Page 76 of His Arranged Wife
"Then what reason could he possibly have?" Tanisha demanded. "Kabir is wonderful. He's been nothing but kind to this family. But your demon dog treats him like a threat."
"Maybe because he is one."
Tanisha's mouth fell open. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Samarth closed his laptop and gave his sister his full attention. "Bruno is trained to sense danger. He doesn't make mistakes."
"So you're saying my fiancé is dangerous? Based on a dog's instinct?"
"Based on a dog who's never been wrong." Samarth leaned back in his chair. "When was the last time Bruno showed aggression toward a guest?"
Tanisha faltered. "I... I don't remember."
"Exactly. Because it's never happened. Bruno tolerates everyone who comes through this house—even people he doesn't like. But with Kabir, he's actively protective. Especially around Nimisha."
"Nimisha?" Tanisha's eyes narrowed. "What does she have to do with this?"
"Nothing. Everything." Samarth stood. "Just know this, Tanisha—I'm looking into Kabir's background. Thoroughly. If I find anything that suggests he's not who he claims to be, this engagement is off."
"You can't do that!"
"Watch me."
"I love him!"
"You barely know him." Samarth's voice softened slightly. "You've been dating for what, six months? And most of that time, you've kept him away from the family. Why?"
"I wanted to be sure before introducing him—"
"Or you knew we'd look too closely." He moved around the desk. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Tanisha. I'm trying to protect you."
"From what? A successful businessman who loves me?"
"From a man my dog doesn't trust." Samarth's voice was final. "And I trust Bruno's instincts more than I trust anyone's words."
Tanisha's eyes filled with tears. "You're going to ruin this for me. Just like you ruin everything."
She stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
Samarth returned to his desk, pulling up the preliminary background check on Kabir Malhotra.
Clean on the surface. Too clean.
Which meant there was something underneath.
And he was going to find it.
CHAPTER 11
Next Morning - Samarth's Office, 8:34 AM
Abhay set the file on Samarth's desk with a heavy thump.
"That was fast," Samarth said, reaching for it.
"When you want something done immediately, we work fast." Abhay crossed his arms. "You're not going to like what we found."
Samarth opened the file. The first few pages were standard—Kabir Malhotra's business license, tax returns, property holdings. Clean, successful, legitimate.
