Page 70 of Fixation

She held her phone up. “By the way, I’ve recorded our entire conversation. Now, I have proof of your harassment. I’m going to take this video to the management and ensure you don’t repeat this ever again with another woman. And so, it will never be your word against mine or any other woman’s ever again.”

The fear on his face made her feel better than she had in days. Her head held high, Reina walked out of his office. She ran both her hands down her hair. Several of her colleagues stared at her as she passed them. Many had never seen her like this, sans glasses and hair flowing freely down her back. She didn’t even bat an eye. She’d lived in her own shadow for far too long. She’d worried that her seniors and colleagues would never take her seriously or respect her because of the family she belonged to. She’d worried that her appearance would put her in compromising positions that could eventually damage her career. She’d been so fixated on her career that she’d forgotten to put herself and her dignity first. But that stopped today.

She was Reina Mehra, and she was going to own who she was. No more hiding from anyone or anything.

25

Three weeks later

It was like Reina had disappeared into thin air. Three whole weeks had passed, and Vedant still had no clue where she was. The only thing Armaan had assured him was that she was safe.

He looked outside the window of his study. Dusk had settled in, painting the lake, the grasslands, and the forest around his home in a dark violet shadow. His heart felt heavy. He missed Reina so damn much. He missed her smile, her pouty lips when she was mad, her defiant jaw, and the changing hues in her eyes—bright when she was angry, softer when she was kissing him. It hurt that he didn’t know where she was, that he couldn’t personally ensure she was safe and that no one touched a hair on her head. He felt powerless now, more than when he’d been bedridden and injured.

He pressed a hand against his chest. A permanent ache had lodged itself there. He missed her so bloody much. She’d embedded herself into his heart and his mind. He felt… he feltincomplete. Like a vital part of him had left with her. And he had no one but himself to blame for that.

Letting her go that day had been the hardest thing he had ever done. And the cruellest. He had hurt her deliberately. While ensuring that she hated him so she’d stay away from him, he hadn’t considered how his own heart would break in the process. Three weeks had passed, and he continued to yearn for her. He woke up in the middle of the night, her name on his lips, his body aching for her, her scent, her smile… There was something about her… No, he now knew what it was about her that had pulled him to her. But he refused to name it out loud. What was the point? The best way to keep her safe was to keep her away from him. Even when he found her, which he would, he couldn’t be with her.

He checked the time on his phone. He still had a few minutes before the scheduled call with his brothers. He needed to discuss something with them. Tyrion had learned something important, and he needed to share that with his brothers.

Thankfully, things were back to normal between Armaan and him. They each couldn’t stay mad at the other for too long, and after Vedant had profusely apologised, Armaan had come around with the condition that Vedant never asked him about Reina. Vedant had accepted it with a heavy heart.

However, Armaan’s condition couldn’t stop him from asking others about her. And that is what Vedant had been doing since the last few weeks. But thus far, he had found out zilch.

Even Su Min, the one person who probably knew about Reina, had vanished into thin air. The only news Tyrion had found was that she’d applied for a leave from the hospital. After that, there was no news on her, and that worried him. It sounded too convenient that she’d disappeared right after they’d captured Vasily. However, she was the least of his worries.

He needed to find Reina first and see for himself that she was safe. He needed to have someone he trusted watching over her all the time. Only then would he be able to breathe again.

Tyrion had noted the details of the cab driver who had dropped Reina home that fateful, rainy night, but none of the apartment blocks in the vicinity of the address Reina had been dropped at had a Dr. Singh listed on the lease or on the ownership records. Tyrion hadn’t been able to get her mobile number also. He’d checked everywhere.

Vedant had further learned from the hospital administration that she had resigned and that Dr. Williams had given her a glowing recommendation letter. Considering the problem Reina had with that man, Vedant had been quite surprised to hear that. He itched to have a one-on-one with the man and make him pay for what he’d put Reina through, but he held back because he’d given his word to her to not interfere in this.

However, the important point was that no one in the hospital knew where she had gone. The hospital records also had the same location Tyrion had as Reina’s last known address, and that had anyway turned out to be a dead end. It boggled him that Reina had lived so quietly and privately. Why though? Was she hiding something? What was she hiding?

His team had even checked other hospitals in and around London, but no one had a Dr. Singh on their payroll. It’s like Dr. Reina Singh didn’t exist. But he wouldn’t give up. He would find her. He had resources everywhere. Even now, his team was working round the clock, searching for her.

He pressed a hand on the cool window pane.Where are you, Reina? Where have you disappeared? And why does my heart hurt so fucking much?

His phone rang. He pressed a button on the TV remote. His brothers’ faces came into view.

“Hey guys,” he said.

“How are you doing?” Mihir asked him. “Did you go to the hospital? How is the new doctor? What does she say?”

After Reina had left, he’d been forced to consult with another senior doctor from the hospital Reina had worked in. Dr. Banks was highly recommended. She had appreciated Reina’s treatment program for him and decided to continue with it. But she was too regimental and conservative in her care program—far stricter than Reina had been. Nonetheless, he had been following all her instructions diligently.

And he did feel much better. His ribs had fully healed. His shoulder and leg were both back to normal as well. He’d already started fight training with Tyrion and some of the other bodyguards, and he got better at it with each passing day.

“I’m doing fine,” Vedant said. “I have a visit scheduled with her this weekend. I’ll find out from her if I’m okay to travel. I want to come meet you guys.”

With his inability to find Reina, he just needed a few days with his brothers to heal his ailing heart, and then he’d return to London.

“Actually, it would be better for you to stay in London for a while,” Armaan said.

Vedant frowned. “Why?”

“Both of us are worried about you,” Mihir explained. “You need to remain in London for a while longer and heal. The house there is very well protected.”

“And so is our house in Dubai,” Vedant countered. “Guys, I am doing fine. I’m almost back to normal.”

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