Catching Up.

For a moment, Jacqueline just stood there, stunned. Her sharp mind, always so quick to process information, seemed to short-circuit as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Anushka and Mark? Together? Yes, she knew they had a thing, but she hadn't realized it had escalated to this level.

Anushka was the first to notice her, her eyes widening in shock as she realized they had an audience. "Jacqueline!" she exclaimed, her voice a little too high-pitched. She quickly pulled away from Mark, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of red.

Mark, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed. He leaned back on his hands, a lazy grin spreading across his face as he looked at Jacqueline. "Hey, J. What's up?"

Jacqueline's mouth opened and closed a few times, her usual composure completely shattered. "I… uh…" she stammered, her brain struggling to catch up with what she had just witnessed. "What… what is going on here?"

Anushka's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she looked like she wanted to disappear into the floor. "It's… it's not what it looks like," she said weakly, though the way she and Mark were sitting made it pretty clear exactly what it looked like.

Mark, however, seemed to find the whole situation hilarious. He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he looked at Jacqueline. "Relax, J. We're just… catching up."

Jacqueline's eyes narrowed, her shock quickly giving way to suspicion. "Catching up? Mark you don't need to lie"

Mark shrugged, his grin widening. "What can I say? We've got a lot to catch up on."

Anushka groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Mark, stop. You're not helping."

Jacqueline crossed her arms over her chest, her smirk returning as she leaned against the doorframe. "Well, well, well. Looks like I've stumbled upon quite a little secret. I didn't expect you two had come this far."

Anushka peeked out from behind her hands, her expression a mixture of embarrassment and panic. "Jacqueline, please… it's not… we're not…"

Mark, however, remained completely unfazed. He reached over and gently pulled Anushka's hands away from her face, his tone teasing but affectionate. "Relax, Ruhi. It's just J. She's not going to bite."

Jacqueline raised an eyebrow, her smirk growing. "Oh, I might. This is juicy. I mean, Anushka and Mark. What a perfect couple."

Anushka groaned again, her face still bright red. "Jacqueline, please…"

But Jacqueline was already stepping into the room, her eyes sparkling with delight. "Oh, don't worry, Anushka. Your secret's safe with me. For now, at least. But you owe me details. All the details."

Mark chuckled, his arm still draped casually over Anushka's shoulders. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Jacqueline grinned, her tone playful but firm. "Not a chance. But don't worry, I'll be discreet. For now. But seriously, you two? How long has this been going on?"

Anushka buried her face in Mark's shoulder, her voice muffled. "It's not… it's not like that…"

Mark, however, happened to be enjoying himself. He leaned back, his grin widening as he looked at Jacqueline. "Let's just say we're… figuring things out."

Jacqueline's eyes widened, and she let out a low whistle. "Well, well. Looks like things just got a whole lot more interesting around here."

Jacqueline finally dropped her teasing smirk, her tone shifting to something more businesslike as she addressed Anushka, whose face was still buried in Mark's shoulder. "Alright, enough of that. The shoot for the product launch is today, and I need someone to escort me. Emily's out, so you're up, Anushka."

Anushka peeked out from Mark's shoulder, her cheeks still flushed but her expression shifting to one of surprise. "Me? But I'm not… I mean, I don't know if I'm the right person for this."

Jacqueline waved a hand dismissively. "You're perfect for it. You've got the brains, the looks, and the whole young vibe. Plus, you're head of Cyber Genesis, so it wouldn't hurt. What do you say?"

Anushka hesitated, her mind racing. She wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of being in the spotlight, but she also didn't want to let Jacqueline down. Before she could respond, however, Mark chimed in.

"I'm coming too," he said, his tone casual but firm.

Jacqueline raised an eyebrow, her smirk returning. "Oh, are you now?"

Mark nodded, his arm still draped over Anushka's shoulders. "Yeah. Someone's got to keep an eye on you two. Plus, I've got nothing better to do."

Anushka's eyes widened, and she turned to him, her expression a mixture of surprise and exasperation. "Mark, you can't just invite yourself along!"

Mark shrugged, his grin widening. "Why not? It'll be fun. Besides, I'm not letting you two have all the fun without me."

Jacqueline crossed her arms over her chest, her expression thoughtful. "You know what? Fine. The more, the merrier. But you'd better not slow us down."

Mark held up his hands in mock surrender. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Anushka groaned, her frustration evident. "You're impossible, Mark."

Mark chuckled, his tone teasing. "You keep saying that, and I'm curious why."

Jacqueline rolled her eyes, clearly amused by the banter. "Alright, lovebirds. You've got 30 minutes to get ready. Don't make me wait."

With that, she turned on her heel and strode out of the room, leaving Anushka and Mark alone once again.

As soon as the door closed behind Jacqueline, Anushka turned to Mark, her expression furious. "What was that, Mark? You weren't helping back there!"

Mark leaned back on his hands, his grin unapologetic. "What? I thought I was being helpful."

Anushka glared at him, her hands on her hips. "Helpful? You were making it worse! Now Jacqueline's going to be insufferable about this for weeks!"

Mark chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Relax, Ruhi. It's not that big of a deal. Besides, it's kind of fun seeing you flustered."

Anushka's cheeks flushed, and she swatted his arm. "You know what, Mark? I don't know why I even put up with you."

Mark's expression softened, and he reached out, his hand brushing against hers. "Because you love me."

Anushka's breath caught, her heart skipping a beat at his words. She wanted to argue, to deny it, but the look in his eyes made it impossible. Instead, she sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "You're lucky I do."

Mark's smile widened, and he pulled her closer, his voice soft. "I know."

Anushka allowed herself to relax for a moment, savoring the warmth of his embrace. But then she remembered the time constraint and pulled away, her expression determined. "Alright, we need to get ready. Jacqueline's not going to wait forever."

Mark nodded, his tone teasing. "Yes, ma'am."

Anushka rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small smile that tugged at her lips. She grabbed her clothes and headed for the bathroom, her mind already racing with everything she needed to do. As she stepped into the shower, the warm water helped to ease some of her tension, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Mark.

He was impossible, infuriating, and completely unpredictable. But he was also kind, and loyal, and made her feel things she hadn't felt in a long time. And as much as she hated to admit it, she wouldn't have it any other way.