Page 104 of Addiction

“Right!” Navya grinned. “I’ll see you at home. I need to drop by my office first.”

“Okay.” With a final wave, Sheena climbed into her car and left.

Despite it being March, there was a slight nip in the air. Navya rolled down the sleeves of her red shirt. She looked into her phone, checking her emails. The valet stopped her car in front of her, and she quickly climbed into the driver’s side, her mind already on her work. She moved the car into gear and drove off as soon as she was seated.

Cold metal pressed against the back of her head. “Hello, Navya.”

Consumed by fear, Navya nearly swerved the car into the sidewalk. She straightened the wheel, and through the rear-view mirror, stared into the cold, hard eyes of Vasily.

He held a gun to the back of her head and her stomach dropped.

“You… Oh my God, it’s you!” Navya screeched. “You’re behind everything.”

The truth hit her like a force. All of them had been suspecting the wrong man. It was Vasily who was behind everything, and not the other bodyguard.

“Hand me your phone,” he ordered. She did as he told her.

“How… how are you even here?” she asked, her chest constricting with fear. “How did you get inside my car?”

“Armaan made me drive your car to the yacht, after that event at the Burj Al Arab,” he reminded her. “I have a copy of your key. It’s difficult, but the right people know how to getthe job done. While you were having a tryst with Armaan that day, I got my contacts to make a duplicate set for me. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t miss, and today, it has come in handy. I was already in the car waiting for you when the valet came to collect it. He didn’t even notice I was lying down behind the seats.”

“My brother has security following me as we speak,” Navya said. “They would have informed him by now that I am missing. You will never get away with this.”

“Actually, I already have gotten away,” he said, his tone cold. “A few days back, I had someone discreetly follow your car. My guys learned that your brother has also put a security detail behind you, which was exactly what I was trying to ascertain. And today, that knowledge has come in handy. Your brother’s men were waiting in the basement parking lot for you. I detained them easily. They were strong, but I am stronger. One quick bash to the back of the head always does the trick.”

Anger flared up inside her. That was exactly what had been done to Armaan. She’d almost lost him that night because of this man, and now, just when she had found her happiness again, he was trying to kidnap her. She wouldn’t allow it. She’d fight with all her might to save herself. But first, she needed him to talk while she found a way to get herself out of this mess.

She met his eyes again as she continued to drive. “What do you want from me?”

“Right now, I want you to take the exit on the right and drive towards Abu Dhabi.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s time the Oshnovs learnt a lesson. They stole something from my boss, and he’s stealing someone extremely important to them now. And you are just the beginning.”

“What boss? What are you talking about?”

“My boss, Ivan Oshnov, the rightful heir to O-Corp.”

A shiver ran down her spine. She stopped the car at a signal. Another car stopped next to her. Before she could even indicate to the other driver to help her, Vasily firmly pressed the gun into the back of her head.

“Try it, and your brain will explode here,” he said. “I may go to jail, but Armaan will suffer for life. Your death will destroy him. But if you come nicely, then my boss may just return you to him.”

Left with no choice, Navya waited silently at the signal, her mind working furiously. The signal turned green, and she moved the car into the traffic. Armaan’s words from earlier hit her brain. He had security following her, people who Vasily probably didn’t know of. Hopefully, by now, Armaan knew what had happened to her. However, what if the team following her didn’t realize she was being kidnapped?

She had to do something. But what? Her eyes fell on the Apple watch on her wrist. An idea took shape. The next time she stopped the car at the signal, she locked her eyes with Vasily’s in the rear-view mirror.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, surreptitiously tapping on her watch.

“You’ll see soon,” he replied, his eyes on her.

She lowered the volume on the watch and quickly covered her wrist back with her sleeve. She didn’t have time to check which number she’d dialled or if it had even gone through or not. Tears threatened to fall. She held them off. She had to be strong. This was not going to be their end. They weren’t going to lose each other just when everything had been resolved. She needed more time with Armaan. She needed a future with him, and she would have it.

A quick glance at her watch showed that the call had gotten through to Armaan. She covered her wrist fully with her sleeve.Now, she only had to keep this man talking long enough for Armaan to figure out she was in trouble and send help.

33

Armaan paced impatiently as Mihir and Rajiv scanned through the Club Poseidon footage from the night of his attack. Lavina still hadn’t sent across the photo of Rehana with her boyfriend. And now, all this waiting was making him antsy.

---