Shadow lifts his head, his ears perking up like he’s intrigued.
I smile and get up, padding barefoot across the floor to the kitchen. Shadow follows close behind, his claws clicking softly against the wooden floor, tail wagging like he’s already on board with the plan.
“You know, I love midnight popcorn,” I say as I open the pantry.
Shadow sits dutifully, watching as I pull out a bag of kernels, toss it into the microwave, and hit the start button.
The machine hums to life, and I lean back against the counter, smirking at him as I think to myself,I can’t believe I’m actually having a conversation with a dog in the middle of the night.
Soon, the sound of kernels popping makes me turn. When the last pop fades, I open the microwave door, pull out the warm bag, and pour it into a bowl. Within seconds, the kitchen is filled with the rich, buttery scent of heaven.
Shadow rises to his feet, sniffs the air, and wags his tail.
I look down at him and shake my head. “Oh, no, mister. This ismysnack. You’re on a strict canine diet. No butter for you.”
He huffs, clearly not impressed.
I sigh dramatically. “Okay, maybe one. Just don’t tell Sidharth.”
Patting his head, I carry the bowl back into the living room and grab the remote from the coffee table before sinking ontothe couch. Shadow circles once, twice, then settles down at my feet, his huge head resting near my ankle.
I glance down and smile. “Okay, Shadow. Movie time.”
I click play, andAnyone But Youstarts playing. I dig into the popcorn and toss one kernel onto the floor near Shadow. He sniffs it, nudges it with his nose, then eats it.
I grin. “You did like it?”
He looks at me, blinking, as if to say,Obviously. Now share more.
For the next thirty minutes, I watch the movie, happily munching popcorn, completely oblivious to the slow invasion of my personal space, until I suddenly realize Shadow’s massive head is now resting in my lap.
But instead of pushing him away, I reach out and gently brush my fingers over his ear.
“You’re really soft for a tough guy,” I murmur, stroking gently down the length of his neck. I never thought one night with a dog would make me a dog lover. But here we are.
“I was scared of you, you know,” I whisper. “The moment I saw you, I thought Sidharth had officially lost his mind.”
Shadow shifts slightly, his head nudging closer, brushing against my knee now.
“But I think we’re going to get along just fine,” I add softly, leaning down to hug him, my cheek resting lightly against his warm fur.
Not all surprises are bad, I realise. Some just make you feel safe. And tonight, mine came with four paws, a big heart, and a wagging tail.
Chapter 34
Sidharth
“You’re sure this is where we’ll get our lead?” I ask, my eyes locked on the fancy, single-story boutique in front of us.
“To be honest, I don’t know why we didn’t think of this before,” Viraj says from the passenger seat.
I give a short nod but don’t take my eyes off the boutique. It’s one of those places that screams classy, expensive, and elegant the second you lay eyes on it. Large glass windows framed in pale gold, and above them, a sleek, minimalist sign readsMaya’s Boutique.
We never questioned Maya before because we assumed she was just another name caught in Deepak’s web—someone who didn’t know half of what he was hiding. Besides, Deepak’s too damn smart to leave his cards lying around.
But now, something deep inside me is screaming that’s exactly where we screwed up.
Hell, I’m a detective. It’s my job to chase every lead, even the ones that look like loose ends. So how the hell did I miss this?
