Page 41 of Every Move You Make
She rolled her eyes. “A truce? Again?”
He tipped his head to the side. “History shows we work well together when we have a truce.”
A flutter began in her chest. She knew exactly what happened the second she lowered her guard around him. She ended up making mistakes, ones she never wanted to repeat with him.
“Will you hear me out, please?” he asked. The softness in his tone shifted something inside her.
“Fine. Tell me what you’re thinking,” she said, feeling deflated.
His words had stripped the fight from her. And while she hated him for taking what she believed was hers, she had to admit he wasn’t to blame for being the heir to all of this, for destiny choosing him. If she went further back and truly analyzed everything, perhaps she would have seen the signs earlier.
She had taken pride in rising to the role of creative director. Meanwhile, he had been given no official title at all. Yet he had been everywhere, working quietly behind the scenes, involved in every aspect of the business. Even while interning at other firms, she knew he had continued working with Sehgal Media in the background.
“Sehgal Media needs you, Shauna,” Akash said. “And I know that despite what you feel for me, you feel even more for all this.So I’d like you to stay, to keep your role and position here and to continue the brilliant work you have done here.”
The wordbrilliantcaught her off guard. She hadn’t expected that, not from him. It unsettled her more than any argument could have. For a moment, she simply stared at him.
“Staying means working under you,” she said finally. “Working for you. I’m not sure I can do that.”
“Why?” he asked. “Can you not put your ego aside and see that you and I could do great things together?”
“No.”
“Why not?” He moved closer, his voice lowering. “You’ve been gone for a week. Tell me honestly, didn’t it feel like something vital was missing? Didn’t you miss the work? Your team? The joy of doing what you love?”
The truth hit her with brutal clarity. A week away from Sehgal Media, knowing she probably would never return, had felt like losing a limb, like being cut off from something essential. It had hollowed her out, left her restless and empty in ways she hadn’t known how to name. She had missed the chaos, the creation, the quiet thrill of building something that mattered.
She looked away, swallowing hard and hating that he saw her so clearly.
“That’s not the point,” she said, even as she knew it was exactly the point.
“Then what is?” he asked, his voice hard. “For years, all I’ve heard is how much you love Sehgal Media. How important it is to you. And now, just because things didn’t go according toyourplan, you’re ready to ditch it?”
She flinched, but he didn’t let up.
“The company is the same, Shauna,” he continued. “The people. The work. The vision. None of that has changed.”
He took another step closer. “Nothing needs to change. What if I promise I won’t interfere in your work, as long as the numbers hold? You’ll have complete autonomy. Make your decisions, run your teams, shape the work without me stepping in.” He paused. “If I give you all that, will you stay?”
He lifted a hand and gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. She gasped softly, suddenly aware of just how close he was. Of his scent filling her senses. Of how completely he had invaded her space.
His eyes darkened, as if he too realized it. Then his gaze dropped to her lips, lingering there long enough to make her breath hitch. His face hovered just inches from hers now, his breath warm against her skin. A shiver ran through her.
“I need you,” he said quietly. “I can’t do this without you. Stay. Help me make Sehgal Media the best media company in the world.”
Her hands clenched at her sides, her fingers curling as she fought the instinct to reach for him. Her pulse thundered. She tilted her face toward his without meaning to, drawn in by the gravity between them and the way his eyes flicked to her lips again and lingered. For a breathless second, the world narrowed to that fragile space between them. He stood so close that she thought he would kiss her, and that she wouldn’t be able to stop him if he did. Then, just as suddenly, he stepped back, opened the door, and walked out.
The silence he left behind was deafening. She drew in a sharp breath, her lungs burning, her body still humming with the echo of him. Confusion tangled with longing, anger, and something far more dangerous. She pressed a hand to her chest, willing her pulse to slow, hating how shaken she felt and hating the part of her that was quietly disappointed the kiss hadn’t happened.
She squared her shoulders, trying to anchor herself, but the decision she faced refused to loosen its grip. Could she givehim what he wanted? Could she really work beside him, under him, knowing that, in the end, she would always be just another employee in a company she had once dreamed of owning?
12
Akash walked through his ancestral home, taking everything in. His heart warmed at the sight of the progress. It was finally beginning to feel like a home again. Aaliya walked beside him, guiding him through the updates as they moved from room to room. She had come to Mumbai specifically to check on this project.
In the weeks since he had last been there, a lot of things had come together. Walls stood where there had once been empty space, the morning sunlight flooding rooms through floor-to-ceiling windows. Much of the furniture had arrived. The lamps and chandeliers had been fitted. The house was coming to life.
“We’re on schedule,” Aaliya said. “We’ll be able to do a handover in six weeks.”
