Dare to Be | Heir & Heiress #1 | ✓

♔ 1.5 Stomach Bug ♔

♔ Aarav ♔

          My eyes blink in Jhanvi's direction sometime in the middle of the meeting and she looks disturbed. Almost scared. I wonder if it's because of me. I scold myself mentally for not having a better hold on my tongue. I shouldn't have called her out like that in front of everyone.

I blink away to Aman when he concludes everyone ideas and tells him they're all good ideas and he'll think about which one to go with. The HR head picks up on the progress of narrowing down the list of interns to interview and I block them out as I find my focus returning to Jhanvi.

The more I focus on her, the more I wonder that there's something unsettling her and it can't be what I said. My eyes travel to her hands on the table where she is twirling her engagement ring around nervously.

It doesn't take me long after that to figure out who could have been calling her. She's only had this local number for a day. I doubt she'd have given it out to too many people.

My jaw clenches on understanding she is scared of him. Of his anger.

I need to find out more about this guy she is engaged to.

The meeting ends and I give them concluding remarks before leaving, telling Pia to send Jhanvi to my cabin. I remember I have another meeting in half hour, but that time is enough to get some information out of her.

I walk out of the conference room first and take out my phone to text dad.

What do we know about the fiancé?

He doesn't answer right away and I'm sure he's still sleeping. I'm going to have to wait.

Reaching my cabin, I push the door open and walk up to my desk, unbuttoning my coat suit button and firing up the laptop to send an email to Mr. Sheikh.

There is a knock on the door and I answer. "Come in," without looking up assuming it'd be Jhanvi.

Instead, it's Pia. "Sir, I tried to tell her but she's on a phone call."

"It's fine," I mutter and she takes it as her cue to leave. Through the window, I catch Jhanvi walking into her office and close the door. I watch across the hall as she sits on the chair saying something but stops talking midway. I try to read her lips but the blinds are a nuisance in between. All I can make out is her flushed face.

Eva enters my cabin without a knock and follows my gaze before walking up to the other side of the desk and taking a seat. "I'm seriously starting to not like this guy. Look at him, she should be the one mad at him for calling repeatedly, but he's the one mad that she didn't answer. Isn't it common sense that if a person isn't answering, they'll call back when they get a chance?"

"E, breathe." I advise her to calm her anger as I glance away from Jhanvi and divert my attention to her.

She breathes out and questions, "Are you not mad yourself?"

"It could be anything, E. Let's not judge him too quickly."

She huffs out, rolling her eyes. "I don't understand how you can be so calm after learning she's engaged."

"There's no law saying she can't be engaged, Eva."

She counters, "You're supposed to be marrying her, Aarav! That is what her father wanted. We've all known this your whole life."

"Drop it, Eva." I warn her. I know very well what is written in the will. I may have always envisioned my life growing up that one day I'd be marrying Jhanvi, but heck – she doesn't remember anything. She's already made her choice and now, I have to come to terms with it.