger than her husband could imagine.
Tina hesitated before she moved deeper into the house. Once she had felt safe and comfortable here. She had even considered it her home. Now she knew it had been an illusion. Instead of being protected, she had ultimately been stripped of her power and freedom. Her fingers flexed nervously against her purse strap as she looked around, trying to remember where the closest exit was located.
She heard a group of people clapping and chanting loudly in the direction of the billiards room. Tina pivoted and marched to the back of the house, certain that her husband would be there. With his stunning looks, raw masculinity and star power, Dev was always the center of attention.
Tina rolled her eyes when she recognized the song the men were chanting. It had been from Dev’s first hit movie. She had seen it countless times but she knew her husband was privately critical of his performance in it. He wouldn’t play the song unless it was a special request for someone important.
She suddenly remembered the scene also included an actress. Would he be dancing with a partner? A certain ingenue? Bile burned in her stomach at the thought, but Tina kept moving. She needed to see this herself and not rely on other sources. She needed to know.
Tina entered the billiards room unnoticed. She was invisible in this brand-name crowd. Her crumpled tunic and baggy jeans didn’t cause one head to turn. The only time the Hindi film elite noticed her was when she was on the arm of her husband.
Everyone was facing the center of the room, jumping up and down with their arms outstretched as they sang. She stumbled to a halt when she heard Dev’s bold laughter. The sound pierced her heart.
He sounded...carefree. Happy. Tina staggered back as the realization hit her like a fierce blow. How could he be like this after everything that had happened? Didn’t he feel anything? Or was it just a relief to him?
Tina hunched her shoulders. Perhaps it was a bad idea to return for one final confrontation. She had always suspected that she had been a burden to Dev. She’d thought they had been desperately in love, but now she realized he had felt obligated to marry her. It hadn’t helped that his parents had disapproved of the match. Of her.
Who could blame them? She was not worthy of him. His parents were Bollywood legends and she was from the slums. Dev had given up his parents’ grand plans and eventually he’d given up on her.
Everyone had known it was bound to happen, believing she’d tricked him into marriage. They confused her with the bad-girl roles she had in those low-budget masala films. Perhaps Dev did, too. It had soon become obvious that she wasn’t the brazen and sexy woman of his dreams. Dev had been ready to return to his playboy ways and he wasn’t going to let a wife stop him.
And she wasn’t going to let him have any more power over her. Determined to get this over with, Tina took a shaky breath and plunged into the crowd. She stopped, her heart lurching when she saw Dev standing alone in the center of the circle. He held the guests captive as he performed the intricate dance step with effortless grace.
Tina’s chest squeezed tight. Dev Arjun. Her first love. Her biggest mistake.
She stared breathlessly at her
