Page 60 of Since You Stole My Heart

She placed her hand in his, letting go of the façade with a soft exhale as she stood. ‘Not even remotely,’ she confessed.

‘That’s the spirit,’ Swayam murmured, a hint of amusement softening his face.

‘You sound very confident for someone who has no idea what he’s walking into,’ she remarked dryly as they made their way out of the conference room.

He shrugged lightly, brushing his thumb gently against the side of her hand. ‘Confidence is half the battle. We’ll figure out the rest together.’

Kashvi felt envious, wishing she could borrow his stoic demeanour.

She still felt sluggish from lack of sleep, and four cups of coffee just barely kept her upright. Anxiety coiled tighter with every passing second as they walked towards the massive office at the end of the floor.

She had walked these corridors all her life, everything so familiar she could navigate them blindfolded.

The polished floors, the muted grey walls broken by framed photographs documenting decades of work she had grown up watching her mother do. The children and the elderly residents smiled back at her, reminding her of the stakes. She would let all of them down if she failed today.

Swayam touched the tip of her nose with his finger, bringing her back to the present. ‘Focus. It’s showtime, wife.’

That one word stirred something in her chest, but she pushed it aside, forcing herself to focus.

He offered her a small, reassuring smile. Kashvi tried to mimic it but couldn’t quite manage one back.

‘Kash, you’ve got this,’ Swayam said, holding her gaze without wavering.

She pressed her lips together, but nodded. Her fingers curled into his as she drew in a deep breath and opened the glass cabin door.

Her father’s booming laughter greeted them as they walked in. Karthik sat across from Piyush, dressed impeccably in a bespoke black suit. His tie was perfectly knotted, and his signature gold cufflinks, engraved with his initials, gleamed at his wrists. Every detail about him looked polished and curated to an almost unsettling degree.

Kashvi turned her gaze towards Piyush, who sat in a more rigid posture. He was responsible for handling every document and agreement that passed through the Kashyap family trust, acting as a liaison between the organisation and their family. In other words, her judge and jury.

For a fleeting moment, she thought she caught a flicker of relief in the ageing man’s eyes as she came to stand beside Siya. Swayam stayed behind Kashvi, in what she thought was an attempt to stay out of sight, though it wasn’t really possible with his massive frame.

Karthik’s gaze locked onto them with such hostility that something recoiled inside her. Then he flashed them a smile as he said, ‘Well, look who decided to join us. I was hoping you’d make it.’

Kashvi tilted her head. ‘Hello, Father.’

Karthik turned to Piyush with a disappointed look. ‘Kids these days, they don’t have any manners or respect for their elders. The fault for that lies with her mother.’

‘Then I suppose it’s a good thing I’ve always had such an excellent example like you to learn from,’ she shot back.

Piyush cleared his throat lightly as he stood up. ‘Siya, Kashvi, it’s so good to see you here.’

Siya stepped in seamlessly, though her hand was curled into a fist. ‘How are you, Piyush? We know this is last minute, but we have an urgent matter to discuss.’

She gestured towards Abhay, who stood a step behind her. ‘This is my husband, Abhay.’

‘Oh please, who doesn’t know Mr. Agrawal?’ Piyush remarked as he shook hands with him.

‘Yeah, I’m so lucky to have such a well-known son-in-law,’ Karthik added, not bothering to hide the sarcasm.

‘Wish I could say the same,’ Abhay replied with a regretful sigh.

‘How’s married life treating you? Sick of my daughter yet?’

‘He would have been if I were anything like you. Luckily for him, I’m not,’ Siya replied instead.

Karthik glared daggers at her, then his gaze flicked to Swayam with renewed awareness. ‘And who is this?’

‘Our family friend,’ Siya responded, offering no further explanation.