Author's POV:

It had been two days since that day — But something had changed in him after that.Aryan, who once refused to leave his room or talk to anyone, was now constantly asking Aahan and Arushi to take him to the café again.

 He'd wake up asking, "Mumma ko kab milne jaa rahe hain?" (When are we going to meet Mumma?)And though it tore Arushi's heart every single time, neither she nor Aahan stopped him.

 Because deep down, both knew — they needed this.Jhanvi and Aryan needed each other's presence... 

even if it meant walking on a fragile thread between healing and heartbreak.

Later that afternoon, at LeMont Grand:

The luxurious aroma of fresh desserts filled the air as Janvi waited in the hotel's private tasting area, nervously fixing her apron. Reeva sat beside her, flipping through a notepad.

Jhanvi sighed and stood up. "I'll just go to the washroom before the tasting starts. I feel like my nerves are going to explode."

"Go, quick," Reeva said, waving her off, "and try not to bump into anyone important this time."

Jhanvi rolled her eyes and muttered, "Ha-ha, very funny."She walked down the hallway leading toward the washrooms — a stretch of polished marble floors and soft golden lights.

 The hotel's elegance felt almost intimidating."Aish... everything here screams expensive," she mumbled, clutching her phone.

Just as she turned the corner—Thud!She collided hard into someone, stumbling back as her phone slipped from her hands.

Before she could fall, a firm grip wrapped around her waist, steadying her in one swift motion. The scent of cologne — sharp, rich, and annoyingly familiar — filled the air.

Her breath hitched as the man's low voice murmured close to her ear,

"I told you, Miss Bhist... try not to collide with me again."Jhanvi froze.

 Not again. She lifted her gaze, and her heart sank — standing before her was Dev Singhania,

 dressed in black, his dark eyes holding a quiet amusement. "You—!" she blurted, snatching her phone from the floor. 

"Do you have a secret hobby of appearing everywhere I go?"He tilted his head slightly, lips curving into a smirk. 

"Maybe it's you who keeps running into me."Jhanvi immediately pushed him away, flustered.

 "You—! I didn't do that on purpose!" But as she tried to stand, the polished floor betrayed her — she slipped again, falling right back against him.

He caught her once more, his grip firm, unyielding. She pushed at his chest, her voice trembling in anger.

 "You can't just— touch me without permission!"Dev took a step forward, closing the space between them, his eyes glinting with quiet mockery. "Oh?" he said, tone deceptively soft. 

 "But you can collide with me without my permission?" Jhanvi's pulse quickened.

 "L-listen, Mr. Singhania... all those were accidents. What you're doing right now is... intentional."He chuckled lowly, the sound deep and unsettling.

"And what exactly am I doing, Miss Bhist?"Jhanvi didn't look up.

 Her breath came shallow, her fingers gripping her phone so tightly her knuckles turned white.

 Every nerve screamed at her to leave, to move — but before she could, his hand slammed against the wall beside her, and then the other.

He caged her in effortlessly. The air shifted — colder, heavier. "Look at me, Miss Bhist," Dev's voice dropped, a silken threat beneath every word.

 "I don't like it when beautiful eyes..." — he leaned closer, his breath grazing her cheek — 

"...look away in fear from me." Jhanvi froze, her heartbeat hammering against her ribs.

 She wanted to shove him, to scream, but her voice faltered somewhere between her throat and the trembling silence around them.

Dev's eyes glimmered darkly, studying every flicker of discomfort that crossed her face.

 And then — just as suddenly — he straightened, stepping back with a composed smirk, as if the moment had never existed.

"Relax, Miss Bhist," he said smoothly, adjusting his cufflinks.

 "You're too tense. Try not to tremble so easily; people might think I scare you."His tone was teasing, but there was nothing kind behind it. 

Jhanvi stood frozen, unable to respond, her breath shaky as he walked past her — the faintest trace of his cologne lingering in the air like a warning.

