It wasn't hard for her to fathom the deep hatred in her opponent's eyes that sizzled with burning rage of defeat as he watched her husband walking out after declaring his decision ie. Her victory. Her protectiveness for her husband was encasing her strongly, nagging at the back of her mind to find out just why he despises her husband so much? Was it just jealousy born out of growing success curve that her husband has always seen and made many rivals along the journey, or is this something very different, something very more cruel to ignore.

Their eyes clashed and he sneered at her. Just how many people can he hate at one time? She thought ruefully and stood up.

Her team had beaming smiles embracing their faces, a wave of victory washing over the conference hall as they basked in the limelight of being the achiever for the first time in career eversince they had joined Raichand Industries. Unlike everytime, where their old team leaders gave into the game of seduction and accepted their defeat, their current head made them familiar with the sweet taste of victory. They can't be any more grateful. After years of feeling incompetent and loser in front the other team, after times of getting dominated by the other team during every project they'll finally have an upper hand.

"Congratulations.", Mrs. Dixit said, although curtly but there was admiration and fascination lingering in her tone. She patted Rivaah's shoulder, their eyes sharing the warmth of new found trust between them before she briskly walked out.

"This calls celebration!", Karan announced and the six other cheered. Unlike some other, they were more focused on their own victory to tease or remark ugly about someone else's defeat.

"It calls hard work!", Rivaah said bursting their small bubble of excitement.

"But Ma'am!", They all groaned in unison.

"Ah huh! No complains. We've been only approved. There's a long way ahead.", She said getting nodding heads in reply.

"How about we celebrate during lunch hours?", Divya suggested as everyone picked their mobile phones and files.

"That's a great idea.", Nayan smiled and everyone else approved. They walked out, still in their own sweet bubble while she smiled shaking her head and followed them out.

"Feels nice, huh?", Rishabh commented snidely.

"Is defeat too bitter for you?", She asked as she turned around, crossing her arms across her chest. Meeting his dusky eyes with her confident ones. He smirked, one that meant nothing good. His eyes raked down, before slowly coming back up to meet her amber ones. Her confidence didn't falter an inch, neither her strict demeanor wavered.

In the baggy off shoulder white long sleeved sweater and dark blue pencil skirt, she looked emboldened and classy. A thin gold chain encompassed around her coyly curved neck, a pair of sterling lotus threader earrings dangling down her ears, framing her oval face delicately. Her luscious locks pulled up in a high ponytail, some traitorous tendrils falling gracefully on the sides of her face. She was a feast to many eyes and she didn't even know it.

She waited, for him to say something. But he was shut down. Every sane thought fled away now that he took a closer look at her. The fire of passion behold in the curves of her voluptuous body, he wanted to taste it. He never knew he would want a woman so badly. But after tasting the defeat today, he does. His body wants to win her over. To drive her in the insanity of ecstasy while he relish the sweetness of her skin.

He didn't know, she's just not a pretty face. A woman who has pursued strength from her broken pieces can be far more fatal than a poison. Her calm and collected poise was just a gist of the power she holds. When she can bring a man who swims in dominance and lives to control down on his knees, this person is certainly nothing but an empty can who'll soon land in dustbin.

Underestimate her, and it'll be fun.

"How did it feel to warm his bed? That is how you earned this, right?", He asked, although someone else touching her did brought a wave of subtle jealousy that he did not know how to handle. This woman is fierce and she's doing unexplainable things to him.

"A cheater is complaining about someone else cheating? The irony.", She chuckled, her bow shaped lips morphing into a small smirk.

"You really slept with him!?", He snarled, stepping closer. Almost possessively.

"How is that your business? Or are you just too baffled after this little defeat? Don't worry. You'll get habitual. There's still alot to come.", She whispered, in a voice that was lucid and smooth. With one fluid movement, she turned and strutted towards elevator.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Rishabh!? Fuck! She's just a woman! She should not- must not- affect you! Focus! You're losing it!", He chided to himself, before shaking his head and sighing out aloud as he walked and stood in front of elevator. Waiting for it to come back.

The workload thickened. She distributed the work among all forteen staff members, counting his team as hers now for the time being. She dismissed them, giving each a time span of two days to finish off so they could move forward to the final execution.

"The pizzas are here!", Shana announced as she came with the boxes of pizzas along with Nayan and Karan. She slid one box each between two to share before sitting down.

The coke cans raised up in a toast, excitement thrilling their body as they cheered and downed a gulp of triumph.

"This feels good!", Divya squealed.

"You're amazing, Ma'am!"

"Yes! Thank you so much!"

"Damn I was really scared if we would be able to do this or not! But even after getting cheated on, we did and we won!"

Rivaah smiled as her team showered her with compliments. She knew this is just the beginning, and not the time to celebrate. The project is yet to start, everything is yet to be done. But she had no heart to stop them. They were happy and she was content.

"Poor you! They really can't control their excitement!", Someone chuckled, finding humor in their own words.

Rivaah looked up. Seeing one of Rishabh's team member looking down at them scornfully, she rolled her eyes and gestured her team to ignore them.

"Let them be, Vineet. It's their first time.", The man accompanying him remarked.

