Chapter 2 – The Smile He Hid

The meeting ended the way all his meetings did — with silent obedience.

Chairs scraped back, papers shuffled, and the men who had once walked in with pride now left the room with relief. Veeresh’s name carried weight; no one lingered longer than necessary under his gaze.

Except her.

Poornima gathered her files with delicate care, as if she had all the time in the world. For a brief moment, her eyes flicked up — meeting his — before she walked toward the door. No words. No gestures. Just that faint spark in her eyes that only he knew how to read.

She was gone.

And yet, the air still held her presence.

Veeresh leaned back in his chair, the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. The ruthless mask he wore for the world cracked just enough to let the boy beneath breathe.

Poons.

The name he never said aloud in this world of wolves.

He stood, adjusting his suit jacket, his every movement deliberate and controlled. But inside, his thoughts weren’t about the defense project, or the numbers, or the headlines tomorrow’s paper would splash across its pages.

No.

His mind was already at Jayanagar, at the small fresh juice centre tucked between crowded streets and noisy vendors. The place where he knew she would stop by — the one she had loved since they were kids, where she still ordered the same thing every time.

Mosambi juice, no ice.

He allowed himself another smile, softer this time.

“She’s happy,” he murmured under his breath. And for Veeresh Rathore — Lucifer to the world — that was all that mattered.

With one last glance at the empty boardroom, he straightened his cuffs and walked out.

Not as the feared businessman.

Not as Lucifer.

But as a man who was about to meet his best friend.