Chapter Thirty-Two
Arya
I enter my office at eight sharp in the morning.
Like every day the past two weeks, flashbacks of Nathan going down on me on my desk play in my head.
My body becomes all hot and bothered, waiting for him to appear out of thin air.
He never does.
As if that wasn’t tortuous enough, I now have the carnal memory of last night. Each step is a reminder of how ruthlessly he fucked me. There’s a lingering ache that even a long bath in my hot tub couldn’t fix.
Everything was unforgettable and perfect up until the moment it was over.
I felt his walls go back up as soon as he finished and pulled out of me. Having him turn his back to me hurt, even though I had no right to feel that way.
Before he could give me his favorite speech about the rules, I beat him to it.
After I had gotten out of the bathroom, Nathan wasn’t in the room. I found him drinking on the balcony. He looked unapproachable, his invisible fortress up high. Instead of saying goodbye, I silently left his place.
I haven’t heard from him since. Not even to ask if I made it home safely.
“Because that’s what boyfriends do,” I whisper to myself. “And he’s not that to me.”
Strolling up to my desk, I put my purse on it and switch on my laptop. I’m typing in my password when a knock sounds at my door.
“Come in,” I say.
Rashmika, the freelance investigator, pops her head in. “Hey, you got a minute?”
“I do.”
Opening the door, she steps inside fully and marches to the chair across from me. “I made some progress in Nathan’s case.”
I’m instantly on alert. “Tell me.”
“I asked around the hotel and one of the waiters saw someone slip the technician an envelope. He couldn’t see the person because it was dark outside. All he saw was a man in an expensive suit with his back turned to him.”
“So, someone paid the technician to display the texts during the presentation.”
“Yes,” replies Rashmika. “That’s my bet. The person after Nathan was attending the party. It could be any one of his enemies or someone from his company.”
“Can’t you meet the technician and force him to tell who the man was?”
“That’s the problem. He was a last-minute volunteer named Aadesh. They can’t find any other information like a phone number or an address. The main person hired to handle all the tech stuff had an emergency and was a no-show.”
I slump against my chair, muttering, “Crap. Then we’re back to the drawing board.”
“No.”
“What do you mean?” I frown at Rashmika.
“I have another lead.” She smirks. “The waiter said he saw the two of them in the back garden around seven-ish in the evening. I was able to bribe the security guard to share the CCTV footage of the hallway with the entrance during that time. I’ll be watching it to see who all went to the garden and came back inside.
There’s only a handful of people who can be after Nathan. We’re bound to recognize them.”
“How long will that take?”
“A day, max.”
Hope sparks inside my chest. “Give me the name as soon as you find out. You have the list of his rivals that I shared with you, right?”
“Yes.”
“It could be any of them.”
“Don’t worry, I will find the person.”
“Thanks, Rashmika.”
Nodding, she stands up and leaves. As soon as we catch the person responsible, we’ll have one less threat to worry about. All we’ll need to focus on is strengthening his public reputation and securing his CEO position.
It leaves me to wonder how Nathan’s meeting with Sanjay went. Using that as an excuse, I grab my phone and pull open our chat.
“I’m checking up on my client,” I hum. “That’s all.”
ME: Hey, how did the golf session go with Sanjay?
Sounds polite and professional, right? Or like a girlfriend asking about his day?
Stop overthinking.
Ugh… I put my phone face down.
Focusing on my laptop, I distract myself with work. The conversation with Rashmika replays in my head.
She said the perpetrator was attending the gala and is someone Nathan is extremely close with or works at his company. A random person wouldn’t come after Nathan twice, if all they wanted was to spread a scandal.
Who would have the most to gain by ruining Nathan’s reputation?
A single name pops up.
And he was there that night.
Rakesh Singhania.
My gut screams it’s him. That man wouldn’t hesitate to throw dirt at his own flesh and blood. I’ve witnessed firsthand how deep-seated his need for control is. He most likely went digging around Nathan’s engagement and someone uncovered the truth.
Let’s not forget he despises Iris with a passion.
Rashmika shared the guest list to the gala when she began investigating. I open the Excel file to go through the names and see who else attended that can’t stand Nathan’s success, besides Rakesh.[RK19]
I scan the list.
No name besides Nathan’s conniving father stands out. If my instincts prove correct and Rashmika comes up with proof, it’ll devastate Nathan. There’s no love lost between the two of them, but the betrayal will still cut deep.
The ping of the notification yanks me from my troubling thoughts.
My heart rate jumps, thinking it’s Nathan texting back.
When I look, it’s my sister’s name flashing on the screen.
BIANCA: You free tonight for dinner at my place?
ME: With you and Dash?
Frankly, he intimidates me. The man has two sides. A protective and mischievous one he reserves solely for Bianca, and the broody and unapproachable one for the rest of the world.
I’ve witnessed both when they came for family dinner after they had just gotten married. Of course, my parents and I had no clue that it was of convenience.
I push those ugly memories back.
We’re moving on.
BIANCA: No, he’s out of town.
BIANCA: Why do you ask? Did you want to meet him? :D
ME: Will you guarantee he’ll let me inside the door?
BIANCA: Stop being silly. I told you he’s not mad at you.
ME: If you say so.
BIANCA: You’ll know when you meet him. Now about tonight, you coming?
BIANCA: We can have a sleepover. Get drunk and watch horror movies together.
I smile, remembering those carefree and hilarious nights. We used to steal our dad’s expensive liquor bottles and drink in her room. Then, we’d watch horror flicks and laugh at the absurdity of them.
ME: Rain check on the sleepover. But I’ll come for dinner.
BIANCA: Yay! See you then. I’ll cook your favorite dish, pao bhaji.
ME: You learned to cook? *flushed face emoji*
BIANCA: Dash taught me. *smiling face with sunglasses emoji*
ME: Well, that makes me even more excited.
BIANCA: I’m sending you the location. Come straight from work.
ME: Okay.
BIANCA: Can’t wait. Love you.