Arvi's pov:

The familiar hum of the office filled my ears keyboards clacking, printers whirring, voices low and focused. I was at my desk, organizing files, when Rahul stopped by with two coffees in hand.

"Peace offering," he said, placing one beside me with a grin.

I looked up, surprised. "For what?"

"For surviving another day under Mr. Rayaan Oberoi without flipping a table," he said with a chuckle.

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "I don't think that deserves coffee. Maybe a medal."

Rahul sat on the edge of my desk, sipping his own. "You've been quiet today. Everything okay?"

I hesitated. "Yeah. Just... a lot on my mind."

His eyes softened. Rahul was easy to talk to never prying, always patient. He'd become one of the few people in the office who treated me like, well, me. Not the girl who lived in the mansion. Not the one who made headlines in hushed gossip. Just Arvi.

"I saw the group," he said casually, and I raised an eyebrow.

"What group?"

"The Oberoi cousins' one. Vivaan showed me. You're back in it."

I blinked. "Oh."

"You okay with that?"

I paused, fingers tracing the rim of the coffee cup. "I don't know. It feels weird. Like... I left, but pieces of me are still there. I didn't expect that."

"You made an impact," he said simply. "That doesn't go away overnight."

I looked at him, surprised by how gently he'd said it. I smiled faintly. "Thanks, Rahul."

He raised his cup. "To surviving Rayaan Oberoi and group chats you can't escape."

I laughed again, and for a moment, the heaviness in my chest eased. Just a little.

Rayaan's pov:

I was reviewing reports, numbers blurring in front of my eyes, when I caught sight of her through the glass.

Arvi.

Smiling.

With Rahul.

He was leaning on her desk like he belonged there, handing her a coffee like they were... close. Too close.

She laughed.

Something cold and hot twisted in my chest.

I didn't like it.

I didn't like him.

I grabbed the phone, my voice low and cold as steel. "Arvi. My office. Now."

Within seconds, the air in the entire floor shifted. I could feel it every employee stiffening in their seats. Whispering stopped. Silence fell. Everyone knew that tone.

I watched her through the glass. She paused mid-laugh, her smile vanishing like it was never there. She glanced at Rahul, whispered something, then stood.

Her steps toward my door weren't confident they were cautious. Careful. As if she was walking into a storm she wasn't prepared for.

She opened the door, quietly. Didn't meet my eyes.

"Close it," I said, not bothering to look up.

The click of the door behind her echoed like a final note.

I turned to face her slowly, arms crossed.

"What were you discussing with Rahul?"

Her eyes flicked up to mine, startled. "W-We were just talking. About work."

"Looked like more than just work," I said, stepping closer.

She took a small step back.

I noticed.

She was scared.

Of me.

And it did something ugly to my chest.

"I don't want you laughing around this office like it's a playground," I said sharply. "Especially not with him."

She swallowed, lips trembling slightly. "I-I didn't mean anything. He was just being nice."

I stared at her, the way her fingers clutched the hem of her shirt, the flicker of fear in her eyes.

I should've stopped.

But I didn't.

"Nice doesn't get you far in Oberoi Industries," I said, voice low. "Focus on your job. Not people."

Her eyes dropped to the floor.

I turned away, jaw clenched.

Because underneath all the fury, beneath the tight control, one truth gnawed at me.

I wasn't angry at Rahul.

I was angry that her laughter no longer belonged to me.

Arvi's pov:

I stepped out of his cabin with shaky hands and a chest full of things I didn't have the strength to name.

The moment the door closed behind me, I finally let out the breath I didn't know I'd been holding.

Everyone was pretending to work, but I could feel their eyes on me curious, pitying, scared. I didn't meet any of them. I just walked straight ahead, fast, head down, trying to look like I had somewhere to be.

But inside, I felt... small.

His voice still echoed in my ears cold, sharp, and cruel. The way he looked at me... like I'd done something wrong by smiling. Like I'd betrayed him by simply breathing around someone else.

