HEYYYY PEOPLE...

As soon as she left the cabin, I sank back into my chair, my eyes fixed on the report the private investigator had placed before me.

The pages whispered secrets, and one particular line made my brows knit instantly.

Karan.

Senior executive in the marketing team. Joined only six months ago.

But what made my blood run cold was the next line—

Son of the CEO of R Tech.

R Tech. The very name felt like poison on my tongue. Our biggest rival. The company I had always refused to collaborate with because of their underhanded, unethical ways.

And now... one of their own was inside my walls.

My grip tightened around the report until the paper nearly crumpled. Heat surged through my veins, anger clouding my thoughts. Was this a coincidence—or a deliberate infiltration?

Slamming the report on my desk, I snatched up the phone and dialed.

"NAINA," I barked, my voice like a whip, "come to my cabin. Right. Now."

There was a pause, a nervous shuffle of breath from the other side.

"C–coming, sir," she replied, her voice trembling.

I leaned back in my chair, jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the door, waiting.

Then I hear a know on door...

A sharp knock broke through my storm of thoughts.

"Come in," I said, voice firm.

The door creaked open and Naina stepped inside, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "Y-yes, sir..." she managed, her tone uncertain.

I didn't waste a second. My eyes locked onto her like daggers.
"I think," I began slowly, my words deliberate, "you should start looking after a job for yourself."

Her eyes widened, panic flashing across her face.
"But... but why, sir?" she stammered.

I slammed my palm against the desk, making her flinch.
"BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE PEOPLE WHO DON'T DO THEIR JOB PROPERLY!" I roared, my voice echoing through the cabin.

She swallowed hard, her breathing uneven, as silence pressed in around us.

"What happened, sir? Is there... any mistake done by me?" Naina asked, her voice trembling.

"Mistake?" I thundered, rising halfway from my chair, the word slicing through the air. She flinched instantly, her fingers tightening around the file she carried.

I narrowed my eyes. "Tell me, Naina—what is your job responsibility?"

She gulped, trying to steady her voice. "To... to recruit people according to their skills, sir."

"Skills?" I repeated, my voice laced with mockery. In one swift motion, I grabbed the report and hurled it across the table, the file sliding to a stop inches away from her.

"Then LOOK at page number three of Karan's profile," I snapped, my voice low but venomous.

Her hesitant hands reached for the file, her eyes darting nervously as she flipped through the pages. I leaned back in my chair, my glare never leaving her.

With wide eyes, Naina gasped as she scanned the page.
"R-Tech CEO's son? H-how is this possible? I checked all the details during recruitment. It was clearly mentioned that he's the son of a man who owns a shop in the local market..."

I leaned forward, my voice cold and cutting.
"Yes. A man who does earn from a shop... but not a shop in the local market, Naina. A shop in the tech market. The biggest one. R-Tech itself."

Her face went pale, her hands trembling as she clutched the file.

"You should have done a proper background verification," I said, my tone like ice.

"S-sorry, sir... this is the last time. I promise, it won't happen again," she stammered, her voice quivering.

"LAST?" I shot up from my chair, towering over her. 

"Did you hear last? One more mistake, Naina—just one—and you're out. Am I clear?"

"Y-yes, sir," she whispered, nodding quickly.

"Good."

Without another word, she hurried out of the cabin, her footsteps unsteady, leaving the heavy silence behind her.

I sank back into my chair, my mind racing. Karan... R-Tech... This wasn't a coincidence...

I leaned back into my chair, exhaling sharply, eyes closing for a brief moment as I tried to steady my racing thoughts. But the uneasiness refused to leave. Something about Karan didn't sit right.

Opening my eyes, I turned towards the monitor on my desk and pulled up the office CCTV feed. One by one, the cameras flickered across the screen—cafeteria, meeting rooms, corridors—until finally, I spotted him.

Karan.

He stood in a quiet corner near the glass panel, phone pressed tightly to his ear, his expression tense. His lips moved quickly, his eyes darting around as if making sure no one was watching.

I leaned closer to the screen, narrowing my gaze.

"Who are you talking to, Karan?" I muttered under my breath, suspicion hardening in my chest.

The feed showed him gripping the phone tighter, his jaw set, his voice—though muted—clearly agitated.

This wasn't an ordinary call.

My mind was come back from the ring call of Private investigator...

I picked up the call. "Hello?"

"Hello, sir," the investigator's voice came through, calm but laced with urgency. "I've found a loop in the investigation."

My brows furrowed. "Loop?"

"Yes, sir. A connection we missed earlier. The school Karan passed out from... is the same school another employee here attended."

I frowned deeper. "And does that matter?"

"Yes, sir, it does. They weren't just schoolmates. They were very close friends back then. After Karan left India, they lost touch, but now... they're under the same roof again."

Something inside me stirred, a foreboding I didn't want to acknowledge. My voice dropped, steady but sharp. "Name. Give me the name of that employee."

There was a pause. Then, his words fell like a dagger.

"Meher. Your assistant."

My grip on the phone tightened. For a moment, everything around me blurred. Shock rippled through me, dragging with it memories I had locked away—regrets of the past, wounds of betrayal that had never fully healed.

"And now... it was happening again." The thought cut deeper than I wanted to admit.

Clutching the phone tighter, I steadied my voice.
"Keep your investigation on full swing. No delays. Nothing slips through, understood?"

"Yes, sir," came the prompt reply.

The line went dead, but the silence it left behind was deafening.

