Recap: Dina in distress!

I blinked, struggling to process Dina's words.

"You what?!" My voice echoed through the stairwell, and I quickly lowered it, glancing around to make sure no one else heard me.

Dina's voice was small, a rare thing for someone with her usual confidence.

"I know, Aishu, it was crazy. But you know how these things happen! One minute, I'm at the party, just having fun, and the next, I'm... well... waking up in a stranger's bed!"

I sank onto a stair, gripping the railing for support.

"Dina, you're joking, right? This is one of your pranks, right?"

My mind was spinning from the galaxy-shattering news.

"I wish it were. I can't even remember half of it-just bits and pieces. Like, I'm pretty sure I knocked over a lamp. And there was this ridiculous painting of a cat in a top hat... But Aishu, that's not even the worst part."

"Oh God, Dina. What could be worse than waking up in a stranger's bed?" I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

There was a long, dramatic pause, and I could almost hear her biting her lip through the phone.

"I left my purse at his place. And I have no idea who he is or how to get it back."

My eyes widened.

"Dina!" I half-whispered, half-screamed into the phone.
"How could you leave your purse? Your whole life is in there!"

"I know, I know!" she wailed. "But I panicked, okay? I just grabbed my stuff and bolted. Shit! What if he's some sort of serial killer or worse? What if he's one of those creeps who's associated with human trafficking? He'll know everything about me, Aishu!"

A thousand thoughts raced through my head, each more ridiculous than the last.

"Wait, wait. Let's calm down. Did you at least get his name? Or remember where you were?"

"His name? Uh... it was something with an 'R.' Ron? Raj? Maybe? And the place... some high-end apartment building. The kind where even the doorknobs probably cost more than my entire wardrobe."

"Okay,"
I sighed, trying to formulate a plan. "We can figure this out. We'll retrace your steps from last night, and I'll go with you to that building. We can ask around. Maybe the doorman or someone saw you."

Dina was silent for a moment, then groaned out loud.
"Oh, Aishu, what should I do?"

"Don't panic; we'll think of something tonight. We'll get through this together. I hope this Raj-Ron guy turns out to be a decent human being."

"Let's hope so," Dina muttered. "Because if he isn't, this could be the start of a whole new kind of disaster."

As I ended the call, I couldn't help but shake my head.
Dina and her wild adventures!
She's always been tough, her whole life a series of misfortunes and craziness, so I wouldn't be surprised if things took an unexpected turn. But if this guy somehow turns out to be decent, I'll be more than happy for her. It's a good thing she's starting to move on, walking past the horrible past that left a permanent stain on her heart.

Maybe this was just the beginning of something new.

"Hey, Intern! Go and get eight cups of coffee."

I turned, startled, only to huff in response. Serena quickly walked away. God, she's such a vixen!

With a resigned sigh, I trudged back into the office, bumping into the corner as I grabbed my bag. My mind was still filled with thoughts of Dina and her mystery man.

Crazy how she ended up with someone while I slept through the-

Wait a moment! If she went with someone else?

Then-

Shit!

I froze mid-step, my heart skipping a beat as the realisation hit me. Dina wasn't with me last night-she had been with someone else.

Then,who took me home?

A chill ran down my spine as I replayed the night in my head. I frantically searched my memory for any clue, but there was just a blank space where the rest of the night should've been.

I couldn't have just wandered home alone, right?

Did I call a cab?
Did someone drop me off?

God, this was bad! I started to mentally retrace my steps, remembering flashes of the party-the loud music, the laughter, the drinks-but nothing that explained how I got back to my apartment.

I needed to figure this out, and fast.

But first, coffee.
Otherwise, that vixen would have my head.

I hurriedly crossed the street, my hand itching to call Dina and tell her my story. But I decided against it for now; I needed to get this coffee run out of the way first. Fortunately, the line at the café wasn't long.

I walked up to the counter, offering a polite smile.
"Eight cups of regular coffee to go, please."

As the barista nodded and got to work, I reached into my bag, fishing around for the company card.
Where did I put it again?

