Page 176 of One Hellish Love

Daadi stared at her, stunned by the revelation. How could Rudra have made such a drastic decision without her knowledge? Without another word, Daadi stormed out of the house.

Kashish exhaled deeply, her hands trembled slightly from the confrontation, but she felt a sense of relief. She had made it clear to Daadi—this time, there would be no turning back.

******************

Raheja Office

Rudra watched Kashish step out of the elevator, his eyes tracing her every movement. She looked different today—more formal, more polished. Her crisp white shirt was neatly tucked into a fitted grey pencil skirt that ended just below her knees, accentuated by black stockings and perfectly shined black heels. He had never seen her in such an outfit before, and it stirred something inside him. He waited outside his cabin, hoping she would walk straight to him, acknowledge him first. But she didn’t.

Instead, she went to her colleagues, greeted them, collected her agenda from her assistant, Preeti, and then made her way to the pantry. He knew she had seen him—felt his gaze—and yet, she had chosen to ignore his presence entirely. That didn’t sit well with him.

Frustrated, he followed her. As she stood there, stirring her coffee, alone, he finally broke the silence.

“It’s not very polite to ignore your boss first thing in the morning.”

Kashish almost spilled her coffee, startled. She hadn’t expected him to follow her here. Composing herself quickly, she turned around and took a slow sip from her cup, meeting his gaze.

“I’ve just been warned to stay clear of you,” she teased, her tone light but laced with a hidden edge.

Rudra’s expression shifted. She noticed the change immediately—he was not in the mood for games. He stepped closer to her.

“Daadi?” he asked, already guessing who had given the warning.

Kashish nodded, confirming his suspicion. His fists clenched, a storm brewing in his eyes. He should have known his grandmother wouldn’t stay quiet for long. Daadi was fighting the wrong battle.

“What did you say to her?” he demanded to know.

Kashish’s lips curled into a soft smile as she playfully tugged at his tie.

“I told her I’m not leaving her grandson. Ever.”

Rudra’s expression softened, and a slow, pleased smile spread across his face. Just that look from him made her entire morning worth it—brighter than she could have imagined.

“Smart reply,” he murmured, taking her hand in his.

Just then, someone from the staff walked into the pantry. Kashish immediately pulled back, shifting away from him, and Rudra stepped back too, maintaining a professional distance.

“You need a coffee?” she asked, trying to appear casual for the sake of the other employee.

Rudra had already had his morning coffee, but he wasn’t about to pass up this opportunity.

“Yeah, get it to my cabin,” he replied before turning to leave.

Kashish smirked, seeing through his plan. He just wanted to get her into his cabin. She couldn’t deny him now, not without making it obvious. She quickly prepared another cup of coffee and made her way to his office. On the way, Shekhar greeted her.

“Hey, nice outfit. You look like a true businesswoman today,” he remarked.

“Thanks, Shekhar. This has been sitting in my wardrobe forever. I bought it with my first paycheck, thought I’d finally wear it today.”

Shekhar grinned. “I’m sure your admirer has already complimented you.”

Kashish bit back a blush.

“Not yet,” she said, her tone playful. “Now, excuse me—he asked for a hot coffee, not cold.”

Shekhar chuckled and let her pass. When Kashish entered Rudra’s cabin, he was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the city. He turned as she stepped inside, taking the coffee mug from her hand.

“What took you so long?”

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