I set the phone down slowly, my fingers drumming against the desk, each tap echoing the storm inside my head. The room felt heavier, the air thicker. My mind refused to rest—each thought circling back to the same bitter truth.

Meher.
Karan.
The past... repeating itself.

For the first time in years, I felt a ripple of unease. Not fear—but the sharp ache of betrayal creeping in again. My jaw tightened as I leaned back in my chair, eyes fixed on nothing, yet seeing everything.

Peace was nowhere near me..

After some time i glanced at clock ie. 10 pm....I grab my keys and start moving towards the exit  of the cabin..

...

as soon i got inside the home.... i step towards the room... as i am no mood in eating food...

after this long day..i changed the clothees and drift into deep slumber..

As I left the cabin, frustration burned inside me, every step echoing with the storm in my head.

My hands tightened into fists, veins pulsing with irritation. The contradiction of it all gnawed at me—anger clashing with confusion, suspicion fighting with memories.

The corridor stretched endlessly, but my mind was trapped in loops of questions that refused to settle.

I pulled out my phone and booked a cab. Yes, cab... today I'm not in any mood to haggle with an auto driver.

Fifteen minutes later, the car pulled up at the gate. I slipped into the backseat, resting my head against the glass, watching the city lights blur past. Thankfully, the roads were clearer than usual. No honking chaos, no endless jams—just a quiet ride home.

Within minutes, the cab stopped at my doorstep. I stepped out, my shoulders heavy with the weight of the day.

I quickly slipped into my room, only briefly glancing at my aunt and her daughter as I passed by.

Good... they didn't ask anything. I like it that way.

Shutting the door behind me, I changed out of my work clothes, the exhaustion of the day weighing me down. My head felt heavy, my body weak—the stress had taken its toll. I grabbed a fever tablet from the drawer and swallowed it dry.

Finally, I collapsed onto the bed. The moment my head touched the pillow, sleep wrapped itself around me, pulling me into its dark, heavy embrace.

...

The morning opened with beautiful sunrays slipping in through the window, dancing across my face. Their warmth tickled my sleepy eyes, coaxing me to wake up.

I tried to open them, but they felt too heavy. After all, I had been lost in a dream—a beautiful one. A dream with my one and only crush.

Arav.

Even as I forced myself to sit up on the bed, the fragments of that dream clung to me like a sweet haze. His smile, his touch, the ring sliding onto my finger... it all played on repeat in my head.

I rubbed my eyes slowly, a smile tugging at my lips. Arav Malhotra—the same man who's my angry, moody boss in reality. The same man who makes me nervous in meetings... and yet, in my dreams, he's the one who makes my heart race.

With a sigh, I dragged myself out of bed, still holding onto the echo of that dream, wishing it didn't have to end

FLASHBACK...START

The weekend evening opened at a rooftop café—private, exclusive, owned by one of Arav's company partners. It wasn't just a restaurant; it was a paradise hidden above the city, where only the soft clinking of glasses and the quiet footsteps of waiters filled the air.

As I stepped inside, my breath caught. The view stretched endlessly before me—the sky painted in hues of orange and gold, the sun sinking slowly into the horizon. A date at sunset... on a rooftop. Wow.

And then I saw him.

Arav.

He stood a few feet away, dressed in casuals, his back to me, hands tucked into his pockets. The sight of him like this—unofficial, relaxed—was rare.

As though sensing my presence, he turned. A smile curved on his lips—rare, warm, and breathtaking. In that moment, it wasn't the CEO I saw, but a man... just a man.

He closed the distance between us with measured steps, then gently took my hand in his.

 "You look... incredible," he murmured, his eyes holding mine.

I felt the warmth of his hand linger as he guided me to a table set for two. No files, no laptops, no deals—just food, laughter, and us. For once, we weren't employer and assistant, but two people lost in each other's company.

As the plates cleared and the sky deepened into a fiery dusk, Arav suddenly clasped my hand tighter. Before I could ask, he lowered himself onto one knee, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Meher," he said softly, his voice trembling with unspoken emotions, "I love you."

My heart skipped, then raced. Butterflies? No, it felt like an entire zoo had broken loose inside me. I couldn't stop the smile, nor the tears threatening to escape. Without hesitation, I held out my hand, and he slid a ring onto my finger.

The world faded. It was just us, wrapped in that moment, time standing still.

But then—

Something caught my eye. A glint. A flash. Something shining in the shadows, beyond the glow of sunset and candlelight.

And with it—

.

.

.

.

FLASHBACK END .

Shaking off the sleep, I rushed straight into the bathroom. Today, I had to be in the office on time—no delays, no excuses. Strangely, I felt lighter than yesterday, as if the burden of the past twenty-four hours had thinned a little.

Thirty minutes later, I was ready. I skipped breakfast as always—it was easier to eat at the office, alone, than to sit with the toxic duo at home. With that thought, I stepped out, locked the door behind me, grabbed an auto, and headed straight to the office.

I reached just in time. But what stopped me cold was the sight that greeted me.

Arav.

He was already there.

My brows furrowed instantly. He only came this early when there was a high-stakes meeting. But today? Nothing was scheduled until five in the evening.

Before I could even settle into my desk, the intercom rang.

"Coffee. And my cabin,"came his voice—calm, neutral, but carrying that familiar weight of authority.

My stomach tightened. Not anger. Not warmth. Just neutral. And that, somehow, was harder to read.

...