And so, an hour later, I’m once again seated next to Gabe in his Mercedes as his car takes us to the venue. Gabe’s been smiling at me ever since he fetched me. I can’t however bring myself to respond to him at all. Instead, I’ve been staring out of the car window, refusing to look at him or talk to him.

“How is Rian?” he asks me finally.

“Fine.”

Thinking about my baby always warms my heart. I wake up so many nights missing his soft baby smell, his loud kisses and his jumbled words. But he's safe at home in Mumbai with my parents and Jasmine, and that is of utmost importance right now.

“Have you spoken to him?”

“Yes!” I answer in a clipped voice. I know I’m being mean to him, but at this point I don’t care. I just need someone to vent out my frustration on and he’s the only one around.

“Good heavens, Aaliya! You do know how to throw a temper tantrum.”

My lips flatten as I turn to glare at him. “Fuck you, Gabe! You can’t even imagine the pain I’m going through knowing that he may have slept with another woman, so don’t you dare call it a temper tantrum.”

He raises a brow at my heated words. “He didn’t.”

I’m not sure I heard him right. I frown. “What did you just say?”

“Celia tried to seduce him. But he rejected her.”

“Oh, thank God!” I suck in a deep breath as a weight lifts off my chest and happiness soars through me. But I need further confirmation. “How do you know?”

He wriggles his brows. “He’s my friend. He talks to me.”

“And?”

His eyes dance with mirth while he purposely delays responding. I cross my arms and give him a pointed look.

Finally, he speaks. “He called me last night, half an hour after I dropped you home. He was upset and pissed off that she tried to trap him into sleeping with her. So, you see, your temper tantrum wasn’t needed at all.”

I shut my eyes and lean back against the car seat, exhaling on a sigh. He rejected her. There is so much to hope for now.

Gabe adjusts his cufflinks. “I’m glad we can go to the gala without you sulking.”

My mouth drops open in a wide smile. I am literally bouncing in my seat, looking forward to meeting Damien now. In my anger with him, I spent truckloads of money at Harrods today on a new wardrobe of clothes, bags, shoes and jewelry. I put such a huge dent on my card, which was quite unlike me. I’m usually judicious in spending, but with thoughts of him and Celia burning through my mind, I was rather reckless today.