‘Come in, I need to talk to you,’ Jai told me and disappeared back into his office.
I felt like I was floating as I followed him inside. My body didn’t feel mine anymore.
‘I want you—’ His eyes landed on me, and his mouth snapped shut. His eyebrows pinched together. ‘What happened?’
I tried to wipe my clammy palms on my dress.
Should I tell him? What would I even say?
That your mother doesn’t trust you and gave me this job to spy on you? That I’ve been reporting back? That I didn’t trust you at first either, but I do now.
Would that even make a difference to him?
I opened my mouth, but the words died on the tip of my tongue.
‘You’ve been so dependable. I’d hate to see anything compromise that.’Rekha’s sugary voice rang in my head.
A chill swept through me.
This wasn’t just a job. It was my shot at the life I’d always wanted. At freedom.
The words hovered in my mouth. I swallowed them.
There was a sharp knock, and the door swung open, revealing one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen in my life. Thick, luscious hair, doe-shaped eyes and a tall, model-like figure. She walked inside as if she were strutting down a runway, her heels click-clacking. I recognised that dress. It was from this year’s Versace Spring–Summer collection.
She smiled, revealing pearly-white teeth that belonged in a toothpaste commercial. ‘This is for you,’ she said, slinking so close to Jai that it was unprofessional, and handed him a file.
An icy feeling unfurled low in my belly.
Jai grabbed it and stepped away, his gaze still fixed on me.
That’s when the woman realised I was in the room too. Her smile dimmed for half a moment before shepasted it back on and turned to Jai. ‘Rekha aunty has invited me to dinner on Sunday.’
‘I hope you enjoy it,’ Jai replied smoothly. ‘Tell Suraina I will go through the file and send it back on Monday.’
Soshe’s Suraina ma’am’s assistant. My heart stopped. Blood roared in my ears, and my breath turned shallow.
As I watched her leave, there was only one thing on my mind.She’s the reason I’m in this position. Everything that was happening to me was because of her.
My lips pressed together. ‘Girlfriend?’ Her body language suggested nothing less. That’s why he gave her that job. An iron fist closed around my heart.
‘She wishes,’ he muttered under his breath. ‘She’s … a family friend. Any time she shows up, and you’re at your desk, tell her I’m busy.’
The strain melted, leaving a faint smile behind. ‘Not a fan?’
‘What gave me away?’ he asked dryly.
That made no sense. ‘Why give her the job then?’
‘Mom recommended her, I think,’ he said. ‘But she does not influence hiring decisions past that point. Krisha must’ve gotten the job on her merit.’
Jai didn’t hire her. Rekha did.
Cold flooded my veins. She made me a part of a game I didn’t know she was playing. And I was none the wiser.
All for what?
‘Ananya?’ Jai asked, his voice soft. His warm eyes were brimming with something I wasn’t sure I deserved. Concern.
