[FEATURED IN WATTPAD INDIA PROFILE]
❝Pioneering the art of constructing love, my Kanmani.❞
Xavier teased her skin, slowly caressing her cheeks and her lips trembled.
❝You don't dare!❞
And he kissed her.
------
When he had compromised his dreams and...
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"Enough of this routine, I want to go on a trip," Priya declared.
Krithika gave a half-hearted shrug, her gaze drifting back to the sorry excuse for a meal in front of her. "All the best, stay safe," she offered with a casual smile, though her mind was far from the conversation. Suddenly, her appetite evaporated. It hadn't been a sudden shift—it had started earlier that morning when the familiar weight of anxiety began to creep in.
After dodging every possible encounter with Xavier, she had finally seen him that morning—flesh and blood. It had been like a cruel twist of fate—her finger repeatedly pressing the elevator close button, but it had been too late. The doors had slid shut just before he could step in, but the image of him remained burned in her mind.
She was in no mood to be near him—not even a mile away. And the thought of being in a confined space with him had been far worse. It wasn't about claustrophobia; it was more like Xavier-the-asshole-phobia.
Her thoughts were broken when Priya tapped her arm. "I don't want to go on a solo trip. What if we four plan something together for the weekend?"
Rashi and Akash nodded in agreement.
I'm poor, please don't make me spend money, Krithika thought, wanting to cry. "I won't be able to come," she said, absentmindedly poking at a piece of potato in her lunchbox. "I'm planning to go home in a week, need to save up for that." It was a lie. A smooth, effortless lie. She had no intention of going home, but the lie had come so easily now—it almost felt natural. The con artist within her was starting to emerge.
Rashi quipped, "Then I guess it will be just the three of us."
Priya turned to Krithika with a hopeful expression. "Krithika, I might need your help," she said, her voice pleading. "On Friday, I could really use your assistance transferring some data to our work drive. It could be later in the evening."
Krithika took a moment to think, knowing the arrangement would work. "Sure, no problem," she replied.
She wasn't worried about the task itself. She knew that Xavier had already informed his team that he'd be out for the next two days. That was a small relief. At least she wouldn't have to deal with him while she navigated past Priya's desk.
As the conversation turned to the details of their trip, Krithika felt a twinge of jealousy. She wanted to join them, to escape for a few days, but she couldn't afford it. Not when she was so close to scraping by for the future. She hadn't told anyone about her plans to start job hunting, not yet. If they knew, there would be questions. If Priya knew, there would be drama. Krithika couldn't afford that kind of distraction.
It was almost unbelievable that Xavier hadn't fired her yet. She hadn't heard anything from Satya either. Was it all just a trivial thing, and had she been overreacting all along? Or was Xavier simply biding his time, planning his next move?
It was probably the latter. The thought made her shiver. Run, before he does anything.
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"Oh!" Clicking his tongue in irritation for leaving his keys behind, Xavier turned and retraced his steps down the corridor, a soft whistle escaping his lips. He offered a smile to everyone who greeted him, his mind elsewhere.
It surprised him to realize just how much he had shut himself off from others. He'd been so consumed by the ache of heartbreak that he had deliberately distanced himself from everyone around him. But now, as he slowly found his way back to his true self, it felt different—refreshingly different. His team was engaging with him more, their conversations filled with more energy, brainstorming sessions were more dynamic, and ideas were flowing better than before. And, most notably, they seemed to enjoy working with him. That, he thought, had to be a good sign.
Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't the worst boss after all.
When he reached his cabin, he grabbed for his keys, but as his hand brushed the side table, a file hidden beneath it tumbled to the floor. Pages scattered across the room like leaves caught in a gust of wind. He blinked in surprise as he looked down—those certainly weren't his papers.
He crouched to gather the mess, his eyes quickly recognizing the familiar file. As he scanned the scattered pages, his eyebrows rose in surprise. The observations written on them were sharp, and insightful—far beyond what he had expected from whoever had worked on this. It seemed someone had a keen eye.
He carefully tucked the pages back into the file, then placed it on his desk.
Maybe he should reach out to Satya's fiery executive and discuss this work. After all, she clearly wasn't as irresponsible as he'd originally assumed.
What was her name again? Hmm... Ah, Krithika Ashok. He'd have to meet her.
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Do tell me what you feel about this and the upcoming chapters, always open to positive criticism.
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