Before I can call out his bluff, Viraj cuts in. “You go ahead and grab that coffee. Sidharth and I have work to do.”
Viraj turns to me and jerks his head towards the car, and I take the cue. My eyes lock with Deepak’s one last time before I turn and walk past him, my grip tightening around the file.
The second we climb into my car, Viraj shuts the door and speaks before I even touch the ignition.
“You’re making it pretty damn obvious you’ve got a problem with him.”
I glance at him as I jam the key into the ignition. “I don’t care.”
He huffs a short laugh. “Yeah, I gathered that.”
I don’t respond. Just keep my foot steady on the accelerator as I merge onto the main road. The drive turns silent as my mind races.
“He’s hiding something. I know it,” I finally say, breaking the silence. My fingers flex on the steering wheel, my jawgrinding. “But knowing and proving are two very different things.”
Viraj nods. “Then we make him crack.”
He’s right. I don’t need Deepak to confess. I just need him to screw up once. And I know he will. Because men like him always crack under pressure. When the fear sinks in and they sense the ground shifting beneath them, they crumble. And that’s when they make mistakes.
Chapter 33
Nisha
“You seriously got me this?” I screech, standing on my couch and pointing at the enormous, wolf-sized ball of black fur sprawled across my living room carpet.
“Yes, baby. Isn’t he the cutest?” Sidharth says, kneeling beside the beast and giving its head a good scratch.
I look at the creature again and scrunch my nose as its tongue lolls out, drool dripping onto the floor, while its tail thumps rhythmically against the carpet. Definitely not cute. I turn to glare down at Sidharth with my hands planted firmly on my hips. “I seriously think you need to look up the definition of cute.”
He pouts. “Come on, sweetheart. Now you’re just being rude. And you’re hurting his feelings.”
“Hurting his feelings, my foot,” I scoff as I study the creature again. The dog, or more accurately, the bear in disguise, is anything but cute. He’s massive. Jet-black, with a shining coat and piercing amber eyes that seem to gleam with quiet menace. His ears are cropped just enough to give him that intimidating look. His limbs are built like a damn tank, and that broad chest is hazardous.
“Who gives this as a gift to their fiancée?” I frown, my heart still doing parkour in my chest.
Sidharth rises to his feet. “Someone who loves you and wants you safe.”
My heart melts at his words, but this time, I’m not letting it show. Before he can say another word that will turn my heart into a puppet in his hands, I fold my arms across my chest.
“I would’ve been fine with a cat. Maybe even a cute puppy. But not this four-legged, weaponized fur.”
“Now you’re the one being cute,” Sidharth teases with a grin as he flops onto the single couch beside mine. “And you’ll be happy to know, he’s trained and fully obedient. Ex-military K9 unit.”
I gape at him. “Ex-military?”
“Yup,” he responds smugly. “No one will mess with you while he’s around.”
I groan, slumping down on the couch. “As if I didn’t have enough protectors in my life already. Karan, CCTV cameras all over the house—”
“Not enough,” Sidharth cuts in.
I glare at him as I add, “You even taught me self-defense, remember? I think I’ve got the whole‘protecting myself’thing covered.”
“Still not enough.” His eyes lock on mine, the grin fading just a little. “But with him around, it’ll help me sleep better, knowing you’ve got backup.”
I shake my head. “Sidharth, I’m already well protected. You’ve made sure of that. I don’t need this beast.”
“He’s staying.”
