Veiled Ambition

5- Thorns and Butterflies

"Jitni gehri nafrat hai, utna hi gehra pyaar chupa hai."

                       Author POV

The Singhania office buzzed with its usual efficiency, A stark, cold space that mirrored its owner's personality. The air was thick with authority, where whispers ceased the moment Ayaan Singhania entered. This was his domain, a place where deals were made, and his word was final. Yet today, even the seasoned staff seemed uneasy.

Ayaan sat in his office, his dark eyes fixed on the paperwork in front of him, though his mind lingered elsewhere. One day into the collaboration with Jaya Gupta, and the sparks from their first encounter had already threatened to set fire to the fragile professionalism they were forced to maintain.

Jaya arrived at 10:30 a.m., her crisp white shirt and black trousers a stark contrast to her vibrant personality. But today, there was no warmth, no charm, only fire in her eyes, ready to battle the man she detested more than anyone else

I walked into Ayaan Singhania's office, my heels echoing against the marble floor. His assistant didn't even bother to stop me this time; perhaps he too, had realized that nothing could deter me when I was angry.

Ayaan sat behind his desk, his fingers steepled as if he were some kind of king. His piercing gaze met mine, but I didn't flinch. Instead, I walked straight to the chair opposite him, dropped my file on his desk with a resounding thud, and folded my arms.

"You are late Ms. Gupta." he drawled, his voice laced with sarcasm.

I arched an eyebrow. "You should be grateful I even showed up, Mr. Singhania. Most people would've quit by now."

He smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Quitting isn't an option for someone like you. You thrive on proving people wrong."

"And you thrive on control," I shot back. "Let's just get this over with. I have better things to do than babysit your ego."

His smirk deepened, but there was a flicker of something darker in his eyes. "Tumhare sath kaam karte karte tou lagta hai, mae apne aap ka gayaan ka maha guru bana raha hoon," he said mockingly.

I leaned forward, meeting his gaze head-on. "Guru? Tumhare jaise andhe ke sath kaam karne ja rahi hoon, pata nahi tha aise din bhi dekhne padenge."

The air between us crackled with tension, a volatile mix of hatred and something neither of us wanted to acknowledge.

She thought she could intimidate me, but she was wrong. Jaya Gupta was a firestorm, but I had faced worse. What unnerved me wasn't her sharp tongue-it was the way her presence unsettled me.

She sat across from me, her eyes blazing with defiance. I could see the tension in her jaw, the way her fingers curled into fists when I spoke. She hated me, and I thrived on it.

But there was something else, too a pull I couldn't quite place. And that terrified me more than I cared to admit.

"Let's move on to the next clause," I said coldly, refusing to let my thoughts wander.

She rolled her eyes but opened her file. "Fine. But don't think for a second that I'll let you bulldoze your way through this deal."

Her voice was sharp, her words deliberate. Every sentence felt like a battle, every glance a challenge. And I was determined to win.

I glanced at the butterfly locket around my neck, the delicate piece of jewelry I hadn't taken off in three years. It was a gift from him, a reminder of a love I had convinced myself I no longer felt.

I told myself I didn't care, that I had moved on. But the locket was a betrayal, a constant reminder of what we'd once shared and what I had lost.

I sighed, pushing the thoughts away as I focused on icing the cupcakes in front of me. Ryan Kapoor was a chapter I had closed, and yet...

My heart ached, but I refused to let it show. "You don't love him anymore," I whispered to myself. But the locket burned against my skin, telling me otherwise.

The hum of the jet's engines was a constant, but my thoughts drowned out the noise. Four days in Italy had done nothing to quiet my mind. I had convinced myself that leaving Mumbai would give me clarity, a much-needed escape from the past. But still she lingered in my thoughts.

Three years had passed since we broke up. Three years since everything fell apart. Yet the ghost of her remained in every corner of my life.

I leaned back, staring at the ceiling of the private cabin. Was she still the same? Did she still laugh the way she used to? Did she still wear that butterfly locket I gave her?

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. Foolish thought. She was probably over it-over me. Unlike me, who was still foolish enough to look for her in crowded streets, in quiet moments, in my memories.

I reached for my phone, hesitating before unlocking it. My inbox had exploded since I'd been gone, but one message stood out. It wasn't from a name I recognized-just an unknown number, yet its contents made my blood run cold.

"He knows you're coming back. Be careful."

My grip on the phone tightened, the chill of the words sinking into my skin. Who was he? And why did this feel like the start of something I wasn't prepared to handle?

The jet touched down, but my mind was far from calm. Whatever awaited me in Mumbai wasn't just business or memories, it was something darker, something that threatened to tear apart the carefully built walls I'd surrounded myself with.

And this time, I wasn't sure if I could walk away unscathed.

---
How did y'all find this chapter? Make sure to vote, comment, and follow me here! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram for sneak peak and who is he?😭🤍

My Instagram account-

@abeairawrites