Page 62 of Fixation

“Correct,” Mihir said. “As we know, our guys have managed to infiltrate JD’s organisation. They are keeping a watch for JD’s return.”

“Ivan is ruthless. In just about five weeks, he’s managed to attack Armaan and me, get Dorab killed and Navya kidnapped. And he’s killed Anita only because he’d learned that she and I had gone out on a few dates.” Something else clicked in his mind. “He killed her around the same time Vasily kidnapped Navya,da?”

Armaan nodded. “That’s what Mihir and I figured as well. He’s meticulously planning everything to keep us distracted in two different places at the same time.”

“He’s gone too fucking far this time,” Vedant said. “I’m going to make those bastards pay for this.”

“Vedant,” Mihir gritted out. “Promise me that you won’t do anything rash. That you will wait until you are fully recovered before you step out of the house. I know you’re getting better, but you have to be honest and accept that you cannot fight the same way you fought those men before your attack. You need to look out for yourself first. Promise me this.”

Vedant sighed. His brother read him clearly and correctly, as always. He was itching to end the call and go out and personally hunt for this man Karl. But Mihir was right. He wouldn’t be able to defend himself as he had in the past, and for that, he needed to restart his training. He needed to lift weights, train againsta punching bag, and spar with his brothers. They were the best people to train with, and he would… soon.

“Alright, I promise not to leave the house until I’m fully recovered.” Vedant rubbed his forehead. “Meanwhile, I’m going to ask my men here to speak to Anita’s friends and family and learn what she was thinking of in her final days. Did she know Karl? Was it a random attack she didn’t see coming? Had she told anyone why she was trying to call me? Let me get on to that and call you again.”

“And Vedant,” Armaan said, “Please come home. We need to be together. Mihir and I will sleep easier knowing we are all under one roof.”

“One last thing,” Mihir began, “Your nurse, Su Min—we just found out that she was dating Vasily.”

“What?” Vedant sputtered. “How the hell did we miss that?”

“I had looked into the background of every person sent to care for you,” Mihir said. “There was no mention of him and no social media pictures of her with him anywhere. But his phone had another sim card that he used to speak to only her. Guess they were keeping quiet about their relationship. The coincidence that you reached that very hospital she worked in, and she was on the very team that operated on you is quite boggling.”

“Tyrion took me to that hospital because it was the closest to where I was attacked,” Vedant said. “But yes, it needs to be verified that it indeed was a coincidence or not, or was it a part of a bigger plan?”

“What if Ivan sent her to hurt you?” Armaan breathed out. “You need to get rid of her immediately.”

“Wait, she’s left already. Reina, I mean Dr. Singh, told me that Su Min had requested it. Su Min came to meet me a little while back to say goodbye, and I authorised the main gate to allow her exit.”

“She wanted to leave around the same time we captured Vasily?” Armaan shook his head. “This feels suspicious. Has she left? Check.”

He made a call to Tyrion, who confirmed that Su Min had indeed left their premises.

“She’s left,” Vedant said. “Although, if her intention was to hurt me, then she could have done it quite easily. She has been alone with me several times over the last month, many of those times watching over me while I slept.”

“Maybe her intention was to study you, to learn who and what was important to you and report everything back to Vasily,” Mihir speculated.

“Fuck that’s worse.” Vedant exhaled. “I’ll ask Tyrion to find her and set up a tail on her.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “Shit. This whole thing is getting murkier. They fucking killed Anita on the assumption that she was important to me.”

“Imagine if she really was important to you,” Armaan looked stricken. “Fuck, I have to keep Navya safe at all times. I have to go check on her.”

Once he left, Mihir said, “He’s become paranoid about her now.”

“Do you blame him?”

Mihir shook his head. “Falling in love can be so easy and so fucking hard as well.”

His eldest brother looked sad and lost.

“Hey, are you okay?” Vedant asked.

Mihir’s face cleared. “Of course.”

“We have to find Karina soon before Ivan does.”

“Mrs. Braganza found an old picture of her in her records. The AI team I hired has sent me a few options of what she may look like now. I can send them to you.”

Thinking about Karina was too damn hard right now. She was yet another woman he’d failed.

“I need some time to see those pictures, Mihir. Right now, I can’t. You go ahead and start your search for her. I just… I’m too overwhelmed right now with everything.”

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