Page 108 of Obsession

Armaan shook his head. “You really knew?”

Mihir looked heavenward. “Yes. Now, get back to my question. Do you think the girls were ever kidnapped or held hostage?”

Vedant shook his head. “If that had been true, then Reina wouldn’t have reacted the way she did when you held her hostage to care for me. She was mostly calm, except when she was mad at me. She didn’t come across as someone being traumatized because such a situation was being repeated in her life.”

Mihir thought through his brother’s words. They made sense. Neither Navya nor Reina came across as women who had dealt with a trauma like that in the past. Even when Vedant had been shot, and Mihir had forcefully brought Reina and her team from the hospital to stay with them, Reina had been the only one in the team to confidently and fiercely object to that situation. In the end, she had agreed to remain only because her team was enticed by the money that he was offering them.

He addressed his brothers. “For my sake, can you ask them once?”

“We will. But first, you need to tell us why,” Armaan said.

“The day of my attack, I’d actually asked you both to come to London because I wanted to introduce you to Anna. She’d told her sisters about me, and they were to meet us for lunch the next afternoon.”

A look of hurt crossed Vedant’s face. “You’d never told us. Armaan and I had suspected you were in a relationship, but we were waiting for you to tell us. We assumed it was that woman from the café you seemed so besotted with.”

“I’m sorry, guys. Now, in retrospect, I wish I could have done things differently and told you about Anna earlier. But it is what it is.” Mihir exhaled. “Anyway, a few days prior to your visit, Anna and I had rented a house in Kent for our…” He paused. He couldn’t yet bring himself to tell them that he had married her. So, he told them the whole episode, leaving out the details of their marriage and honeymoon. “But just before I reached there, she sent me these texts…” he concluded, turning his phone to show his brothers the snapshots of the messages exchanged between him and Anna on that fateful day.

Armaan looked up. “Fuck. Is that why you were suspecting that she knew Ivan from earlier?”

“Yes.”

Vedant shook his head. “But these messages don’t make sense, Mihir. If?—”

“—wait, Vedant,” Armaan said. He looked at Mihir. “You’ve had this with you for seven years now, right? So then, why are you only telling us now? Why did you not tell us earlier when we were getting involved with the girls?”

“Tell you what?” Mihir splayed a hand out. “That the girls you both were falling in love with were the reason for my attack. That their sister had chosen them over me? That she had left me to die so she could save her sisters?” He slammed his phone on the table. “This was my past, and I definitely wasn’t going to allow it to taint your lives. You both deserve every bit of happiness. And Navya and Reina were innocent, no matter what.”

His brothers kept silent.

Armaan cleared his throat. “Thank you. You’re always putting us first, you know. It means a lot.”

Vedant’s eyes turned moist. “Really, Mihir. I don’t think we thank you enough for everything you keep doing for us. You’re the best brother we could have ever asked for, and we’re so lucky that you are ours.”

Mihir’s heart warmed at their words. He would always do what was best for them.

“So, after reading those messages,” Armaan said, “you returned to Kent. Where you were attacked…”

Mihir nodded.

“Thank God, we found you when you did,” Vedant said. “At least now, we know the whole truth.”

Mihir looked in the direction of the washroom. Navya and Reina came out first, followed by Anna. He frowned when he saw her. She looked upset and stressed. Her eyes met his, and she immediately skirted her gaze away.

“Are you okay?” Armaan asked Anna when she reached them.

Facing everyone, she said. “Sorry, guys, I’m feeling a bit unwell. I just want to go home.”

“What happened, Anna?” Mihir asked.

“She will be fine,” Navya snapped.

“She’s fine,” Reina said at the same time.

His brows arched at their sharp tones. Anna gave her sisters a pleading look. Navya’s lips pursed, and she sat down next to Armaan. Reina continued to stand beside Anna. A look passed between them, and then Reina gave Anna a hug, whispering something in her ear. Strange. All their behavior was a tad bit strange.

Anna’s already somber expression saddened even more. Grabbing her purse, she left them. He watched her walk away, his heart a mess of emotions. There was something wrong with her.

Dropping his napkin, he rose. “I’ll just go see her out.”

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