My fingers brushed past pens, receipts, and who-knows-what-else, but no card.
Oh my God, it has to be in here somewhere.

Panic began to bubble up as I rifled through my bag; I swear I had it when I left the office...

And then it happened. It was so fast that I didn't even have time to blink. My elbow accidentally knocked into the edge of the counter, sending my bag teetering on its side. A loud crashing sound followed, and suddenly, the tip jar was rolling on the floor.

Shit, shit, shit! They're everywhere!

People around me turned to look, and I felt my face flush with embarrassment.
Why does things like this always happen to me?

"Oh God. I'm so sorry." I chanted, crouching down, frantically trying to gather up the coins, my fingers fumbling as they slipped and rolled out of reach. Of course, this would happen right when I was in a rush.

Why couldn't I just have a normal day for once?

"Don't worry about it, Miss." A teenager crouched down and picked up the coins faster than the men.

"I'm so sorry. Terribly sorry. I am such a clumsy-"

"It's really okay. Please go ahead; I'll manage." He cut me off with a small, faint smile. And I couldn't be thankful enough for him—a literal angel who saved my day.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

I finally located the company card at the very bottom of my bag. Of course. I sighed in relief and handed the card to the barista. A simple task, and yet it managed to give me a lifetime's worth of embarrassment.

Great!

Balancing eight full cups of coffee was already hard enough, and to make matters worse, my bag kept slipping from my shoulder, throwing off my balance. I hurried my steps but was careful not to trip and fall over like last time. Finally, I managed to open the door to the meeting room with my bum.

Yeah! How else would I manage?

But as soon as I entered, the murmurs in the room suddenly fell silent. I glanced up, and my heart dropped into my stomach.

The meeting had already started!

Great! Just Great!

Now all eyes were on me!
I froze, my breath caught in my throat as I turned my head slowly, trying to avoid making eye contact, but it was too late.

Everyone was staring—especially Ryan. His gaze was like a laser, pinning me to the spot. I stood there, clutching the tray of coffee cups, unsure whether I should speak or simply slink away.

The last thing I wanted was to make things worse, but I could feel Ryan's gaze burning my soul, waiting for some kind of response from me.

He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the presentation, effectively dismissing me. Serena shot me a glare as if it were my fault in this, and I quickly made my way to the table, setting down the coffee with trembling hands. I felt like crawling under the table and disappearing, but I forced myself to stand tall, even as my heart pounded in my chest.

As I finally took a seat in the corner, I tried to focus on the meeting, but my mind kept replaying the scene over and over. I could still feel Ryan's gaze on me, and I knew this was far from over.

Vikram, a senior employee, stood at the front and continued to click through the slides with an air of confidence. But despite his composure, Ryan's dissatisfaction, which was building with each passing moment, was clearer than today's weather.

Ryan raised his hand midway, cutting off Vikram.

"This isn't what I asked for," he stated, in a cold and final tone.

Vikram paused, clearly caught off guard.

"Sir, I-"

"This presentation lacks clarity, focus, and most importantly, impact. It's clear the effort wasn't enough."

Ryan didn't even let him finish.

His gaze shifted, and suddenly, his eyes were locked on me. My stomach did a flip.
Why do I get a strange feeling about this?
I could tell that I was about to fall into the abyss.

"Miss Aisha," He spoke in his usual velvet smooth voice, and my heart skipped a beat.
Oh shit! What's he gonna say now?

"You're going to work on this presentation."

I blinked in surprise.
"Me, sir?"

Of all the other, better people. Me?

"Yes, you," he replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"You're an intern, so I need you to learn and adapt fast. I need it done right.You'll work with Naveen on this. I expect a revised version by tomorrow morning."

I felt the blood drain from my face. Tomorrow morning? That gave me less than twenty-four hours to completely overhaul a presentation that Vikram and his team had probably spent weeks on.

I glanced at Naveen, who was sitting a few seats away. His expression was neutral, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—interest? Amusement?

It was hard to tell.
But one thing was sure: my brain was going to get barbecued throughout the project!

******

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