Chapter 21

The Raj Empire Boardroom

The next morning, the tallest skyscraper in the city gleamed in sunlight as black cars lined its entrance. Inside, the Raj Boardroom was filled with power—men in tailored suits, women with folders of figures, the air heavy with deals worth billions.

At the head of the table sat Veeresh Raj, immaculate in a navy suit. Before him lay the contract papers for a historic merger, the kind that would expand his empire further into international markets.

“Mr. Raj, if you’ll sign here,” the foreign delegate said, sliding the pen toward him.

Veeresh took the pen, but his mind was far from the polished mahogany table. Instead, flashes of last night haunted him: the traffickers’ eyes, the emblem of his own family on the containers, the cries of the rescued victims.

And beyond all that, another image—Poornima on the dance floor, smiling nervously as he guided her, her words echoing: ‘Love is not in grand gestures. It’s in choosing the same person every day—even when they are difficult.’

He signed, his expression unreadable. The room erupted into applause, handshakes offered, photographs clicked. The empire grew larger, but inside him, the hollowness deepened.

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Meanwhile, Poornima’s Apartment

The day was quieter in Poornima’s world. Sunlight spilled softly into her modest study, where books lined every wall. She sat at her desk, pen in hand, journal open.

Her handwriting moved in careful strokes:

“Last night, the fest was beautiful. The students shone brighter than the lights. For a moment, I felt like I belonged—not just as their professor, but as someone who mattered. Then there was him. Professor Raj.”

She paused, her heart tugging as she recalled the firmness of his hand in hers, the intensity of his gaze, the way he asked questions without truly asking.

“He makes me curious. Dangerous, perhaps. He is sharp, magnetic, a man with shadows in his eyes. And yet… when he smiled, for the first time I felt warmth from someone who hides so much. Why do I care?”

Her pen slowed. She closed the journal quickly, as though even the pages should not know the storm inside her. Standing, she made herself tea, brushing away the thought. “He has his world, I have mine,” she whispered. “Best to keep it so.”

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But at that very moment, across the city, Veeresh Raj, empire-builder and spy, leaned back in his chair after the merger, his thoughts betraying him once again—Poornima Rai.

Two lives. Two worlds. Both moving separately, yet silently inching closer.