Chapter 5: Lines Blurred

Monday morning came too quickly. The warmth of Friday night still lingered, but Kavya buried it beneath a crisp blazer and flawless red lipstick. She walked into the office like nothing had changed.

But everything had.

Arjun noticed it too. The way she avoided his eyes during their morning meeting. The way her fingers hesitated when passing him files. Something unspoken hung between them now—tangible and electric.

They were colleagues again. But also... not just that.

Midday, they were called into a boardroom for a sudden review. A senior partner from London had flown in—Mr. Devlin, sharp-suited and sharper-tongued, known for slicing weak proposals in half with a single comment.

Kavya’s nerves kicked in. Arjun noticed.

He slid her a note across the table before the review began.

“You’ve got this. We’ve got this.”

She glanced at him, surprised. He didn’t look back.

The presentation began. Kavya started strong, but when Devlin interrupted with a snide, “And how do you justify a 7.4% projection when the market average is 6.2?” her throat went dry.

Before she could respond, Arjun smoothly jumped in.

“With respect, sir, that projection accounts for regulatory lag post-merger. We built in a 2% hedge based on acquisition volatility. Slide 14 details the comps.”

Devlin raised an eyebrow. Then nodded. “Fair. Proceed.”

The moment passed, but Kavya’s heart didn’t slow down.

Later, when they exited the boardroom, she pulled him aside.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

He shrugged. “Told you. We’ve got this.”

For the first time, she smiled at him like she meant it.

---

They spent the rest of the week buried in work. Late nights, fast coffees, and long strategy sessions blurred the hours. But their rhythm was easy now. Familiar. Even comforting.

One evening, they ended up alone in the break room after midnight. The office was deserted. Kavya leaned against the counter, sipping lukewarm coffee.

Arjun stood beside her, watching the steam rise from his mug.

“I used to think you hated me,” he said suddenly.

She looked at him. “I did.”

He chuckled. “Good to know.”

She smirked. “Don’t get used to the honesty.”

He turned serious. “What changed?”

Kavya hesitated. Then said, “You stopped trying to impress me. And started actually seeing me.”

The silence that followed was thick with meaning.

“I’ve always seen you, Kavya,” he said, voice low.

She didn’t reply.

But she didn’t walk away either.

---

The next day, as they rode the elevator down together, Arjun’s phone buzzed.

He frowned.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Just... my ex. She’s in town. Wants to catch up.”

Something in Kavya’s chest tightened, completely against her will.

“Oh,” she said lightly. “That’s... nice.”

He noticed. “It’s not what you think.”

She forced a smile. “We’re not... anything. You don’t owe me an explanation.”

He looked at her. “Maybe not. But I want to give you one.”

The elevator doors opened. She stepped out first, heels clicking.

Behind her, Arjun muttered under his breath, “This is getting complicated.”

And it was.

Because somewhere between stolen glances and midnight coffees, the lines had blurred.

And neither of them knew how to draw them back again.

---

That night, Kavya tossed in bed, staring at the ceiling fan spinning in lazy circles. Her mind kept rewinding—to the rooftop, the smile he gave her, the moment in the boardroom when he had her back. It wasn’t just attraction anymore. It felt personal.

Her phone buzzed. A message from Arjun.

"Still up?"

She hesitated, then replied.

“Yeah.”

A moment later:

“I didn’t meet her. Told her I had other priorities.”

Kavya stared at the screen, heart pounding. Then another ping:

“You’re one of them.”

She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. But she didn’t sleep either.

---

The following day, the firm announced a new joint venture—two senior consultants would fly to Singapore for a month to oversee a merger. One name was already confirmed.

The second was still under consideration.

Arjun looked at Kavya during the meeting. Their eyes met, and something passed between them.

Possibility.

Later, at her desk, she received an email from HR.

“International Travel Clearance - Approved.”

She was going with him.

And she had no idea what that would mean—for the project.

Or for them.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***