CHAPTER 5 （Gone with the wind）
KRISH
The clouds drifted by my window, but I hardly noticed them. My mind was still back in that office, replaying the conversation with my father over and over.
“Don’t get too attached, Krish. This is a professional relationship, nothing more,” he had warned about Trisha. “She failed her last mission by choosing personal feelings over duty. Don’t make her repeat the same mistake.”
His words echoed in my head, mingling with the pounding ache in my chest. He was right, of course. Trisha and I were colleagues. Whatever magnetic pull I felt towards her, I had to ignore it.
But it wasn’t that simple. Somewhere along the way, she had become more than just the woman who worked in my organisation.
I yearned to see her smile and to hear her laugh.
I lived for our conversations, both serious and playful.
She challenged me, supported me, and I was different with her altogether.
When she looked at me, it felt like... like maybe she felt the same way. That there was a connection between us, we couldn’t deny.
Was I fooling myself? Had I misunderstood her closeness? Had I interpreted her warmth as something more?
Maybe. But now, I would never know.
As soon as she got my father’s warning, Trisha pulled away.
That very night, she left for Malaysia, halfway across the world from me, chasing a lead for her drug cartel’s case.
But we both knew the truth. She was putting distance between us on purpose.
After what my father said, she saw the risk in getting closer and made the choice to retreat back to business.
And just like that, the spell was broken.
Now, here I sat on this plane, staring blankly out the window, sipping the champagne which turned bitter in my mouth. She slipped away before I could speak to her or even meet her eyes. And it ached—goddamn, it ached—like a hole in my chest.
But I had no right to feel hurt. Trisha did the responsible thing for both of us. She rededicated herself to the job, to GLEN, and I had to respect her decision, as much as it stung.
With a heavy sigh, I turned from the window. I couldn’t change how she felt. All I could do was follow her lead and refocus on my role at work. That was the life we had chosen. Anything and everything else would have to wait.
Six months Later
Six months had passed since I’d seen or spoken to Trisha, since she flew off into the night, putting her mission first.
I returned to Austria, but I’d kept tabs on her from afar through my team. Her accomplishments were impressive—she’d gotten closer than anyone to unravelling the powerful drug cartel she’d been tracking ever since she joined GLEN.
But her methods made me uneasy. Going undercover, she had infiltrated the organisation by posing as the girlfriend of Max, the ringleader’s younger brother. It was dangerous work, putting her at constant risk if her cover was blown.
And the longer she kept up with this act, the more inevitable it seemed that she would have to get... closer to Max. A nauseating but logical step to gain his trust and get information. The thought twisted my gut and filled me with frustration.
I knew it shouldn’t matter. This was all part of the job. And Trisha was smart and capable of handling herself. Yet, it disturbed me. I couldn’t get the image out of my head—her with him. Laughing at his jokes, letting him put his arm around her waist, kissing her. My Trisha.
No, not mine. I gave up that right long ago. I’d stayed away. I’d respected her space and her dedication to this mission above all else. Even if it had eaten me up inside these six months.
I kept picturing our last moment together.
Her silhouette in the doorway, hesitating as if she might turn back.
But she didn’t. Trisha had just straightened her shoulders and walked away.
Maybe by now, I was a distant memory for her.
She’d moved on. She didn’t even think of me anymore.
After all, she’d been fully committed to bringing down this cartel, no matter the cost.
And here I was, thousands of miles away from her, unable to shake her from my mind.
I checked for updates about her obsessively, hating this helplessness that I couldn’t see her yet.
There were times I really wished I could be there with her, watching her back and keeping her safe.
But I gave up that thought, knowing Trisha needed to focus and deliver what she had chosen for herself—her first mission with GLEN.
All I could do was wait and hope this mission ended soon, and that Trisha succeeded in her goals.