I didn't understand him. One moment he was distant, and the next, possessive in ways he wouldn't admit. He had no right to care-he made it clear I meant nothing.

So why did it hurt so much?

I reached the break room and leaned against the wall, my pulse still racing.

The worst part wasn't that he scolded me like I was beneath him.

It was the fear.

The way I had shrunk inside that room.

And the way I hated myself for still caring what he thought of me.

.

.

.

It was past midnight, and I was curled up on my bed, the dim light from my bedside lamp barely enough to keep me awake. The day had been exhausting especially after everything that happened with Rayaan.

I had tried not to think about it.

Tried to focus on work, on Nia, on anything else.

But now, lying in the quiet of my rented room, my phone buzzed softly on the pillow beside me.

Fam & Drama - 14 new messages

I sighed, unlocking it. The chat was flooded with memes, voice notes, and random chaos Vanisha complaining about food, Vivaan being dramatic, Aleesha teasing Arekha.

I couldn't help but smile a little.

Then I saw a message:

Aleesha: Arvi? You're too quiet. Say something or I'll show up with chocolate milkshake at 2 a.m.

Arekha: Yeah, you're part of the gang now. No ghosting allowed.

Vivaan: We should do a proper welcome for her.

I stared at the screen for a moment, thumb hovering.

It was strange how these people, who once looked at me like I didn't belong, now wanted me in their madness. Even if I still felt like I was walking on glass near Rayaan... they made me feel warm. Seen.

I typed slowly:

Me: I'm here. Just tired. But you guys are crazy... in a good way.

Immediately, hearts and smiley reactions exploded under my message.

Vanisha: Awww she spoke!

Vivaan: Somebody screenshot this. Historic moment.

I laughed softly, shaking my head.

For the first time in days, something inside me felt light. Like maybe even if everything with Rayaan was twisted and confusing I still had people who wanted me around.

Even if just in a group chat... at night... when the world was quiet.

I was still smiling at Vivaan's antics when a new message popped up.

Rayaan: Keep the chat decent. Some people need to sleep.

My heart skipped.

His name.

In the chat.

For the first time.

The energy of the group shifted instantly.

Aleesha: Ooo someone finally broke the royal silence.

Vivaan: Look who decided to speak. Alert the media.

Arekha: Arvi's presence working magic already.

I stared at the screen, feeling my fingers freeze. Why did just one line from him mess with my entire system?

He hadn't addressed me. Not directly.

But it felt... personal.

I didn't reply. Didn't know if I should.

But my phone buzzed again.

Rayaan: Arvi, don't forget the meeting schedule I sent. 9 a.m. sharp.

This time he said my name.

I swallowed hard, heart thudding.

And even though it was just work... and typed in that same cold tone...

It lingered longer than it should have.

Rayaan's pov:

I was lying in bed, the glow of my phone the only light in the room. The house was quiet finally but my mind wasn't. I couldn't sleep.

Not with the image of Arvi's face still flickering in my head. The way she looked today in my office scared, hurt. I had crossed a line.

Again.

My phone vibrated.

Fam & Drama - 22 new messages

I almost ignored it. But something made me open it.

And there she was.

Arvi: I'm here. Just tired. But you guys are crazy... in a good way.

Her message was small. Simple. But it hit somewhere unexpected.

They were making her laugh again.

They were pulling her back into a world she had walked away from. A world I pushed her out of.

I clenched my jaw and typed without thinking:

Me: Keep the chat decent. Some people need to sleep.

Sent.

I stared at it.

Why did I even care?

But the responses poured in Aleesha, Vivaan, all of them teasing me like I'd just spoken after a decade of silence.

And then I saw her name again. She hadn't replied. But I knew she saw it.

I tapped again.

Me: Arvi, don't forget the meeting schedule I sent. 9 a.m. sharp.

It was business. Just business.

So why did my chest feel tight?

I locked my phone, tossed it on the side table, and turned off the light.

She was getting too comfortable again.

And I didn't know whether I wanted to stop it,

Or let it happen.