Page 45 of Every Move You Make
Shauna uncrossed her arms. “That’s a very bold move.”
“Indeed,” Chitra said. “This way, you’re changing the narrative.”
“I’m controlling it.”
His eyes met Shauna’s.
“Alright,” she said. “However, we will moderate this tightly.”
“Fine by me.”
“This sounds brilliant,” Chitra said. “I’ll ensure the minister’s office accepts it. And on the off chance they don’t, we’re still legally secure.”
Shauna immediately instructed her on what needed to be done. Chitra soon left them, her phone pressed to her ear as she began to make the necessary calls to the minister’s office. The door shut behind her, and Shauna spun around to face him.
“Earlier, you asked me in front of the whole newsroom if I was aware that Mr. Shetty was going to make that allegation,” she said, her voice sharp. “Do you actually think I would jeopardize the network and hence you?”
Akash leaned against his desk. “Of course, I considered it. You’re clearly unhappy that you didn’t inherit the business, and I know you dislike me.”
Her eyes widened with fury as she stepped closer, closing the distance between them without hesitation.
“I want to make one thing very clear, Akash,” she said. “This business means everything to me. I am willing to walk away from it because I may not want to work for you. But I will never sabotage it just to bring you down. I love this business, this company, more than I hate you.”
He looked deep into her eyes. “Do you, though? Do you really hate me?”
Her brow knitted, irritation sharpening her features. “I. Hate. You.”
His lips curved. “Then why are you touching me?”
Shauna’s eyes widened, and she looked down at her hands that were curled around his arms. She realized how close she was standing to him and immediately tried to step back, but Akash caught her elbows, holding her in place.
He leaned closer, his voice lowering. “You want to hate me. I know you do, but even you can’t deny the attraction between us. That’s the only reason you and I keep ending up in this position.”
Her breath quickened, but she shrugged out of his hold. “There is nothing between us.”
He laughed. “Sure. Keep lying to yourself.”
With one last furious look, she turned and walked out of his office, the door closing behind her with controlled force.
He dragged a hand down his face. This situation with Shauna was going from bad to worse, and like an utter fool, he didn’tknow when to keep his mouth shut around her. He needed her help to run the business properly. So many eyes were on him, and he needed her by his side in order to succeed. It made no sense for him to agitate her, yet he never could help himself around her.
He leaned back, staring at the closed door. Shauna might not want to work for him, but when the network was in trouble, she hadn’t hesitated to show up. It just showed him that when it mattered the most, she had chosen her love for the company over her war with him, and that was a positive sign indeed. Maybe he would end up succeeding after all.
13
Another week had passed, and his workload showed no signs of slowing down. The days blurred into one another with back-to-back meetings, endless emails, and decisions that carried more weight than anyone else in the room seemed to realize. It was exhausting. And yet, he wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Despite the long hours, he loved what he was building. This is what he’d always dreamed of doing. Today had been no different. It was late evening now, and for the first time all day, he had a few uninterrupted minutes to clear his inbox.
He had just leaned back in his chair, scanning the next email, when there was a knock at the door and Janak entered. Akash smiled, rising to touch his feet.
“How are you?” Janak asked, studying him carefully.
“Busy as usual,” Akash replied. “It’s late. What brings you to the office?”
Janak sighed, gesturing toward the sofas arranged on the far side of the room. “Let’s sit.”
They took their seats, and only then did Janak speak again. “I heard you handled the incident with the minister’s office very well.”
