Samriddhi's pov

That incident broke me, but it also made me realize that Henry is not a bad person, and that was not his fault.

It's not easy to forget all that humiliation, but I can't give up my life on some baseless accusations. I have to move on.

But the next day, when I reached the bank, the whole situation was completely different. Like nothing happened. The whole staff apologized to me—not only them but also my manager. He apologized to me.

Everyone is behaving normally, just like before, like nothing ever happened. Not only in the bank but also the news from social media platforms and websites was gone as if nothing happened.

Everything is normal again, just like Mr. Brown promised. Of course, he is behind all this; I know very well.

I do owe him an apology because I didn't listen to him and badly misbehaved with him. I am not a thankless person who can't even say thanks to the person who did such a big thing for me. Well, yeah, it wasn't entirely for me. His own name was at stake, but still, he helped me, and I will thank him for that.

When I reached home, he didn't show up as usual. So I decided to meet him because that's the least I could do to apologize to him. So I decided I'd meet him tomorrow because it's Saturday and I'm off from work.

I get ready to leave early in the morning because the whole situation is bothering me and I couldn't sleep all night.

When I reached his mansion, a lady in her late 30s opened the door.
"Hey....ummmmm.....Mr.Brown......."

"Please come in." She cut me off and said it with a polite smile.

I nodded and followed her.

"Have a seat, Ms.; I'll inform Mr. Brown." She said it sweetly and left.

"Thank you." I replied and waited for him.

"Mr. Brown, you have a guest." The lady informed him when he came from another door with Kal.

Before he could see me, Kal came and started wagging around me. Then he saw me and commanded Kal to go. Kal obeyed and left.

"G-good m-morning Mr. Brown." I shuddered.

"Morning, Ms. Samriddhi." He replied, "Why are you standing there? Please have a seat, and you don't mind if I'm back in a bit." He asked, and I nodded meekly.

"Mrs. Jones, please arrange some beverages for Ms. Samriddhi." He said this to that same lady while going.

I tried to deny, "No, please, I'm fine." but no one is there to listen.

I'm waiting, but he didn't show up. Is he mad and avoiding me? Well, he has a right to do so. I'm debating my own thoughts when the same lady brings coffee to me.
"Thank you." I thanked her.
She nodded with a smile and left.

But he is nowhere to be found, and I'm sitting here like a kid, looking at my palms resting on my knees.

"Why aren't you having anything?"
Then finally, his voice came from behind, and I turned to see him freshly bathed. I think he was exercising or something when I came and now came after a shower, I guess.

"Huh?" I mumbled, dumbfounded.

"Coffee is getting cold." He said this while sitting in front of me.

I just nodded my head and took coffee.
I don't know what to say or how to start. I'm just rolling my fingers over the coffee mug. When he said,.

"Are you okay? I-i mean....."

"I'm sorry." I cut him and then again kept my eyes down on the coffee mug.

"You don't have to; it's all my fault." He answered.

"No, not everything. I should have listened to you." I said meekly.

"Then you should listen to my side now." He said.

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

"What Richard did can't be justified, but he did everything to tease me."

I frowned at his statement, but then he continued, "He never had intentions to hurt you; that's all I want to say because no matter how much I drag this, it will eventually hurt you. So he didn't want to hurt you; that's it, and of course, as I said earlier, I want to clear up all misunderstandings between us about that day..."

"Mr. Brown, that's your personal matter; you don't have to give justification to me." I cut him off instantly.

But he still tried to justify himself. "I know, but I want to. Nothing happened between me and Veronica. She threw herself... "

"I know, Mr. Brown, please leave this topic." I cut him off again.

"How?" He frowned in confusion.

"Well, the whole city knew; she confessed everything." I answered.

"Oh yeah." He nervously chuckled. "Ummm, so we are good?"

"Huh?" Now I frown.

"Now all misunderstandings are clear, so you forgave me." He asked with hope.

"Mr. Brown, what you did to help me, I'll always be in your debt, but what you did that day and use those words for my brother, sorry, but I'll never forgive you for that." I answered genuinely. I will never forget how he used such words for Abhi Bhai.

"Well, I deserve that." He answered and bowed his head down in shame.

"It's getting late, so I think I should leave now." I stand up on my feet and say ready to run from his more questions, "Thank you, Mr. Brown, for everything you did, and please thank your brother on my behalf." Well, ofcourse he deserves a thank you a well.

"Well, you can thank him by yourself." We both turned together to see the source of the voice, and it's a beautiful girl around my age.

She has brunette hair that is not as long as mine but not too short. She is a little short in height compared to me, but with heels, she is still not as tall as me.

Mr. Brown and that girl both shared a hug, then he asked her, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, that can wait. First, I want to meet your guest." She replied while looking at my side.

Then she came towards me, gave me a side hug, and asked, "You must be Samriddhi; it's finally nice to meet you."

I was a little taken aback. Do I know her? No. I tried to ask her "Ummm, sorry, but..."

"Oh, my bad. I'm Anna." She cut me and forward her hand towards me, which I took for a handshake, and asked, still confused, "Sorry, but did we meet?"

