Chapter 25 #2
It hadn’t, Mina thought. She’d been so sure she had shed any and all claim over her mother’s firm, but when she’d started getting text messages about the issued warrant and the authorities showing up, she’d thought she might burst into tears.
She’d had to go to the bathroom and lock herself in so she could catch her breath.
Hopefully time would rid her of that knee- jerk reaction.
She reached up and cupped Hem’s face for the briefest of touches. “I have a new firm to get my hands on.”
“After the way you helped secure three former Kohli & Associates clients before you even signed the HR paperwork? You have carte blanche.”
“Three clients?” Deepak asked as he snagged a cashew from the snack tray on the table. “That’s impressive.”
Mina smiled at him, was tempted to even hug the baby Singh brother.
He’d been wrecked since Sahar was escorted out of the Cali office by Sri before he could stop it from happening.
He’d tried to contact her, but apparently her phone had gone to voicemail.
Hem had even talked about how Zail showed up at her apartment multiple times and she wasn’t there.
He was headed back to California the next day and would hopefully have better luck soon.
“Do you think your father has that kind of talent?” Zail asked.
Mina shook her head. “Ah, what?”
“Your father,” Zail repeated. “Do you think he could also bring in clients or close deals or whatever? He does business negotiations, right?”
“I don’t— wait, why are you asking?” Zail’s expression was grim. A little sad, even though he tried to smile. “He’s unemployed. He may be considering in- housework. Hem wasn’t filling the SVP of legal position at Bharat on a permanent basis, and it’s vacant again.”
“Wow, I mean, you’d have to ask him, but I think that’s an incredible offer.”
“I like to work with people with integrity, and it sounds like your father has it,” Deepak Singh said from his spot on the couch. “I’m sure Ajay will get the ball rolling.”
“We’ll have your father over for dinner tomorrow night,” Hem added. “We can talk to him together.”
Zail cleared his throat and shot Mina a pointed look.
“What? What is it?”
“Nothing really, it’s just that when I look at your current situation, I’m curious about something. You and Hem. You’re going to live together.”
“And work together,” Deepak added.
“And you love each other,” Hem’s mother said.
“When is the wedding?” they said in unison.
The cup almost slipped from Mina’s fingers. “Whose wedding?”
“Yours!” Hem’s mother said.
“I’m not getting married,” Mina blurted out.
Wedding? That was . . . a lot. And there were so many people looking at her while she processed that word.
The idea of spending her life with anyone was a foreign concept to her.
She hadn’t thought about it with Hem since they’d been so busy.
But she could see it. They were about to live with each other, and instead of being fearful, she was looking forward to it.
The weeks they’d circled each other had been educational for her.
She’d learned how easy it was to be with Hem and how much they had in common.
She couldn’t wait for them to learn more about each other.
She felt Hem’s hand press on the small of her back until she turned to look at him.
He took her cup from her hands and then sandwiched her palms between his.
When their eyes connected, she felt steadier again.
“Mina and I,” Hem said in a firm tone, “will let you know when we’re ready to get married. You’ll hear our answer first, but until then, please don’t try to push us.”
“It’s probably better you hold off anyway,” Zail said. Mina knew that he was giving her an out, and she grabbed it with both hands.
“Why?”
“Because we still have to figure out how we’re going to deal with WTA,” he replied. “Even though we served them with papers, they still own a large percentage of shares. They get a say in the new board members that will be elected to replace the ones we lost.”
“Don’t worry about that, puttar,” Deepak said. “I’ve come to trust your brother Ajay. He’s supposed to attend a fundraiser tonight, and the WTA attorney who was on the shareholder call will be there. Ajay is going to have a talk with him to see if he can learn about WTA’s strategy.”
Mina held her hand up to get the Singhs’ attention. “There was a WTA attorney that dialed in? They’re moving in on the company that quickly?”
“Yeah, at least that’s what it sounded like,” Hem said. “He threatened to call the SEC if we didn’t allow the shareholders to listen in on discussions about the WTA offer. I hung up on him after saying that it was a conflict of interest.”
“What was his name again, Hem?” Zail asked. “Robert Douglass or something, right?”
Mina’s heart stopped. “Wait, wait, wait. Did you just say Robert Douglass? With two s’s?”
Hem’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. With two s’s. That’s exactly how he introduced himself.”
“Oh my god,” she said and covered her face with her hands.
“What? What is it?”
“I know a Robert Douglass with two s’s, who just happens to be an attorney.”
Hem’s mouth fell open.
“How? Who?” Mina lifted herself out of the chair and pulled her phone from her pocket. She quickly typed a message.
MINA: Did Robert get a job at WTA?
The response came almost immediately.
RAJ: . . . you found out. I was going to tell you.
MINA: What the hell, Raj??
RAJ: There is so much more going on than that, Mina. I’m so sorry.
MINA: Like what? We just arrested Sanjeev yesterday and filed a suit against WTA. If there is anything that affects either of those things, please let me know.
RAJ: It doesn’t. It just affects me. I’m sorry, I have to get ready for this fundraiser I’m going to tonight. After that I can talk.
MINA: No, you have to give me something to go off of. What’s happening? Please tell me it’s a coincidence your husband is going after Bharat.
RAJ: Mina . . . it’s so complicated.
MINA: I don’t see why.
RAJ: Well, let’s start with the fact that I’m getting divorced.