Page 42 of Yes Boss
The next day, Ishani walked to her desk carefully, gripping her bag a bit tighter than usual. The roses from yesterday were still in a water glass by her apartment window. They annoyed her,yet somehow brought her comfort each time she caught sight of them.
She reached her desk and stopped. A small black velvet box rested in the middle of her keyboard.
Her pulse shifted.
She set her bag down slowly, scanning the empty executive floor. Finance lights were off. Marketing hadn’t arrived. Ansh hadn’t arrived yet. Whoever had done this had timing—and access.
She picked up the box. The velvet felt smooth against her fingers. Expensive without being loud. A cream card lay beneath it with two words printed neatly in black ink.
“Will you…?”
Her throat tightened. Will you what? The unfinished sentence felt deliberate. A hook left mid-air.
She opened the box carefully. Inside, nestled against black velvet, lay a silver bracelet. Not flashy or extravagant, but undeniably expensive. The design was simple—a delicate chain with a small diamond clasp that would rest against the pulse point of her wrist.
Ishani snapped the box closed, tapping it against her palm twice before slipping it into her desk drawer. The card followed, tucked beneath her planner where casual glances wouldn’t find it. She tried to focus on her morning emails, but her eyes kept drifting to the drawer.
Who would spend this kind of money on someone they weren’t even openly pursuing? The bracelet wasn’t a casual gift. It was a statement. A claim.
By nine-thirty, the floor had filled with the day’s bustle. Ishani felt eyes on her desk, subtle glances checking for new deliveries. She kept her expression neutral, her posture perfect. Let them look. They would find nothing.
“Where is it?” Kavya’s voice broke into her concentration. “Don’t tell me he didn’t send anything today.”
Ishani glanced up. “Good morning to you too.”
“Skip the pleasantries. What did Mystery Man send today?” Kavya leaned closer, lowering her voice. “The whole floor is talking, you know. Six roses yesterday? That’s not subtle.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ishani replied, returning her attention to her screen.
“Please.” Kavya rolled her eyes. “You’re practically glowing, and you keep glancing at your drawer like it contains state secrets.” She paused, eyes widening slightly. “It’s in there, isn’t it? What is it? Chocolate? Jewelry?”
Before Ishani could stop her, Kavya had pulled open the drawer just enough to spot the edge of the velvet box.
“I knew it!” she exclaimed, loud enough to draw attention from nearby desks. “Show me.”
With a resigned sigh, Ishani retrieved the box and opened it discreetly beneath the level of her desk.
Kavya’s sharp intake of breath was a reaction similar to Ishani’s when she had seen it.
“Someone sent Ishani a bracelet,” Kavya announced before Ishani could stop her.
“Really?” Another voice carried just enough to attract more attention. “Who from?”
Within minutes, a small cluster of women had formed around Ishani’s desk, each offering theories about the sender.
“It has to be Samrat,” one of the marketing assistants insisted. “He sent Priya from Accounting something similar last Diwali.”
“No way,” another countered. “My money’s on that new VP from the tech division. He keeps finding reasons to visit this floor.”
Ishani sat stiffly, feeling more uncomfortable with every guess.
“Enough,” she finally said, her tone firm as she closed the box. “I appreciate the interest, but I have work to do.”
The intercom on her desk buzzed, breaking the tension. “Ishani. The Anderson contract.” Raghav’s cool and commanding voice sent her colleagues quickly back to their desks. Ishani grabbed the file he needed, feeling relieved for the distraction.
In his office, Raghav was seated behind his large desk, seemingly focused on his computer screen. He didn’t look up right away when she walked in, but when he finally did, his gaze flicked down to her wrists before locking onto her eyes.
“The contract,” he said, extending his hand.
