Tina frowned when she heard a group of women enter the restroom. She just wanted some peace. Wait until the ache eased in her chest and Dev’s words stopped swirling in her head. All she needed was a few moments to regroup before she returned to the party.
“Did you see Dev and Tina?”
Tina lifted her head. The unmistakable voice of Khushi, the playback singer, was coming from the direction of the mirrors.
“You’d think they were on their honeymoon,” Prisha complained. “I mean, come on. Get a room.”
Tina rolled her eyes at the choreographer’s comment. She was never demonstrative with Dev in public. The reason had more to do with a code of conduct for Bollywood stars than her private nature. One didn’t embrace, kiss or show any overt affection. She didn’t even graze lips with her costar on-screen because it would offend many moviegoers.
“From what I understand, the honeymoon will end in five weeks,” Khushi drawled. “And then they are getting a divorce.”
Tina skin went cold as the blood roared in her ears. Had she heard Khushi correctly? How had she known about the secret agreement she had with Dev?
“What?” Prisha screeched. “Where did you hear this?”
“Shreya.”
Tina exhaled as her hands began to shake. How did Shreya know? She must have heard a rumor, but there was only one source she could have got it from.
“What else did she tell you?” Prisha asked excitedly.
“Tina agreed to stay for two months and she will get to use Dev’s connections in return. I knew that woman had married him for her career. Didn’t I tell you?”
Tina closed her eyes as her stomach gave a violent twist. They knew everything. And there was only one way Shreya would have gotten this information. Dev had told Shreya everything.
CHAPTER TEN
TINA STOOD VERY still as the realization hit her hard. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. She felt sick. Dizzy. She pressed her hands on the metal door as if it could hold her upright. It seemed like ages before Khushi and Prisha finished repairing their makeup. Once they left the restroom, Tina took several moments before she exited the stall.
Tina glanced at her reflection in her mirror. She looked pale and wounded. She wanted to believe Dev hadn’t betrayed her, but she couldn’t think of any other explanation. She tried to think of how Shreya could have got this information but the images of the tabloid pictures flickered in her mind.
She slowly walked to the door, her movements awkward and choppy. Her stiletto heels skidded against the floor and she righted herself abruptly. She really didn’t think Dev would have shared that information with anyone.
Tina squeezed her eyes shut before the burning tears spilled from her lashes. She had believed Dev when he said he had been faithful. He had been hurt that the only reason she returned was because of the pictures. She had heard it in his voice and had felt it in his touch when they had fallen into bed.
But if he had not been sleeping with Shreya, how did the other woman know all the details?
Tina walked out of the restroom and she cringed at the loud music bombarding her sensitive nerves. The frenetic lights and the wild dance movements were suddenly too much for her. She had to get out of there. She needed to think. Run. Hide.
“Tina?” She heard Dev’s voice right behind her. “Where are you going?”
She kept moving, staring at the exit with laser focus as if her life depended on it. “I have to get out of here.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Dev was suddenly in front of her, forcing her to stop. She was tempted to push him away but he was stronger than she.
She didn’t want to tell him. She wasn’t ready for this confrontation. The tears were shimmering in her eyes and the pain was howling through her, threatening to break free. If he had betrayed her confidence like this, she didn’t know how she was going to survive.
Every instinct told her to protect herself. If she told him what she knew, he would come up with an excuse. And she would believe him because she wanted to. She needed to get away before he could totally destroy her. But she had to see his face. If she surprised him with what she knew, he wouldn’t be able to hide his guilt.
“There were some women in the restroom who were sharing some juicy gossip,” Tina said weakly, her throat aching as the emotions clawed at her. “They knew about our agreement. Every last detail.”
Dev grabbed her shoulders and bent his head so he could look directly into her eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“Shreya told others about our agreement. She knows that this marriage is going to end in five weeks.”