Chapter 18

Aria's POV 

Aria wasn't going to check her phone first thing in the morning. She wasn't.

But the moment she woke up, her fingers betrayed her, reaching for it before she could talk herself out of it. A quick glance at her notifications, and there it was. Kabir's new post.

A shot of a London street, sleek and effortless, just like him. The kind of picture that looked like it belonged in a magazine—moody lighting, an empty sidewalk, a perfectly placed coffee cup in the foreground. The caption? Just a single coffee cup emoji.

She rolled her eyes. Of course he'd post something cryptic and cool. Who even did that anymore? And yet, she lingered on the image longer than she should have, her thumb hovering over it like it held more meaning than a simple picture.

"Get a grip, Aria," she muttered, throwing off the covers.

She wasn't going to be one of those people who spent their morning overanalyzing a man's social media post.

Except that's exactly what she did while brushing her teeth.

And while picking out an outfit.

And while sitting in traffic.

It wasn't until she reached the office that she managed to snap out of it, forcing herself to focus on something—anything—else. She had work to do, plans to finalize, presentations to polish. She refused to let herself be distracted.

But Paul, of course, had other plans.

"So," he started, leaning against her desk as she typed furiously into her laptop. "Kabir."

She didn't even look up. "What about him?"

"You want him there."

Aria paused for just a second—just long enough for Paul to notice—before continuing as if she hadn't.

"He owns the damn resort, Paul."

Paul smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Business purposes, I know."

She let out a slow exhale, willing herself to stay calm. "Just… let me know if he's around when we visit."

Paul hummed like he was enjoying this way too much, but thankfully, he didn't push further. At least, not yet.

Her phone buzzed, breaking her focus. She grabbed it, expecting an email, but instead—

Kabir: You requested my presence?

Her heart did something stupid.

Attached was a picture. Not of London. Not of the resort.

Of his chartered flight.

A sleek jet, cabin lights dimmed, an empty glass of whiskey beside him. He looked comfortable, like he did this all the time—because, of course, he did.

Kabir: I'll be there.

Aria blinked at the screen, something warm curling in her stomach. She wasn't sure if it was excitement or pure annoyance. Maybe both.

Aria: It's strictly for business.

Kabir: So serious, Miss Kapoor.

Aria: Well, someone has to be.

Kabir: I'm wounded. You don't enjoy my company?

She let out a quiet breath, staring at the words longer than she should have. The thing was—she did enjoy his company. More than she wanted to admit. More than she should.

But she wasn't going to say that.

Instead, she typed:

Aria: Try not to be too insufferable when you get here.

His reply came almost instantly.

Kabir: No promises.

She bit her lip, fighting back a smile, and locked her phone before she could keep going.

This was dangerous. This thing between them—whatever it was—it was too easy to fall into. Too easy to let it take up space in her mind when she had no right to let it.

Paul, who had been pretending to focus on his laptop but was clearly eavesdropping, didn't even try to hide his grin. "You look suspiciously happy for someone who just confirmed a work trip."

Aria gave him a blank look. "I am happy. The logistics are finally coming together."

Paul didn't even try to pretend he believed her. "Uh-huh. Sure."

She turned back to her screen, determined to shut him out, but Paul was relentless.

"He likes you, you know."

Aria didn't flinch, but she could feel her pulse pick up slightly. "That's ridiculous."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "Oh, completely. That's why he's flying back early just to be here."

"He's flying back because he owns the damn resort, and he's a businessman who knows when to make an appearance."

Paul smirked. "Right. Keep telling yourself that."

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Do you have any actual work to do, or is this your new hobby?"

"Oh, this is my work now."

________________________________________________________________________________

Paul leaned back in his chair, staring at his phone screen before hitting the call button. It rang twice before Aisha picked up.

"You have five minutes, Paul," she said briskly. "I'm juggling three things here."

Paul grinned. "Nice to know I rank so high on your priority list."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Before you go back to managing Mr. Oberoi's empire, I have a quick question. Will Kabir be there when the team visits?"

Aisha didn't answer immediately, which was answer enough.

"Why do you ask?" she said after a beat.

"Aria brought it up," Paul said casually. "She didn't ask, ask. But you know."

Aisha hummed in thought. "Interesting."

"Very."

There was a pause before Aisha exhaled, the sound thoughtful. "Kabir would never admit it, but he's been more… involved in this trip than necessary."

Paul smirked. "Involved, huh?"

"Let's just say he's making sure everything is set up perfectly. I assume that works for your side?"

Paul chuckled. "Oh, absolutely."

"I'll make sure they get the full experience," Aisha said smoothly. "A personal touch, if you will."

Paul's grin widened. "You know, you and I should work together more often."

"Goodbye, Paul," Aisha said, unimpressed, before hanging up.

________________________________________________________________________________

Aria was still trying to ignore Paul's knowing glances when her phone buzzed again.

A message from Kabir.

She hesitated before unlocking it.

Kabir: I hope you're ready for the full Meraki experience.

Aria: If this is your way of saying I'll be babysitting you all weekend, I'll pass.

Kabir: No babysitting. Just you, me, and the best of what my resort has to offer.

She stared at his message, heart thudding.

Paul's voice cut through her thoughts. "That's a very intense look for someone discussing a work trip."

Aria exhaled. "I hate you."

Paul grinned. "I know."

And for the first time in a long time, Aria wasn't sure if she hated how much she was looking forward to this trip too.