Just before disappearing around the corner, Dev's voice floated back, calm and low,

"See you at the tasting... try not to fall again."Her knees nearly gave out.

She pressed her back against the wall, exhaling a trembling breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.Her palms were cold.

 Her chest ached.For the first time in a long while — she wasn't sure if it was fear or anger running through her veins.

Jhanvi took a deep breath, trying to calm the rush of anxiety still lingering in her chest. 

Get it together, Jhanvi, she told herself, brushing her palms against her apron before heading back toward Reeva.

Reeva looked up immediately, brows raised. "What took you so long? I thought you fell into the sink or something."

Janvi hesitated for a second — the image of Dev's dark eyes flashing in her mind — but quickly forced a smile. "Nothing... just—uh, mirror crisis. You know me."

Reeva squinted at her. "You sure?"

"Totally," Janvi replied too quickly, waving it off. I'll tell her later, she thought. Now wasn't the time.

Before Reeva could press further, the tasting room door opened and a man in a suit stepped out.

 "Miss Bhist, Miss Rao — you may come in now."

The two exchanged a nervous glance, then entered.

The tasting room was like before elegant, with a long mahogany table at the center.

 Three men sat on the other side — the head chef, the hotel manager, and right in the middle... Dev Singhania.

The head chef greeted them warmly. "Welcome again, Miss Bhist, Miss Rao. Let's begin your final tasting."

Jhanvi and Reeva placed their dishes before the panel. The aroma of caramel and roasted almonds filled the air.

"This is our final creation," Jhanvi said confidently, "Honey Almond Tart with Raspberry Essence — made to complement the tone and aesthetics of LeMont Grand."

The head chef tasted first, smiling in satisfaction. "Perfect balance. Excellent presentation."Then, inevitably, all eyes turned to Dev.

He picked up the spoon with deliberate slowness, his gaze briefly meeting Jhanvi's before lowering to the dessert.

 He took a small bite, chewed, and set the spoon down, expression unreadable.

The silence stretched until he finally spoke.

"Mmm..." His voice was smooth, low. "That's what LeMont Grand needed."

Reeva grinned instantly, elbowing Jhanvi slightly under the table. Jhanvi let out a relieved breath. 

The weight on her chest finally lifted — until Dev's next move.

He picked up a pen and signed the approval papers. Then, with that same unreadable expression, he slid the file across the table.

"Congratulations, Miss Bhist," he said evenly.

Jhanvi smiled, pure happiness flooding her heart. All the stress, the sleepless nights, the endless baking trials — it had finally paid off. 

She reached forward to take the file—

But Dev subtly pulled it back, his gaze fixed on her.

Her hand froze.

The chef and manager were busy discussing menu details, unaware of the tension between them.

Dev tilted his head slightly, his voice dropping low enough only she could hear.

"But Miss Bhist..."

"I hope," he said slowly, his tone smooth but laced with quiet authority, 

"you won't let the hotel... and me down, Miss Bhist?"

For a second, Jhanvi forgot how to breathe. His words shouldn't have sounded the way they did — calm, professional — 

yet there was something in the way he said me that sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.

She straightened her shoulders and forced a polite smile.

"Not at all, Mr. Singhania. I won't disappoint you."

His lips curved faintly, eyes still fixed on her. "Good. I'll remember that."

Reeva nudged Jhanvi's arm lightly, signaling her to leave before she could overthink the moment any further. 

They both turned toward the door.

But as they walked out, Jhanvi could feel it — that same heavy gaze following her until the door closed behind them.

Inside the room, silence hung thick for a few seconds. 

Then Dev leaned back in his chair, one hand loosening the top button of his shirt as he exhaled deeply.

 His eyes lingered on the spot where Jhanvi had stood just moments ago.

A faint, dangerous smile touched his lips.

"Jhanvi Bhist..." he murmured under his breath, voice low, almost reverent.

"You're making me insane."

He tilted his head slightly, the corner of his mouth lifting in quiet amusement —

 but his eyes, dark and unreadable, said something entirely different.