The rumors reached Sameer Khurana by Wednesday afternoon. Sameer was a man who smelled blood from miles away. He had been trying to poach Akshara for years—not just for her brilliance, but because he knew she was Vihaan's heartbeat.
He decided to visit the Singhania Tower under the guise of "discussing a partnership."
As he walked past Akshara's desk, he stopped. He leaned over, his voice a calculated silk. "You look pale, Akshara. Is the big bad boss working you too hard? Or has he finally run out of things to say to you?"
Akshara didn't look up. She continued typing.
"I have an opening," Sameer continued, lowering his voice. "Chief of Operations. Triple the salary. And I promise, I don't play 'pranks' on my executives."
Suddenly, the door to the inner office flew open. Vihaan stood there, looking like a storm cloud. He had been watching the security feed.
"Get out, Sameer," Vihaan growled .
"I was just offering your PA a better life, Vihaan. Since you seem so intent on making her miserable," Sameer laughed.
Vihaan stepped toward him, his fists clenched. "She isn't going anywhere. She is a Singhania asset."
"Is she?" Sameer looked at Akshara. "She doesn't look like an asset. She looks like a woman who is counting the seconds until she can escape you."
Sameer left a business card on her desk. Akshara didn't touch it. But she didn't throw it away either.
Vihaan looked at her, his heart hammering against his ribs. "Throw it away, Akshara."
She looked at the card, then at him. She didn't say a word. She simply picked up the card and tucked it into her drawer.
The message was clear: I have options. You don't.
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Enter the rival! Sameer is such a classic villain, but he's right about one thing—Akshara is miserable. 💔 Will this threat finally make Vihaan drop his ego?