The Silent Seduction

26. MAHIRA

The day after the event dawned with a dull gray sky, an apt reflection of the turmoil swirling within me. The night had been a whirlwind of emotions, unexpected connections, and moments that lingered far longer than they should have.

But now, with only three weeks left until the board meeting, there was no time to dwell on the previous night. I had to keep moving forward, keep working, keep my mind occupied.

My office was a refuge, a place where I could immerse myself in work and forget everything else. The noise of the city outside was muted here, reduced to a faint hum that I could ignore.

I buried myself in reports, contracts, and schedules, each task more pressing than the last. It was a necessary distraction, one that kept the edges of my mind from fraying.

But the silence was soon interrupted by a sound that I couldn't ignore. A muffled commotion echoed down the corridor, faint but distinct. It wasn't the usual chatter of my employees or the routine movements of the staff. This was different—something sharp, urgent.

I frowned, pushing back from my desk. My first thought was to ignore it; after all, I had more pressing matters to attend to. But the noise persisted, growing louder, more insistent, until I couldn't concentrate anymore. With a sigh, I stood and made my way out of the office.

The corridors were mostly empty, the usual hustle of the day yet to fully begin. But as I walked closer to the source of the noise, I could feel the tension in the air, thick and palpable. The sound became clearer—voices, low and strained, almost like an argument.

Turning the corner, I froze.

There, not far from where I stood, was Arjun. His body was tense, every muscle coiled with a strange energy that I had never seen before. His hand was pressed against the wall, pinning a young woman there, her face half-hidden by her hair. Her expression was a mix of fear and something else I couldn't quite place.

My heart lurched at the sight. An inexplicable wave of anger surged through me, quick and hot, burning away any rational thought. What was he doing? Why was he here, like this, with her?

The logical part of my mind tried to assert itself, reminding me that I didn't know the context, that there could be a reasonable explanation. But logic had no place in the storm that raged inside me. All I saw was Arjun, the man who had shared moments with me that no one else had, standing far too close to another woman.

"Arjun!" I barked, my voice louder and sharper than I intended.

He jerked his head towards me, surprise flashing in his eyes. But there was something else too—a flicker of confusion, of concern.

The girl flinched, trying to push herself away from the wall, but Arjun's hand stayed firm. He didn’t seem to understand what was happening, but that only fueled my anger.

"What the hell is going on here?" I snapped, my voice trembling with barely restrained fury.

For a moment, no one spoke. The silence was suffocating, a thick blanket that wrapped itself around my throat, making it hard to breathe. The girl looked like she wanted to disappear, her eyes darting between Arjun and me, unsure of what to do.

And Arjun—he just stared at me, his expression unreadable, as if he was trying to make sense of what I was thinking, of what I was feeling. But I couldn’t bear his gaze. The sight of him, of them together, sent another wave of anger crashing through me.

"Get out," I hissed, my voice cold and venomous. The girl didn’t need to be told twice. She slipped away from Arjun's grip, casting one last terrified glance at me before she practically ran down the corridor.

I should have felt satisfaction at seeing her go, but all I felt was a hollow emptiness. The anger that had flared so brightly was fading, leaving behind nothing but confusion and something far more dangerous—pain.

Arjun took a step towards me, his hand half-raised as if to reach out, to say something, but I recoiled. The look in his eyes—the concern, the worry—it only made things worse. How dare he look at me like that after what I had just seen?

"Mahira, it’s not what you think—" he started, but I cut him off, my voice trembling with the effort to keep my emotions in check.

"I don’t want to hear it," I spat, my vision blurring with unshed tears. "I don’t care what the excuse is, Arjun. I thought—I thought you were different."

His eyes widened slightly, as if my words had struck a nerve. But I couldn’t stop now. The dam had broken, and everything I had been holding back, all the feelings I had refused to acknowledge, came pouring out in a torrent of anger and frustration.

"Is this all just a game to you?" I demanded, my voice cracking. "Do you think you can just—" I stopped, the words caught in my throat. What was I even accusing him of? It didn’t make sense, none of it did, but that didn’t stop the hurt from tearing through me like a blade.

Arjun seemed lost, struggling to find the right words, to make me understand something that I wasn’t ready to hear.

But I didn’t want to listen. I didn’t want to face the possibility that I might be wrong, that there was more to this than what I had seen.

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I wouldn’t cry, not in front of him. Not when he was the one who had caused this, even if he didn’t know how or why.

"You’re a fool," I whispered, the words trembling on my lips. "And so am I. For thinking that—that maybe…" I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. The thought was too raw, too painful.

Arjun’s face softened, a look of sorrow and regret clouding his eyes. But it only made me angrier. Why was he looking at me like that? Why did he care now, when it was too late?

"I don’t need this," I choked out, my voice barely more than a whisper. "I don’t need you."

I turned on my heel, determined to walk away, to leave him standing there, to shut him out before I completely broke down. But as I took my first step, a sob escaped my lips, the sound shattering the silence of the corridor.

I hated him in that moment—hated him for making me feel this way, for breaking down the walls I had so carefully built around myself. And I hated myself even more for letting him.

Before he could say anything, before he could stop me, I fled down the corridor, my footsteps echoing loudly against the cold marble floors. I didn’t stop until I was back in my office, the door slamming shut behind me.

Once inside, I collapsed on the floor near my chair, my body trembling as the tears finally broke free. I buried my face in my hands, trying to silence the sobs that wracked my body, but it was no use. The pain, the confusion, the anger—it was all too much, too overwhelming.

Why did it hurt so much? Why did the sight of Arjun with that girl tear at my heart in a way that I couldn’t understand?

I hated him, but I wanted him. I wanted to scream at him, but I wanted him to hold me. The contradiction was maddening, tearing me apart from the inside out.

And through it all, one thought kept repeating in my mind, over and over again, like a mantra I couldn’t escape.

What have I done?

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