61. Corporate War
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"Hey Ishaan!" I waved the moment I stepped out of the lift and spotted him discussing something seriously with an employee near the workstations.
His eyes landed on me immediately.
Though his expression stayed neutral like always, the moment his gaze shifted toward the shopping bags in my hand, he handed the file to the employee and walked toward me.
"How are you doing?" he asked directly.
No hi. No hello. Straight interrogation.
"Yeah! Great," I replied with a cheerful smile.
"Are you sure?" He narrowed his eyes slightly. "I mean... Yugant is behaving properly, right? He's not being an asshole?"
I blinked before laughing softly.
Aww.
See? This is why I liked Ishaan. Under all that exhausted corporate face, he was actually really caring.
"Of course. We're doing great," I assured him quickly. "That's literally why I came here. Don't worry."
He gave a small nod before taking the shopping bags from my hand.
"If he does anything wrong, let me know," he said while walking beside me. "And if Samarth isn't around, don't think you're alone. I'll handle everything."
I looked at him dramatically. "Wow. Such emotional support. You sound like you're preparing legal backup for divorce already."
His face stayed completely straight. "Precaution is important."
"Huh hmm..." I hummed thoughtfully before looking at him sideways. "What about you then? Am I going to get the chance to support you the same way against your future partner?"
The silence that followed was so sudden and heavy that my steps slowed automatically.
I turned toward him.
And froze slightly myself.
Ishaan had stopped walking completely.
His jaw tightened faintly while his expression went strangely blank.
"What happened?" I asked carefully, unsure if I had accidentally touched some sensitive topic.
He exhaled slowly before speaking.
"Can you both please stop talking about my life, marriage, and all this stuff?" His tone wasn't loud, but it felt exhausted. "I am not interested in any of that."
I frowned slightly. "Why?"
"There is no reason," he replied immediately. Too immediately. "I'm just not ready for all this."
I tilted my head a little. "I wasn't ready either. But look at me now. When you find a good partner, things start feeling right... even marriage."
The moment the words left my mouth, something in his expression changed.
Not anger exactly. More like irritation mixed with something deeper.
"If you found your better half, that doesn't mean everyone else will," he said flatly. "So please stop talking this romantic nonsense around me."
I blinked at his unusually sharp tone.
"I'm not going to marry. Ever."
Ever?
For a second, I genuinely couldn't believe Ishaan was saying this. Not because people couldn't dislike marriage. But because the way he said ever sounded less like a decision and more like someone shutting a door forcefully before anyone could even knock.
Still, I didn't push further.
Some people joked when hurt. Some got angry.
And some... built walls so high nobody could even see what was behind them anymore.
So instead of asking more questions, I simply nodded lightly.
"Yeah... okay."
His expression softened just a little, probably because I didn't argue further.
"I'll leave then. You're here to meet Yugant anyway."
He handed my shopping bags back to me before stepping away.
I watched him walk down the corridor silently.
And then I turned towards Yugant's cabin.
"Hello, husband," I said sweetly the moment I opened the door of Yugant's cabin.
He looked up from his MacBook, and the second his eyes landed on me, a smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Hey, wifey."
I walked closer and left the shopping bags on the chair nearby.
Then I moved toward him to hug him properly, but before I could, his hand slid around my waist and he suddenly pulled me straight onto his lap.
I gasped softly. "Yugant..."
He didn't answer.
He just tightened his arm around me and pulled me even closer against his chest.
And honestly? I didn't resist either.
My arms wrapped around his neck automatically while I buried my face there with a small breath leaving my lips.
The moment his familiar cologne surrounded me, something inside me relaxed instantly.
Warm. Masculine. Comforting.
Like home somehow.
I exhaled slowly against his neck, feeling all the exhaustion from the crowded market, heat, noise, and overthinking disappear little by little.
His fingers moved lazily against my waist beneath my top, drawing small circles there.
"Tired?" he murmured near my ear.
"A little."
"Hm." He pressed a soft kiss near my hairline. "You should've called me. I would've sent the driver."
