“For me,” Kanika added with a wink.
That was enough.
Mishti turned away, her chest tight, every instinct urging her to leave the room before she broke completely. She was here for work, not to be humiliated or stripped of what little dignity she had left. But she couldn’t leave.
Kanika, satisfied, turned around with a winning smirk and exited the cabin while Mishti remained inside, forcing herself to stand upright, breathing through the ache.
Neither of the women realised they had not been alone.
Karan Wadhwa stood just outside the door.
He had come here looking for Rajat, but the sound of raised voices had stopped him in his tracks. He had heard enough. When Kanika stepped out, he moved instinctively to the side, ensuring she did not see him.
And what he had overheard left him burning with anger.
Kanika was filling Mishti’s head with lies, declaring rights that were never even hers to claim.
For the first time, Karan felt something close to anger directed not at Mishti, but at his close friend Kanika. He did not like what she had done. Not one bit. It was high time to remind her exactly where she stood in his life.
CHAPTER 15
KW Capital Ventures
The board meeting was scheduled to begin, yet Mishti had not entered the conference room.
Rajat glanced at his watch for the third time before pushing his chair back slightly. The long glass table was already occupied, files neatly arranged, screens lit, the low hum of readiness settling in. Only one seat remained empty.
“Should I check what’s delaying her?” Rajat asked, slightly concerned about what delayed Mishti.
Karan leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers gently on the table.
“That won’t be necessary,” he said. “She knows where the conference room is. She will come.”
Kanika let out a soft sigh, one meant to be heard. “First day at work,” she remarked, glancing pointedly at the empty chair, “and she’s already breaking basic code of conduct.”
Karan glared at Kanika for a few seconds too long. Before she could speak again, the door opened, and Mishti walked in.
Rajat and Abhimanyu’s faces softened instantly as they smiled at her in relief. She crossed the room quietly and took the seat beside Rajat, directly opposite Kanika, who gave her a knowing smile, the kind that lingered just long enough to remind Mishti of the conversation they had shared minutes ago.
Karan waited until Mishti had settled properly, until her chair was aligned, her folder placed neatly before her. Only then did he signal for the meeting to begin.
Abhimanyu cleared his throat, taking charge this time. “As we all know,” he began, “Mrs Mishti Wadhwa will be joining us as a board member from today. KW Capital Ventures welcomes her with full respect and wishes her the very best in this new role.”
Mishti curved her lips into a smile, though it did not quite reach her eyes.
Karan noticed.
He sat at the head of the oval conference table, and though he had no intention of watching Mishti today, his gaze kept drifting back to her face. There was a faint tension around her eyes as if she had been crying a few minutes ago, the restraint in her expression as if she had been holding up her feelings and her pain. He knew why she delayed, and the reason why her mood was so dull suddenly.Because of Kanika. The thought irritated him more than he expected, but he forced himself to look away, refocusing on Abhimanyu’s voice.
The discussion moved forward smoothly. Market projections, quarterly strategies, investment outlines. When the meeting reached the point where projects were to be assigned, the room grew attentive.
Rajat leaned forward slightly. “I think before we decide which project Mrs Wadhwa should work on, we need to ask her what she would prefer? Her interests, her comfort zone.”
Before Mishti could respond, Karan spoke.
“Mishti will handle the Trinity Project.”
The room stilled.