Sameer was about to get up, his temper not letting him sit peacefully. But one glare from his boss and he sighed before looking down.

"Boys, don't disturb them. They are like little kids, enjoying their first win.", Rishabh came, throwing his arms around the two men's shoulder as he gazed down in distate.

"At least we don't steal!", Meghna snorted.

"Are you okay? I heard you had diarrhea?", Vineet snickered. The people around laughed.

"Don't you know bullying is crime?", Rivaah got up when she noticed the moisture in Meghna's eyes.

"Finally a reaction.", Rishabh smirked as he moved through the space between two boys to face her.

"I can report you.", She said simply.

"You wanna complain?", He mocked. "To whom? To the boss?", He whispered, keeping his voice down so no one except her hears him.

She glared hard. Anger and disgust rolling off her every vein in waves for the man before her.

"I suggest you do it when you're in bed with him. May be he'll consider?", His dusky eyes narrowed, fury and rage burning in them.

Only a moment before he was standing cockily and now, crouched down as hot pain seared through his lower body like a volcano. She straightened her knee, ignoring the gasps and wide eyes when she kneed him in his balls. Asshole deserved it.

She leaned down to his eye level, as he shot daggers at her through his bloodshot eyes. "I guess your nuts are bruised now? Poor you. I suggest you to put some ice there. May be it'll heal.", She said faking pity. "And if you opened this gutter one more time-", she said waving her finger towards his mouth, "I'll render it useless.", She hissed, pointing to his already aching member.

"What is this commotion?", A voice roared. The authority it drove with, straightened up everyone.

Rishabh closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and then standing straight much to his certain body part that demanded some delicacy.

Kabir strode further inside, the employees scattered out of his way as he stood before his two advertising heads. "What is happening here?", He demanded, pocketing his hands as his scrutinizing gaze studied them both.

"Nothing, sir. We were just talking.", Rishabh mumbled as he ducked his head down, avoiding to look in his boss's eyes. His frown deepened when he noticed her staring right at the boss, as if challenging him with her gaze.

"It didn't look like that. Why the crowd? And it's way past your lunch hours.", Kabir asserted, throwing a lazy glance at his expensive Rolex.

"Miss. Verma, you seem angry. Something you want to say?", Rishabh panicked when Kabir asked that. If she brings up his comments of them sleeping together, he's so gone before he could even begin.

"Miss. Verma?"

"Nothing, Mr. Raichand. Nothing at all.", She gritted out. Her eyes were blazing, anger coursed hard and fast through her blood.

For the first time she wanted to stake a claim on the man before her. Let the world know that he belongs to her and her alone. She wants everyone to know that she has every right on him. She wanted to belittle the man beside her. She wanted to drink the gulp of satisfaction when his face resembles nothing but pure shock. All the crude comments he threw at her, she wanted to slap them back on his face.

Grabbing her purse, she stormed out.

"Get back to work!", Kabir announced loudly before walking out. He spotted her entering the elevator and quickened his steps. Before anyone could notice, he was through the sliding doors and inside with her.

He pressed the stop button and then turned around to face her.

"What-", before he could complete, she had him backed up against the metal wall. Not a second later, her lips came crashing down on his with force. The kiss was nothing sweet or gentle, she was frustrated, angry and she didn't know any other way to pour the feelings out. Her tongue tangled with his, and when the anger subsided, she gave up with a moan. His callous hand removed the sweater that was loosely tucked in her pencil skirt and his long fingers skimmed inside, rubbing and gliding down her silky smooth skin.

"Damn babe! You're so hot when you're angry.", He whispered huskily, out of breath as she pulled out.

"Shut up!", She snapped before pressing her swelled lips against his for another fierce kiss.

Her hands forced his blazer off hastily. Dropping it on floor, his hands crawled back inside to caress her smooth skin. She removed the buttons of his waist coat, hating the layers her husband was wrapped up in.

"Slow, darling.", He chuckled as she was eager and a fumbling mess while trying to unbutton his pristine white shirt. His arm drew her closer, so close that they breathed off each other.

"Fuck!", She scowled after not being able to unbutton him. She moved away, panting hard as she laid her head behind on the metal wall.

He bent down, grabbed his blazer and shrugged it on after buttoning his waist coat.

"Tell me.", He probed as he pressed for the lift to start again. "What happened?", She looked up, his disheveled hair, swelled lips, the slightly smudged red marks on his jaw where she had peppered soft kisses hungrily. She could not look away. She wanted to stare at the perfect specimen before her.

"Rivaah?", He called out for her, brushing his hand through untamed hair as he asked for her attention.

"I want everyone to know.", She mumbled, her eyes drinking his carved features. She wanted every inch of this man and offer her world to him.

"To know? What?", He asked as he slightly bent to tuck her baggy sweater back in her pencil skirt.

"That you're my husband. That you belong to me. That I've every right on you.", She knew the cons of this are outweighing the pros. Everyone might treat her as an object of nepotism. Her hard work might go down the drain. But that bloody Rishabh, she wanted to shut his mouth for once and all.

Kabir sighed. He stood straight and she saw uncertainty in his eyes. "We can't."

_______