My swallow is audible.
His violent admission lingers in the air. Instead of wanting to run away, all I can think is that I was wrong all those years ago.
Kian isn’t a red flag.
He’s vengeance personified.
Lust eclipses the sharp angles of his face as he notices the lack of fear in my eyes. We lean closer at the same time when we hear a set of footsteps approaching. Kian’s warmth disappears as he puts distance between us, just as Yukta rounds the corner.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she says in a rush, noticing the two of us. “Good morning, Mr. Singhania.”
Kian dips his head in acknowledgment before flicking those intense metallic eyes on me. “I’ll be conducting interviews tomorrow for Arjun’s replacement. Someone from HR will send you the shortlisted candidates. Set up the interviews.”
“I will.” My lips tingle, aching for his kiss. It’s awful pretending he’s nothing but my boss. I face a silent Yukta after he goes to his office. “Hey.”
“Babe, how the hell do you not faint every time you talk to him?” She sighs, fanning herself. “You could bounce a quarter off that fine ass—”
“Did you need anything?” I interrupt in a clipped tone, possessiveness flaring. I didn’t think I had a violent streak, but I’m seeing the appeal of strangling any woman who lusts after my man.
Yukta turns somber. “I wanted to check in on how you were doing. I heard about the attacks.”
Ah, way to make me feel like crap. “It was a scary experience, but I’m doing okay.”
“Do you know who did it?”
“No. I didn’t see his face.”
“I hope the cops catch him. You’ve filed an FIR, right?”
“No. I haven’t involved the police.”
“Why?” she deadpans. Leaning closer, her voice drops to a whisper. “Wait… you aren’t suing the company? You were attacked inside the building, during working hours.”
“Of course not. It wasn’t Kian who attacked me.”
A dubious look crosses her face.
“What?” I prompt.
“There’s a rumor floating around.” Glancing at Kian’s closed door, she shares, “Last year, a bunch of girls resigned only after a few months of working here. The truth is they went missing.”
My heart hammers as I try to keep my face neutral. “Who told you?”
“Vicky.”
“You’re taking her word? She loves to gossip, Yukta.”
“She visited the NGO where Aastha lived. The girl she was friends with. The warden told her she disappeared without a trace. She wasn’t the only one.”
Fuck. This isn’t good.
Yukta continues. “With the recent attacks on you, we think someone in the company is targeting women and none of us are safe. Maybe you should rethink suing. Or bring it up with Kian since you work directly for him. Ask him if he’s aware and taking any action.”
Either of those options would tamper with the ongoing investigation. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.
With Kian’s earlier threatening profession playing on repeat in my head, I have no doubt about what he’ll do to the person who assaulted me. Should I risk warning him about the secret investigation? Will that stop him? Will he be willing to work together with them? I’ll have to discuss it with Harshita.
“I’ll think about it,” I finally say to Yukta.
