Chaahat

Chapter 10: Shield

The following morning, Riya finds herself in the midst of a meeting with her editors. The deadline for her next novel approaching quickly adds to the tension of the room. There's a scene in her novel the editors wish to take out, however she finds it important for the build up of the plot. The room hums with discussions and negotiations. She sits at the head of the table, asserting her power. It's her book and it'll be released the way she wants it to be.

As the tension rose, the gentlemen around her disagree with her as they try to find a middle ground. Just as she's about to say something her bodyguard discreetly enters the room, scanning the surroundings with a watchful gaze and catching the attention of everyone.

Riya looks at Xavier, trying to work out what's going on since she had managed to convince him to just stand outside. However, his eyes are focused on the full length window and the building across the one they are in.
He steps forward, his voice cutting through the chatter. "Apologies for the interruption, but we've detected a security breach. We need to move you to a secure location immediately."

The last sentence directed to Riya as she gapes at him. The room falls silent, all eyes turning to Riya as she tries to handle the unexpected disturbance.

She frowns, unsure of what security breach can possibly take place right now, annoyed by the disruption she tries to negotiate with Xavier, "This is unacceptable. We have some important things to do, we have a deadline to meet."

His expression remains resolute. "It's not a suggestion. Your safety comes first." His eyes zone in on her, as if challenging her to refuse.
Without waiting for her response, he helps her out of her seat and guides her towards the exit, the urgency in his movements revealing the seriousness of the situation.

Just as they step out, she pulls her arm out of his grasp in a swift motion, casting him off guard. In the dimly lit corridor, tension hangs between them. She glares at him, resentment in her eyes while he maintains a stoic expression.
"I don't need a babysitter."she snaps, arms crossed defiantly as she stands outside the meeting room.

He sighs, trying to keep his cool as he handles the outburst. "You don't need a babysitter, but you need someone ensuring your safety."
Their eyes locked as she waits for him to finish, "And that's my job."

As they leave the corridor, the atmosphere shifts. Amidst the chaos, a subtle understanding passes between them, a shared acknowledgment that sometimes protection requires inconvenient interruptions. He takes hold of her arm as he walks down the corridor.
"So, what is the security breach?"
He shakes his head at her question, looking around him as others pass through the corridor.

Riya feels herself rushing To keep up with his pace. He has the copy of her book in his hand, as if protecting it with just as much sincerity as he's protecting her. It takes a few minutes before Riya finds herself in her own cabin. She watches him as he locks the door and close the curtains, surrounding her with darkness.

The way he's moving around her makes her nervous, her heart beats rapidly in the dimly lit room. Xavier goes around, making sure the windows and door are locked. Riya huddles in the corner, fear begins to set in. She can sense the seriousness, her thoughts of the dead rat flashing before her eyes again.

Her breath quickens as the darkness envelops her, her imagination painting an eerie image of the potential possibilities. She tries to move closer to see what's happening. "Xavier?"
He swiftly pulls her behind him, shielding her with his own body. "Stay behind me. Do not move!" He orders. His protectiveness revealing a vulnerability. In that moment, their animosity turning into a shared determination of leaving safely.

A shrill scream breaks the silence as the glass of her window shatters. Xavier's eyes find the cause of the glass shattering on the wall opposite the window. A small hole on the wall show him what shattered the glass. "He has a gun."
Riya tries to move closer to the wall to get a closer look at the bullet in the wall, but his hand grasps her hip and pulls her back.
"Stay back."

His heart beats just as fast as the girl's who is in his arms. It's never been like this for him with any of his clients. His heart has never beat this fast, his palms have never been sweaty, he doesn't know how to deal with it. "Don't touch it."
Riya can't help. It nod at his words.
Xavier moves the two of them back towards the corner, hiding them from the window in case of anything else coming through the window.

"You might not like having me around, but I will never let anything happen to you." The intensity in his whisper catching her off guard and it's as if the line of mutual hate became blurry. She can't help but feel safe in his arms. She can't help but want to shuffle closer to him.
"Ho-how did you know?"

His eyes stay pinned to the window as he slips a note out of his pocket and hands it to her. She gulps as she opens it up.
I don't want to scare you, but you need to know what I'm capable of.
Riya bites her lip to stop it from wobbling as she tries to stop the sob from escaping her lips.

She lets out a shaky breath as she shuffles closer to Xavier, "I-I'm scared."
He already has a hand on her hip, holding her in place as he looks down at her. "Don't be, I'm right here."

As he utters those words, a mixture of relief and vulnerability washes over her. His promise to protect sparks a flicker of trust, and she found peace in the idea of someone standing guard against the harm coming her way. In this moment, she weighs the sincerity of his words, wondering if he will truly shield her from the storms ahead, while silently acknowledging the strength she carries within herself.