LET ME HATE YOU

Memory

"You could have handled it properly. Because of your impulsive decision, we are the next headline," Salar admonished.

"He hurt my wife. How do you expect me to react?" Amaan retorted, annoyed.

Everyone was gathered in the living room, and Salar, surprised by Amaan's recklessness, had demanded an explanation.

"What I meant is, introduce her as your wife on the first day itself. No man would have dared to approach her in the first place," Salar tried to reason with his furious son.

Mehwish sat quietly, observing the scene. Her sharp eyes didn't miss how Amaan referred to Asmaira as his wife or the sheer fury he still held—both pointing to one thing: Amaan had softened towards Asmaira. Initially, she thought lighting a spark and fanning it into a fire would be enough to get Asmaira out of Amaan's life. But with the tides turning, she realized she had to devise a more subtle plan.

"Your father is right. Why didn't you introduce Asmaira as your wife? Look what she had to go through because of that," Feriha said, upset after seeing the condition Asmaira was in when she was brought back to the mansion.

"The video has gone viral," Aslan murmured, checking social media.

"Amaan?" When Salar probed again, Amaan blurted out the first thing that came to mind: "I didn't want our employees to think we promote nepotism, and she could learn more as a newcomer than as my wife."

His actual intention was merely to keep her away from Kabir and from gaining Feriha's support. Introducing her as his wife to the world was never part of his plan. If he had, people would have gone easy on Asmaira out of respect for their employer instead of making her feel miserable. Talia's face flashed before him as the thought hit him. She would be upset at being played at her boss's hand and unknowingly becoming his pawn in the game to humiliate Asmaira. But he was sure she was an intelligent woman who didn't believe in prying into her boss's personal life.

"He is Ramsey Saunders's nephew, not just an employee. He wouldn't brush this incident under the carpet. Although they won't dare to retaliate, that doesn't mean it won't impact us. What about your project now? You left the presentation in the middle, which irked the directors. I told you before how important this was for you," Salar sighed.

"Ramsey already knew about his nephew's multiple instances of sexual harassment, yet he made him part of the project. If anything, he should be worried about whether we will continue collaboration with them," Amaan stated. Aslan immediately asked, "How did you know?"

"I have my resources," Amaan replied, causing Salar and Aslan to share a look of astonishment.

"She can work in my NGO if you want her to be independent, but there is no way I'm letting her return to where she was attacked. And this is not up for discussion," Feriha announced, staring at her son.

"I agree. It's better for her to stay that way," Amaan said, which surprised Feriha.

She had anticipated much more resistance, but his agreement relieved a part of her. On the other hand, Asmaira had become a huge distraction to him. In just a few months, he had brought the unconscious woman back to the mansion twice in the middle of work. Both times, his heart urged him to protect her from every danger. She was stirring emotions in him, making him act against his better judgment.

She was supposed to be an enemy, and for some time, he had clung to that resolve. But the moments she cried or looked at him for help, that determination started cracking, denting the armor of his resolve. Keeping Asmaira around in that vulnerable state didn't seem like a clever idea to him anymore.

"By the way, I still don't understand why you left the meeting abruptly in the middle of your presentation?" Salar's curiosity was piqued when he connected the timing of Amaan's departure and Asmaira's attack.