His Secret Roommate ✓

Chapter - 26

The courthouse corridor was empty now, with only faint echoes of hurried footsteps and murmurs left behind. He stormed out of the courtroom, his face twisted in fury, his fists clenched tightly.

He spotted the chief standing by the railing, and without a second thought, he closed the distance, grabbing the older man by his collar and yanking him forward until they were nearly nose to nose. "Who the hell do you think you are?" His voice was a low, venomous growl, barely restrained, and his eyes burned with fury.

The chief's face drained of color, his hands going up in instinctive defense. "Abhi," he stammered, shock widening his eyes, "what are you-"

But he didn't let him finish. He shoved him back, watching with a savage satisfaction as the chief stumbled, nearly losing his balance. "I kept her out of this," he spat, his voice raw, almost breaking.

His chest heaved, his pulse pounding in his ears as he pointed a trembling finger at the chief.

He continued, his words thick with rage. "I kept her anonymous. I kept her safe. And you-" his voice nearly breaking. "You call her here, knowing what she could face?"

"She wasn't supposed to be here. She wasn't supposed to be a target. And now, thanks to you..." He sucked in a breath, every word thick with rage and the bitter taste of fear.

The chief's gaze roamed around, searching for someone, anyone for help, but there was no one.

"Abhi, it was necessary," he stuttered, trying to find the right words. "The case needed her testimony... She's the only one who could-"

"Don't," he snapped, his voice cracking under the strain. His eyes glistened, a storm of anger and desperation. "Don't you dare try to justify this. She was safe. And you-you dragged her back into hell for the sake of this case?"

The chief took a step back, his hands raised in a small attempt at calming him. "Abhi, I had no choice. You know the stakes, you know what's at risk-"

But he had already reached his breaking point. He let out a bitter laugh, "If anything-anything-happens to her because of this, you'll be the first to pay. I swear on everything I have left, you'll know exactly what you've destroyed."

With one swift, sudden motion, he reached for the ID card around his neck, ripping it off. The thin chain broke, and he tossed it at the chief's feet, the plastic badge hitting the floor with a cold, empty clatter that echoed in the silence.

"I quit," he spat, his voice filled with bitter resolve, a finality that sliced through the air. "Find another puppet for your dirty work. Because I'm done."

With that, he turned and walked away, his figure disappearing down the corridor, leaving the chief staring after him, stunned and speechless.

________________________

Abhi's pulse hammered as he dashed toward the parking lot, barely seeing anything beyond the car she was in.

The man beside her was adjusting his seatbelt, his hand steady on the steering wheel. But before they could pull out, Abhi stepped directly in front of the car, blocking their path, his chest heaving as he tried to steady himself.

Through the windshield, their eyes met. She looked back at him, a flicker of shock and confusion in her gaze as she took in his disheveled appearance, the rain-slicked hair, his shirt clinging to his skin, and the wild look in his eyes.

She looked like she might open the door, but then she stopped. Frustrated, Abhi pounded his fist on the hood, demanding her attention. "Come out," he barked.

When she didn't move, he strode to her side of the car, as he swung open her door, pulling her out of the car before she could protest. "Let me go!" she exclaimed, pushing against him with surprising force. "Abhi, stop!"

"No, you lost your chance to be left alone," he replied sharply, gripping her wrist tightly. The urgency of the situation fueled his anger, mixed with an undercurrent of fear that he couldn't shake.

The man from the driver's seat got out, slamming the door and calling out, "Let her go. Now."

Abhi looked over, a dark smirk twisting his features. "Stay away if you know what's good for you."

Before the man could respond, Abhi tightened his hold, leading her away from the scene, ignoring her protests as he pushed her gently yet insistently into the passenger seat of his own car.

Confusion washed over her face, her brows furrowing as she tried to comprehend his sudden change in demeanor. "What the hell, Abhi?" she demanded, trying to open her door again.

"Stay inside," he ordered, his voice sharp and uncompromising as he slid into the driver's seat.

He got in the driver's seat, hands gripping the wheel as he sped out of the lot, leaving behind the courthouse and everyone who was watching in stunned silence. The tension in the car was thick, the air charged with unsaid words.

She sat with her arms crossed, gaze fixed out the window, and finally, in a low voice, she spoke without looking at him, "Abhi, just drop me at the airport," she finally managed to say, her voice shaky but firm. "My flight's may leave".

His eyes didn't leave the road as he replied, his voice cold but with an undertone of steel. "Divorce me first. Then you can go wherever you want."

She stared at him, taken aback, unable to fully process what he'd said. "Abhi-"

"Until then," he cut her off, glancing at her briefly, "you're stuck with me. Whether you like it or not."

The silence in the car grew oppressive, the storm outside a mere echo of the storm within them. She looked at him again, her voice filled with desperation. "Abhi, you can't just kidnap me like this. I have a life to return to-"

"A life you never bothered to tell me about," he interrupted, his knuckles white on the wheel. His jaw clenched as he finally looked her way, eyes flashing with a mix of pain and anger. "A life with... him, your new boyfriend?" The word tasted bitter in his mouth.

She turned sharply to look at him, eyes narrowed, a flicker of irritation flashing across her face. "What the hell are you even talking about?" she asked, her voice low and steady, but laced with frustration. "Do you honestly think I'd just throw myself at anybody? What do you think I am?"

He instantly regretted the words that came out of his mouth but couldn't back down, "I saw you, alright? With him. And you looked... happy," he muttered, as if saying it aloud somehow made it worse.

Her voice softened, but there was disbelief etched into every word, as though she was coming to terms with the fact that he might actually think so little of her. Knowing deep down there was no point in trying to reason with him when he was like this, she leaned back, exhaling in quiet resignation. "There's no point in talking to you when you're like this, Abhi. You'll see what you want to see, no matter what I say."

His hands shook, but he forced them steady as he pressed his foot on the gas, heading further away from the city, toward his hometown.

As the city faded in the rearview mirror and unfamiliar roads stretched ahead, her brow furrowed, the realization that they were leaving the city dawned on her, leaving her confused, unnerved, and unsure of what was to come.

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