"No, we didn't, but I know you; I mean, I heard about you a little," she replied while looking towards Mr. Brown, and he gestured for her not to say anything.

Then James came in. Well, I saw him on TV, so I remember him. He is handsome like the other two Brown brothers, or, should I say, they are all good-looking, but James is not as tall as Mr. Brown is and not too short. He is still a little taller than me.

Both brothers greeted each other with a hug, and then James looked towards me. He has a very intimidating aura, and I felt really anxious at that moment, but somehow I gathered some courage and said, "Hello, Mr. Brown, and thank you so much."

"For what?" James asked.

"For helping me." I replied nervously. Well, that man can make anyone nervous by just one glare. No wonder why the reports were quiet in front of him.

"I didn't do anything special for you. I did what is necessary, and I'll do exactly the same if someone else is in your place." He answered, and honestly, his bluntness gained my respect, that he won't do just favors but instead really helps those who need it.

I thanked him, "Still, I'm thankful to you and sorry to interrupt. Bye."

"No wait! Have a coffee with us." Anna spoke. "Well, I can see that you didn't finish your coffee and are now leaving because of us."

"No, I should leave." I tried to deny.

"Oh, come on, have a coffee with us, and that's the least you could do to thank these handsome hunks." She said while pulling me by my hand, Make me sit, and she went set beside James.

"So what did you do, Ms. Samriddhi?" James asked.

"I'm a banker." I replied confidently.

"And " He raised his brow to let me continue.

"Excuse me." I got a little confused.

"He means just doing the job, or you do have some other hobbies." Anna spoke in between. "Right, baby," she said while turning to him, and I guess she is his girlfriend or something.

"Yeah, of course," James said.

"Well, I do have a little cafe in my hometown. My mother takes care of that in my absence. It's a central perk-themed cafe." I replied happily as that cafe is my biggest achievement till the date. It was my dream to own a theme cafe of my favourite show or movies and I have one now.

"Oh, my God..." Anna said in exactly Janice's tone, "So you are F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Fan girli."

"Yes, I am." I replied with a smile; honestly, Anna is good. If she is not sitting right here, I don't know how I can survive sitting between these two brothers.

"So besides doing your job, you are also a businesswoman." James asked.

"Not like you; it's just a small cafe house." I replied politely.

"Every large enterprise starts with a small start." James replied. "Right brother." He asked this to Henry.

"Yeah indeed." Henry agreed.

Then I saw Richard coming from the front door. He is the last person I want to meet now.
"I think I should leave now." I said this while getting up from my seat.

"Why? What happened...?" Anna said, following my gaze, "Oh.".

"I'm sorry." Richard said

"You should apologize to her." Henry said, pointing towards me.

"I know, but there is something else you should know." Richard said hesitantly.

"What did you do now?" James asked.

"Those....ummm." He takes a deep breath. "Those pictures of you two from the party were leaked out of my phone."

"HOW????" James shouted at him angrily. "FIRST OF ALL, HOW THE FUCK DO YOU HAVE THOSE PICTURES?"

"I just took them that night, I thought..."

"What the fuck have you just thought?" James cut him off. I'm about to go when James says to me, "You stay." I don't know how, but I just stand there, ideally.

"WHY AREN'T YOU TALKING?" He shouted at Richard again.

"I just thought I'd tease him that... ummm..I don't know, ok, I just took those pictures because, for the first time, he was trying to talk to someone." Richard replied.

"What kind of sick logic is this? That, just to tease your brother, you took those pictures and sent that pervert after me?" I questioned him in disbelief. I understand siblings do weird stuff to annoy each other but could he drag me into all of this?

"HE DID WHAT?" Both James and Anna asked together.

"Ask him; he will explain it better." Henry said it with anger. He was standing there quietly the whole time, but now it seems like he was just suppressing his anger.

"I'm so sorry for everything. I know I fucked things........ "

"How did those pictures get leaked?" Henry cut him.

"Veronica........"

"DON'T TELL ME THAT YOU WERE FUCKING HER AGAIN, YOU..." Henry shouted with anger but stopped right there when he realized that the girls were standing there.

Richard didn't say anything, which confirms that Henry is right, and Veronica took those pictures from his phone.

"You fucking bastard." James took a step forward, but Anna held him. "No, James, please stop," she stopped him.

Then Richard came towards me, but I quickly took a step back, so he stopped.
"I know you are angry, and you have every right to do so, but I'm really sorry." He tried to apologise but I am not in any mood to accept his apology.

"Your sorry won't do anything if your brother didn't come that night. If he didn't save me, your apology would  have reverse  that."I replied in a broken voice.

"I know in all these things you are the only person who is hurt most, but really, I don't want to, and that night in the club, I was angry at Henry, and things just messed up. Please, I apologize. I'm really very ashamed of myself."

I scoffed in disbelief. "Do you even listen to yourself? You know what? It's not your fault; actually, if you had a sister, then you would know how to treat a woman, how to respect them, and all women are not the same." I said that and stormed out of there.

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