"And miss the joy of Mumbai traffic?" I muttered. "Never."
A quiet chuckle vibrated in his chest.
He took the glass of water from the table and held it near my lips.
I wrapped my fingers around the glass and took a few sips before placing it back carefully.
"Can we please eat something first?" I muttered. "I am starving."
"Of course," he replied easily. "Let's go out."
"No." I instantly shook my head. "I don't want to go out. Order something here."
I tried getting up from his lap, but before I could move properly, his arm tightened around my waist again, keeping me right where I was.
"Alright. Just stay here."
He picked up the intercom lazily and dialed a number without taking his other hand off my waist.
"Send lunch to my cabin," he said calmly. Then after a pause, his eyes moved toward me again before he added shamelessly, "And no one disturb us for the next hour."
"Yugant!" I whisper-yelled while hitting his chest lightly.
Meanwhile, the poor receptionist on the other side awkwardly replied, "Y-yes sir."
The call disconnected.
I looked at him in disbelief. "You are so embarrassing."
He looked completely relaxed. "Why? I just ordered lunch."
"You added the don't disturb us part!"
"Hm. Important instruction."
I tried getting off his lap immediately, but his arm tightened around my waist before I could move properly.
"Sit quietly," he muttered.
"You sit quietly."
A laugh escaped him. "You come here looking like this and expect me to behave professionally?"
I frowned suspiciously. "Looking like what?"
His gaze slowly traveled over my face, then my top, then lower before returning back to my eyes again.
"Like a distraction."
Heat instantly climbed to my cheeks again.
God.
Why did this man speak like that so casually?
I looked away pretending to fix my bracelet while he watched me with that same annoying little smirk.
"You blush too easily," he murmured.
"And you flirt too much."
"Balanced relationship then."
Before I could reply, there was a knock on the door.
I immediately tried standing up again. "Lunch is here."
"Hm."
"LET ME GET UP."
"No."
I stared at him in disbelief. "I want to use the restroom."
This time he finally exhaled and loosened his hold on my waist.
"Go," he muttered like he was granting parole to a prisoner.
I rolled my eyes before standing up and walking toward the restroom attached to his cabin. Just as I closed the door behind me, I heard the cabin door outside open, probably someone entering with more files because apparently corporate people reproduced paperwork instead of children.
After emptying my bladder, I instantly felt relaxed.
Because no matter how classy or pretty girls looked outside, holding pee for too long was one of the worst experiences known to humanity. Especially after travelling in Mumbai traffic.
I washed my hands properly before splashing cold water lightly on my face.
The coolness felt refreshing immediately.
Then I carefully dabbed my face dry with tissue while checking myself in the mirror.
As it should.
Because if expensive makeup couldn't survive heat, shopping, and one shameless husband, then what exactly was I paying for?
"What the hell were you saying?"
I heard Yugant shouting from outside.
What happened suddenly? He was completely fine a few minutes ago.
I quickly walked out of the restroom, and the temperature inside the cabin instantly felt colder.
Ishaan stood near the table with two employees while Yugant paced back and forth angrily, his jaw clenched tightly.
"What happened?" I asked carefully, though my voice sounded strange when all three pairs of eyes suddenly turned toward me.
Ishaan exhaled slowly. "Kingsley filed a corporate fraud and breach of business trust case," Ishaan explained grimly. "He's accusing Raizada Group of manipulating international partnership terms and misusing private business commitments for financial gain."
I stared blankly. "What does that even mean?"
"It means," Yugant laughed bitterly, "that old man wants to drag our company through court and media because I didn't marry his daughter."
Ishaan nodded. "Kingsley already contacted foreign stakeholders this morning. If the news spreads properly, he can force investors to pull out temporarily."
My stomach dropped slightly.
"He wants to bankrupt Raizadas," Yugant muttered coldly. "That's the entire point of this circus."
"But why is he doing this now?" I asked in disbelief. "He knows Yugant didn't marry Olivia because she was already involved with Adhvait."
"Yeah," Ishaan replied coldly. "But he doesn't care about that."