Page 16 of The Pursuit
“Sir, the safe house is already occupied by you and—”
“And Agent Trisha will share it with me until she’s fit to rejoin.”
Sudesh agreed easily, oblivious to Krish’s underlying motives. I realised what Krish was doing—manoeuvering to get me alone and off duty, cleverly abusing his power to force us to confront this tension between us.
“You can’t bench me like that. The mission failure was my responsibility as well. I must collaborate with my team to get to the roots of this.”
Krish crossed his arms, his eyes glinted dangerously.
“These are my directives, Agent Trisha. No one challenges a Director’s orders unless they wish to be permanently removed from this mission. I could easily assign someone else in your stead, not due to incompetence, but because you failed to adhere to the standard protocols of maintaining a low profile when compromised. Do you want that?”
Sensing the tension, Sudesh cleared his throat. “I’ll, uh, go start safehouse preparations then.” He couldn’t wait to get out fast enough.
The moment we were alone, I faced off with Krish. “You can’t threaten me like that, Krish.”
Krish was unmoved. “I decide when my agents are fit for duty. And trust me, you’ll thank me for this.”
I wanted to rage at his patronising power play but knew it was futile. For now, Krish held all the cards.
“I believe you’ve had enough changes for one day to adapt to. I’m sending your meal after consulting with Dr. Bhat. Finish it before I return for Round 2 of our chit-chat.”
My jaw dropped at his request. He had reverted to the Krish who
enjoyed teasing and testing me. I fumed internally, then realised my hospital gown had slipped down, leaving me exposed. Clutching the fabric to my chest, I struggled awkwardly with my injured shoulder. I should have called the nurse, but before I could, Krish reached me to help.
“Here, let me.” Ignoring my protests, he gently held the strings and stepped closer to tie them properly.
His knuckles grazing my bare skin sent shivers through me. I froze, heart pounding wildly as he secured the gown, his face inches from mine.
The intimacy of the gesture and the nearness of his body overwhelmed me. I knew my feelings were laid bare in that moment, my flustered state impossible to hide. Krish’s knowing look as he pulled away confirmed it. I had revealed too much. Shown vulnerability I hadn’t even fully admitted to myself. Now he saw the effect he had on me. My carefully built walls were crumbling, defences weakened by fatigue and emotion.
I broke eye contact, trying to steady my breathing as Krish walked out. How could I stay firm when he could unravel me so easily? This was dangerous—being alone together, barriers lowered. Feelings I had forcefully buried were bubbling back up. Feelings that could cloud my judgment again if I let them. I had to be stronger. Remind myself of the heartbreak that came with loving someone in this life. I would not lose myself that wayagain. But Krish had seen the cracks in my armour. Sensed the power he still held over me. And soon, we would be completely isolated.
Apprehension gripped me at what more might happen between us then. Could I trust myself to resist? Or would I fall back into his orbit, despitethe cost?
KRISH
The moment I got the call that Trisha had been shot, my blood ran cold. Knowing Trisha was injured halfway across the world... tore me apart inside. Trisha had made it abundantly clear she didn’t want me interfering in her life anymore—that shutting me out was necessary for her to succeed in her job role.
So, I respected her wishes, no matter how much it hurt. But when the call came about her being attacked and wounded, all my resolve shattered. Within an hour, I was on a plane to Singapore, protocols and promises be damned. The excuse I gave everyone about my presence in Singapore was about the mission fallout—assessing the damage and determining what went wrong—that my personal attachment to the injured agent didn’t factor in.
But that was a lie. Seeing Trisha so pale and lifeless in that hospital bed wrecked me. I couldn’t stay away simply to spare her pride or maintain distance. I needed to see her, needed to know she would be alright. And when Dr. Bhat told me Trisha was taking my name over and over again in her subconscious state, a flicker of hope sparked in me. Perhaps there was still a chance for us.
Taking her to the safehouse felt justified. It was for her own safety while recovering, or so I claimed. But truly, I engineered this situation to steal time alone with Trisha. Away from prying eyes, where we didn’t have to be so guarded. Trisha could hate me for the manipulation, but saving our connection was more important now. Maybe we still had a chance, despite the odds. After all, my instincts had led me to her side when she needed memost.
Two days later, I pulled the car into the underground parking of the safehouse. It was in a quiet suburb on the outskirts of Singapore’s bustling metropolis. Trisha gazed up curiously at the nondescript concrete building. To an outsider, it looked like any other apartment block, but I knew its anonymous exterior hid state-of-the-art security features inside.
We took the elevator up to the third floor, and I keyed in the code to unlock the door. Ushering Trisha inside, I watched her take in our home for the next two weeks until I deemed her fit for the mission again and until we found out what compromised the mission in the first place.
It was a modest two-bedroom flat, intentionally furnished in muted tones and devoid of any personal effects. But the space had everything we needed—a fully equipped kitchen, living area, and two separate bedrooms for us to maintain a level of privacy and distance.
Of course, I had arranged for all the medical equipment that would be needed to treat Trisha’s injury and for her recovery before her arrival. But I also wanted her time here to be about more than that—reconnecting and lowering her defences around me.
While the nondescript safe house lacked warmth or character, but with Trisha by my side, I was determined to infuse it with warmth and possibility. Fill the sterile shell with laughter, memories, and understanding. Find our way back to the ease we’d shared before duty and protocol drove us apart. Maybe it was optimistic to think we could recapture what had slipped away. But I hadto try. Being here, just the two of us removed from the scrutiny of GLEN, was the chance I had been waiting for. A glimpse of the bond we could nurture, if Trisha was willing.
CHAPTER 7 (light in the dark)
MAX
