“We do an amazing job generating wealth and keeping our job market buzzing enough to shore up our nation’s economy. But we cannot leave our citizens, too many of them, who are struggling, behind. We’re miles ahead of the rest of the country in protecting our natural resources, but we cannot let fires consume us and bring destruction closer and closer to our doorsteps. We need solutions. We are the land of innovation. I am counting on each and every one of you to put your heads together for solutions. My door is open, I’m still finalizing my team, and I will introduce them to you soon. But I assure you that every person who works for me will be hungry for your input and ideas. This is our shot, we’re going to make it good.”

After that he thanked their parents, their grandmother. Every one of the siblings and cousins. He waved up to the balcony, where their grandmother waved down to him. Their cousin Esha, who never left the suite on the top floor when strangers were present on the estate, might have been listening too, and he said a special thanks to her.

He thanked every person on his team by name, and finally he invited India onstage and kissed her. Which was so sweet that the hoots and cheers mixed with laughter and awws. By the time he and India left the stage hand in hand, gazes locked like they couldn’t believe the other existed, there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd.

Well, maybe there was one. Naina was glowering at Jiggy as though she hadn’t heard a word of the speech. Bummer, because during his speech Yash had mentioned that he wouldn’t have won without Vansh’s help with the historic meeting.

Jiggy offered Vansh a handkerchief, which he politely declined given that the billionaire had sniffled into it wholeheartedly through the entire speech.

“You lost a good man,” Jiggy said to Naina. Either the man had no talent for reading his audience, or he didn’t care.

Naina smiled. A smile that said Screw you as clearly as those words could be said. “I did. And now you want to take away my funding too.” She was in no mood to pretend that she gave a shit about anything other than her funding. “Sharing the funding was not the deal, Jiggy.”

“It’s a huge endowment. And I want to know what Mr. Raje comes up with.”

Oh. So the man was serious about hearing Vansh’s ideas.

Obviously, Naina had grasped this before Vansh had. She opened her mouth to answer, but Mehta raised a hand to cut her off. “Let’s give him a project so we can keep him around. Don’t you want to keep him around, Naina?”