The echoes of the intense boardroom meeting still lingered in Sonakshi's mind as she sat in the cafeteria, absently stirring her coffee. She wasn't angry—anger was too simple. Instead, she was thinking. Calculating.
Aryan entered cautiously, scanning the room before approaching her table. His steps lacked their usual confidence. "Sonakshi, I need to talk," he said, his voice laced with uncertainty.
She took a slow sip of her coffee before looking up at him. "Do you?"
"I didn't do it purposely," he said, sitting across from her. "I was desperate. I didn't think it through."
She watched him carefully, her face unreadable. Desperate men make mistakes. And mistakes are easy to manipulate.
"I see," she said coolly, giving nothing away. "And now?"
Aryan leaned forward. "I regret it, Sonakshi. I really do. I never wanted this to happen."
She simply hummed in response. Regret is useless, Aryan. But you? You're not.
She already knew the truth—Aryan wasn't the real danger. He was a piece in a much larger game, a pawn who had played the wrong move and been exposed too soon. But pawns could still be useful. Especially against the real enemy.
"Do you want your job back?" she asked suddenly, her tone casual.
Aryan blinked. "What?"
She leaned back in her chair, fingers lightly tapping against her cup. "You heard me."
Aryan studied her carefully, as if trying to figure out what game she was playing. But Sonakshi gave him nothing.
"I—Yes," he said finally.
"Good." She stood up, picking up her bag. "Be in my office tomorrow morning."
Without another word, she walked away, leaving Aryan sitting there, confused. He had expected anger, maybe even revenge. But this? This was something else entirely.
What he didn't know was that Sonakshi wasn't forgiving him. She was keeping him exactly where she wanted—close enough to watch. Close enough to control. Because the best way to destroy an enemy was to know their every move before they made it.
And Aryan? He was about to become her most valuable piece on the board.