His sharp tone compelled her to look up. Dev’s frustration poured from him like billowing heat. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“Actresses marry producers and media moguls all the time in Mumbai,” Dev continued. “And when it happens, the actress only works for her husband’s film company.”
“Which is usually what the actress is hoping for all along. I didn’t marry you for my career.” He didn’t understand. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—be financially dependent on him. He had displayed enough power over her life.
An emotion chased across Dev’s face that Tina couldn’t define. “Why—”
“Oh, here’s the article!” she said, desperate to change the topic before another argument began. “Huh. Apparently, I have risen from the dead.”
Dev scowled. “You don’t want to read that. Nothing good comes from hearing the gossip about yourself.”
“It says here that Bollywood’s Bad Girl went wild in America. Drinking, drugs and dating countless men.” She made a face. “I’m surprised they didn’t add an arrest record or a homemade sex video to the lies.”
“That’s not funny.” His fierce expression sent a shiver down her spine.
She reached out and patted his arm. “According to this, one insider source thought you got the Bollywood mafia to whack me. There’s something here about numerous sources suggesting that Shreya Sen was behind my disappearance.” She frowned. “And how she got the last laugh because...”
Dev snatched the magazine from her hand. “These magazines are full of lies,” he declared as he stuffed it back into the rack.
She stared at him. She wanted to grab the magazine and read the last paragraph again. There was no way that could be true. Dev wouldn’t do that to her. Would he?
“Shreya Sen was the leading lady in your film?” She stumbled over the words as the anger and hurt shredded through her. “You are playing star-crossed lovers with the woman you were supposed to marry?”
“Calm down, Tina.”
The fury built up inside her with ferocious speed. For one scary moment she thought that she was really on the brink of losing total control. “You know what, Dev? Forget our agreement,” she said in a deceptively cool tone.
“Your career—”
“Is dead. Just like this marriage.” The hurt swelled inside her like gaping wound. “But I might garner some interest with my dead career. Give that magazine a tell-all story.”
Dev watched her cautiously, as if he was trying to determine her mood. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“I’ll let them know just how the most popular action hero—the favorite romantic hero—tried to blacklist me in Bollywood. I can’t wait to see how your investors will respond to that cover story!”
Dev’s eyes held an unholy glow. “Be very careful, Tina. I’m about to call your bluff.”
“This is no bluff.” She took a step forward. “I’ve seen your worst and I survived it. You haven’t seen what I’m capable of doing.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
DEV WATCHED AS Tina stormed into the house and marched up the stairs. Her anger had not waned since they’d left the bazaar. Nothing he said on the way back home had seemed to pierce the cloud of fury that had surrounded her.
How could she think he preferred Shreya? Wasn’t it obvious that Tina held him spellbound? It had been torment the past two weeks to refrain from touching her. Kissing her. He couldn’t stop staring at her lips, remembering how they felt and tasted. He didn’t want any other woman. He wanted his wife.
“Do you need anything, Sahib?” Sandeep asked as he closed the door.
Patience, Dev decided. Because he had officially run out of it.
He shook his head. “No, thank you, Sandeep. Any calls?” He hoped there was urgent business back at the office. Something that would require him to leave. Distract him.
Dev frowned. How often had he done that? Gone to work instead of confronting a problem head-on at home? Work came easily to him but relationships were a minefield he had yet to master. Maybe Nikhil was right. He wasn’t a good husband.
“Yes, one message,” Sandeep said. He glanced upstairs and lowered his voice. “Shreya Sen called.”
Dev exhaled slowly. Even the old manservant knew how Tina felt about Shreya. Everyone had noticed but him. He should have picked up on the clues. He hadn’t considered Shreya a threat to his marriage until now.
She had been a colleague and a family friend. She often called for advice. Two years ago his family had started discussions with hers about an arranged marriage. Dev hadn’t been enthusiastic about the idea but the union made sense. And then he had met Tina.