Keval stared at him, speechless for once. Akash nodded to the officers.
They pulled Keval away, dragging him outside. Shauna exhaled. The threat of his father was finally gone. This time, hopefully, forever.
For the first time since this nightmare had begun, she could breathe.
Kabier and Sameer reached her.
Kabier enveloped her in a quick hug. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yes. I’m fine.”
Sameer pulled her to him, putting his arms around her. “You scared me. Don’t ever put me through that again.”
She gave him a warm smile.
“I’m sorry,” Sameer said. “For a minute, I believed what you said to Akash. I should have trusted that you loved him more than you loved Sehgal Media.”
“I love him more than anything in this world,” she said. “More than the company. More than every person on the planet. He is everything. I’d choose him first, always.”
Sameer smiled. “I’m so happy to hear that. Go to him. He is waiting for you.”
She turned to Akash, only to find him surrounded by his friends.
Dheer, Vir, and Nirvaan had closed in around him, pulling him into quick hugs, clapping his back, relief evident on their faces.
“I can’t believe you both came here,” she heard Akash tell Dheer and Vir.
“When Nirvaan messaged us about what was happening, we called Rhea and she told us everything,” Dheer said. “We simply couldn’t stay away.”
“We’ve got your back,” Vir added. “Always.” Then his gaze shifted, landing on Shauna. He gestured her forward. “I knew this idiot was going to take any amount of risk when it came to you. We just had to be here. We couldn’t wait on the sidelines.”
“None of us could,” Nirvaan said quietly.
Shauna felt her chest tighten as she looked at all of them. She smiled. “Thank you… all of you. For being there for us. It means more than you know.”
They exchanged glances, smiles passing between them. Then, without another word, they stepped back one by one, giving her and Akash the space they both needed.
Akash turned to her, and she leapt into his arms, holding him close.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean anything I said to you on the phone.”
“Shauna—”
“He forced me to break up with you,” she continued, “and I did it so you wouldn’t come here looking for me. I didn’t want to put you in danger.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “I love you so much.”
And then she burst into tears.
“Hey,” Akash whispered, holding her close and kissing her hair. “Shauna, it’s okay. I’m here now. I believe you. That’s why I came for you.”
He wiped her tears and told her everything that had transpired after her phone call to him.
“I can’t believe that you came for me, even after I was so cruel to you,” she sniffed.
“I love you, Shauna. And I believed in your love for me,” he said quietly. “My heart refused to accept your words.”
A sharp ache spread through her chest at his words, stealing her breath. He took her hands in his, and she winced. Anger and pain flashed across his face as he saw the wounds on her hands.
“God, I hate that man,” he said. “I’m so sorry you’re hurt.”
