“You think I knew?” Up until now he’d been doing his usual insouciant lounging thing and being all amused with the world. The spark of intensity shimmering beneath the surface that most people missed had been nicely tucked away. Now it flared, jumped to the surface in a hot blast. “Are you seriously accusing me of knowing that Jiggy was going to pull that stunt at the party? Is that who you think I am?” His hands shook and he shoved them into his pockets.

The fact that this was the thing that stripped him of his casualness stabbed at something inside her. Regret prickled when it had no business prickling. She couldn’t trust him. He was like those large-eyed critters who looked harmless but tore off your flesh if you let them close. Only this was worse. She’d rather have her flesh torn off than lose her funding.

“How could you not have known? How can Jiggy have announced that you’re working for his organization if you aren’t? He’s arrogant but he’s not an idiot. And I’m not either. I’ve worked with the man for months and I’ve worked with more men like him than you can even begin to imagine.” Calling attention to his youth and inexperience was unfair, but it was the crutch Naina needed. Everything felt shaky beneath her feet. Her work felt shaky, and she would never forgive him for that. “What has Mehta offered you?” Time to cut to the chase.

He let out another breath. “Let’s calm down.”

“Vansh. Stop scaring me.”

“You were right. He’s only interested in working with me because of my name.” His face was unreadable, and she couldn’t tell if he hated that or if he thought it was handy. He read the question in her eyes. “It’s just what it is, Naina. But we can do something with it.”

“I’m already doing what I need to do. What has he offered you?” She had a sick feeling that she already knew the answer, because his face changed. It gentled and got protective, the way it always did before he thought something was going to hurt her. A look she’d never been able to identify on a single other face in her life.

“We have to work together. We have to make both our projects work with the money he’s pledged.”

That bastard Mehta. “That’s impossible. And you don’t even have a project.”