Page 108 of Fixation

“Why would you think I’m mad at you?” He heard Reina ask once the waitress left. “I’m not.”

“I saw Navya’s picture with Armaan Oshnov. I know she’s engaged to him. Which means I also know that you aren’t Reina Singh but Reina Mehra.” Su Min looked at her hands. “Vasily’s dead. He died Reina, but I’m sure you already know that. I still don’t know what happened to him. I thought you were my friend. He worked for the Oshnovs; you could have told me.”

“And how could I have told you that, Su Min?” Reina asked. “Like you, I was also a hostage.”

“But you had access to your phone,” Su Min stated.

Through the mirror, he saw Reina jolt back in shock.

“Don’t lie, please,” Su Min said. “I suspected that while we were there. You never called home in front of us. And I had overhead you speaking on the phone. You brushed it off the first time I asked you, but it made sense, especially after I saw the news of Navya’s engagement and learned your real identity. I remember how Armaan had wanted to talk to you alone that first night he came from Dubai, and he was so courteous to you after that. I finally made sense of everything. It dawned on me that you must be knowing what happened to Vasily, or you could have found out for me. But you never did while we were there, and later, you cut off all contact with me.”

“I didn’t know anything about Vasily while I was in London,” Reina explained. “I found out only when I returned home to Dubai, which happened to be soon after you left Vedant’s house. After learning that Vasily was working for the Oshnovs’ enemy and had kidnapped Navya and tried to hurt her to get to Armaan, do you think my family would have wanted me to be in contact with you? The only reason I’m here right now is because you’re in town and because of the friendship we once shared.”

“What?” Su Min gasped. “He what…”

Su Min’s mouth opened and closed.

“You think I… Me?” Su Min choked out, then shook her head. “How could you think that of me? I’m not a bad person.”

Vedant exchanged a look with Mihir. “What do you think?”

“Her anguish sounds real.”

“Either that or she’s a great actress,” Vedant said.

“As soon as I left, I went to Seoul to meet my parents,” Su Min said. “My father was unwell. I haven’t met Vasily since he came to London with Vedant’s brothers. I haven’t spoken to himin weeks. I told you that he wasn’t returning my calls. I returned to London and still didn’t have any answers. So yes, I want answers. I need your help to understand what happened to him. That’s one of the reasons I’m here. For you to imply that I was involved with him in trying to hurt Navya... I didn’t even know he had tried to hurt her?—”

From the mirrors, Vedant saw Reina’s eyes widen in shock. He looked to the side and saw Laila entering half an hour earlier than Reina’s allocated time for her.

Su Min looked where Reina was staring. “Why is Laila here?”

Laila, too, looked between Reina and Su Min.

“Hi, both of you,” Laila sounded confused. She addressed Su Min, “I didn’t know you were also planning to visit Dubai. You never mentioned this when we spoke at the hospital.”

“It was a last-minute plan,” Su Min said, her voice sharp.

“Hi, Laila. You’re early,” Reina said.

“Yes, I was free, so I thought I’d come wait for you here.” Laila sat next to Su Min. Vedant saw her gaze alternating between the two women.

“How come you decided to visit Dubai?” Reina asked Laila.

“I’ve always wanted to visit, and this seemed like a good time,” Laila replied, her tone stilted.

Mihir looked at Vedant. “I’m still not sure what is going on here.”

“Me neither,” Vedant replied.

“Let’s wait and watch,” Armaan said through the earpiece.

“I think we should isolate both the women and query them ourselves!” Rajiv sounded very agitated. Like Vedant, he too hated putting Reina in this situation. But she’d been adamant, and hence, they both had been forced to relent.

“Just a few more minutes,” Armaan said. “Let’s see what happens.”

Vedant saw the same waitress place coffee cups in front of Reina and Su Min. She took Laila’s order and left.

“Why did you want to meet me?” He heard Reina ask Laila.

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