Page 6 of The Pursuit
Hold on a second! What was happening?
Krish walked over, a smirk playing on his lips. “Well done, Agent
Trisha. You never fail to surprise. Always one step ahead. You have cleared the mock mission test with flyingcolours.”
Mock mission test?All this was to test my intellect? It wasn’t real?
“Was this all a setup?” I questioned him, and he nodded his head, signalling the team to wrap up. The members began dispersing.
“Yes, it’s a procedure—the final stage of your training to be part of the active missions. You didn’t just blindly follow the details of the mission provided to you; instead, you correctly apprehended the real culprits,” he explained.
I sighed. A part of me felt pleased that, even unknowingly, I had successfully cleared the test.
“It’s all part of the job,” he continued. “Observing the details, being vigilant and trusting your instincts. Plus, a bit of unpredictability adds flair to the mission, isn’t it? But despite all the distractions, you handled it beautifully.”
I couldn’t help but crack a smile.
“And what was your role in all this?” I inquired. “I’m sure the Director doesn’t have that much time to be a part of every trainee’s mock mission test like today’s.”
Krish’s lips curved into another smile before he stepped toward me, almost invading my private space. Our eyes locked in an intense battle.
“You are notjustone of the trainees for me,” he replied without breaking our gazes. “You will always be special, Trisha.”
My heart fluttered at his choice of words.Special?What did he mean? Before I could process my thoughts, Krish winked at me and walked away. Fortunately, I had thetable behind me to lean on because I needed its support badly. Krish’s wink had the power to topple me off the floor, and I definitely liked myself more—a lot more than I liked him.
CHAPTER 3 (WAR OF HEARTS)
KRISH
I was at the combat training room early on a Sunday, working out my frustrations on the punching bag. This morning, my dad, who happened to be the president of GLEN, called me, questioning why I hadn’t returned to Austria yet and what was prolonging my stay in India. Even though all the necessary paperwork was completed, I couldn’t bring myself to explain that taking the next flight back would mean putting miles between me and the woman who had been occupying my thoughts—Trisha. Ever since meeting Trisha, I hadn’t been able to get her out of my head. These days, I often thought about her strength, skill, and undeniable beauty. She was unlike any woman I had ever met. Despite the training protocols at GLEN, emphasizing the need to keep personal lives separate from missions, even if it meant giving them up, I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about her. I felt an undeniable desire to get to know Trisha better, to spend time with her. Although I already knew every detail of her personal life through the background check conducted when we hired her, I found myself craving more.
With each punch, I replayed the puzzled expression on my dad’s face during our video call earlier today when I informed him about needing an extra week or two in India to wrap up some undisclosed matters. I could have come up with a more convincing excuse, but at that moment, nothing came to mind. Dad’s reaction made it clear that he wasn’t buying my explanation either. Hepossessed the ability to see though my lies just by looking at me, a skill he excelled at. It wasn’t just limited to me; his adeptness at psychologically reading any agent made it nearly impossible to keep secrets from him. There was a reason he held the position of President in this international law enforcement organisation—decades of experience and unparalleled knowledge had honed his ability to understand the minds and struggles of individuals.
I was lost in thought when suddenly I heard her voice behind me. “I didn’t know Directors had to keep up with the combat training,” Trisha said playfully.
I glanced back, my heart leaping at the sight of her. Hoping to sound casual, I replied with a flirtatious wink, “Not all Directors. Only those aiming to impress certain agents.”
I felt her cheeks flush, but she tried to remain nonchalant. I continued to punch the bag while she watched me admiringly as I showed off my moves. I was eager to impress her, and landed my hardest punches.
“It’s been a while since I practiced this,” I admitted as I continued.
“Here, let me.” She stepped forward to hold the bag steady for me. Thrilled by her proximity, I resumed my rhythmic punches as she observed closely.
“Your form is good, but you’re dropping your left shoulder on those crosses,” she said. “To maximise the effectiveness and power of each punch, you need to correct that form.”
Unable to resist demonstrating, Trisha gently placed ahand on my shoulder. “Keep it up, like this.”
Her touch ignited sparks within me, and I couldn’t help but steal glances at her lovely face as she corrected my posture.
“Yes, that’s it,” she added, providing guidance while catching glimpses of my charming smile, reserved only for her. We both were hyper-aware of our closeness, our hands occasionally brushing against each other. By the end, all I wanted was to keep her by my side.
Grabbing a towel, I kept my gaze fixed on her.
“We should train together more often,” I suggested, my voice unintentionally soft. “At least until I am here.”
My heart soared as she warmly smiled. This woman had awakened something in me that I had never felt before.
“And how long are you here?” Trisha inquired.
