Then the dog turned to Nimisha, his expression shifting.
Are you alright?
Her hands were shaking.
"I'm fine, Boo," she whispered. "Thank you."
She needed to tell Samarth.
Samarth's Study - 3:47 PM
She found him in his office with Abhay and Armaan, going over what looked like surveillance photographs. He looked up when she entered, and his expression shifted immediately when he saw her face.
"Out," he said to Abhay and Armaan. They left without question, closing the door behind them.
"What happened?" He was around the desk before she could answer, his hands on her arms. "Are you hurt?"
"No. I'm fine."
"Nimisha—"
"Kabir cornered me in the east corridor." The words came out steadier than she felt. "He admitted to sending the packages. The bracelet. He said he could make me happy. That you don't appreciate me."
Samarth's expression was utterly blank, which somehow was more terrifying than anger.
"He reached for me," she continued. "My face. Bruno appeared before he could touch me."
"Did he touch you?"
"No. Bruno stopped him."
"Good." His voice was dangerously quiet. "Because if he'd touched you, I'd have to kill him in a way that's considerably messier than what I have planned."
"Samarth—"
"I'll kill him." Not a threat. A statement of fact, like announcing the weather. "I'm going to kill him."
"He's marrying your sister."
"No." His jaw hardened to granite. "He's not. That ends today."
"You can't just—"
"Family meeting. Tonight." He was already reaching for his phone. "I'm done gathering evidence. I have enough."
"Tanisha is going to hate this."
"Better she hates me than marries a predator." He met Nimisha's eyes, something fierce and protective burning in his gaze. "You matter more than Tanisha's feelings about me. You matter more than anything."
Her breath caught.
He touched her face then—both hands, cradling gently, his thumbs stroking her cheekbones.
"You did the right thing coming to me," he said. "You always come to me. Understand?"
"I wasn't sure you'd—"
"I'll always believe you," he said firmly. "Always. Now sit down. I'm calling the family."
