𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓S

😉NOT A PLAYBOY-CHAPTER-7

PIC OF MEERA'S CAT!

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MN EXPORTS

Kumaran sat at his desk, his eyes focused as Lawrence spoke across from him.

"Mr. Kumaran," Lawrence began sincerely, "your spices have always been the best. We trust your brand."

Kumaran offered a warm smile, nodding respectfully. "Thank you, Mr. Lawrence. That means a lot. We'll always do our best to live up to that trust."

Just as they were deep into the import discussion, Kumaran's assistant, Mason, stepped in and leaned close.

"Sir, Mr. Venkatesan and his son, Mr. Parthasarathy, are here to see you."

Kumaran's smile tightened ever so slightly. Venkatesan was a familiar name in Burlington—owner of a booming Indian restaurant and a man who always played nice but had too many layers for Kumaran to trust. His son, Parthasarathy, on the other hand, was another story altogether. The boy had recently asked for Meera's hand, and though Kumaran had gently deflected, saying she was still in college, he knew the interest wasn't going to fade easily.

The door opened with unnecessary flair as Venkatesan strode in, his tone overly sweet. "Kumaran, my dear friend!" he boomed, all charm. "Lawrence! A pleasure."

Parthasarathy followed behind, smiling a bit too wide. Dressed to the nines—pressed shirt, neat hair, shiny glasses—he had the look of a nerdy poster boy. But his eyes darted around the office like he was searching for something... or someone.

Lawrence greeted them warmly, unaware of the undertones in the room.

Then, like clockwork, Venkatesan launched into a speech. "Lawrence, I heard about Clint's issues. Terrible, really. If Kumaran needs support, I'm ready to personally step in and guarantee everything. You know me—friendship above all, eh?"

Kumaran smiled politely but his gut twisted. Venkatesan never did anything without strings. And he wasn't about to tie his business—or his daughter—to a man like that.

"Appreciate the offer," Kumaran said coolly, "but we're managing just fine."

For a second, Venkatesan's mask slipped. But he quickly recovered, chuckling awkwardly. "Of course, of course. We're family, after all."

As soon as they stepped out of the office, Parthasarathy leaned close to his father, buzzing with energy. "Appa, that went well, right? Uncle Kumaran looked like he really appreciated it."

Venkatesan shot him a look. "Don't be so eager, Partha. He's sharp. He's not going to accept help unless he's cornered. But don't worry—we'll get him there."

Parthasarathy nodded quickly, though the truth was, he wasn't listening. His mind was elsewhere. It always was these days.

Meera.

He thought about her constantly—her smile, her eyes, the way she politely avoided his attempts at conversation. That distant kindness only made his obsession worse.

What Venkatesan has not realized was that people weren't always who they seemed—and the game they were playing had just begun.

Meanwhile, over at the college, Meera and Adrian had just reached campus. Both were unusually quiet, lost in thoughts about that brief but charged moment under the tree earlier.

Meera kept her head down, determined to shake it off. She didn't have time for daydreams—not now. Not when exams were coming and life was already complicated.