His Promise

CHAPTER -3

TONY POV

Rahul wasn't just my PA; he was like an older brother, the only guy who could mess with me and get away with it. We'd been through hell and back together. Out of the few people I actually trust in this world, he's the one who knows me best. While I make the tough calls, he's the one who keeps me grounded, always watching my back, no matter how deep in shit I get.

Right now, he stood by the car with that familiar, cocky grin plastered across his face.

"Get in the car, Nyvell."

I glared at him, shaking my head. "Who the hell asked you to show up?"

"Akshay called," he said, still smirking. "Told me you got yourself caught up in some hostage situation. Figured I'd come save your sorry ass."

I shoved him playfully as I walked past. "You're such a pain, man. I didn't need saving."

"Oh, really? That's why I got a call saying, 'Your boss is being an idiot again.'" He gave me a shove back, laughing like the damn hyena he is. "Get in, or I'll leave your ass here."

"Fine, whatever," I muttered, sliding into the passenger seat. "Still a pain in my ass."

"And you love me for it," Rahul shot back, slipping into the driver's seat. "You can't survive without me."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," I said, though the smirk tugging at my lips betrayed me.

As soon as we pulled away from the base camp, the air shifted. Rahul, for once, went serious. "So, what the hell were you doing in a hostage situation, Tony? You're a CEO, not some undercover agent."

I sighed, leaning back into the seat. "It wasn't planned. I just... ended up there."

Rahul raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. "Ended up there? Oh yeah, right. Just taking a casual stroll and whoops-hostage crisis. Don't give me that bullshit, Tony. Akshay could've handled it."

I stayed silent, not in the mood to explain myself. But Rahul never knew when to quit.

"This is about that damn promise, isn't it?" He sighed, shaking his head. "You're still stuck on that?"

My jaw tightened, fists clenched. He was right, but that didn't mean I wanted to admit it.

Rahul groaned, rubbing his temples as if I was the most frustrating person on the planet. "Unbelievable. Akshay had it covered. You didn't need to risk yourself, but nooo, Tony has to go play the hero."

"It wasn't like that," I muttered, though even I knew how lame that sounded.

Rahul scoffed, shaking his head. "Oh, really? Then what was it like? Akshay sounded pretty pissed when he called me. And you're still breathing, so I guess that's something. But why, Tony? Why didn't you just walk away?"

"Enough, Rahul," I snapped, voice harsher than intended.

"You don't understand."

"Yeah, 'cause you never tell me shit!" Rahul shot back, frustration bubbling in his voice. "You disappear, get into these messes, and leave me to pick up the pieces. Do you even think before you dive headfirst into this crap?"

"Stop nagging me, man," I groaned, suddenly sounding like a petulant kid.

"I don't need you playing big brother."

"Oh, but you do," he said, his tone softening just a bit. "Because clearly, you can't handle your shit without me."

I didn't respond, staring out at the road instead. By the time we reached the hotel, the tension between us was thick. Rahul parked the car, throwing me one last look.