"Hey." I smile at Ira as I turn my shocked face to a surprising one. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, I just..." She glances at Mr. Arora before she looks at me again. "I was just leaving."

"Okay. That's fine." I smile at her and I know she's having a hard time controlling her laugh as she grabs her files thinking that she's fooling me.

Mr. Arora looks at me as I sit down across from him after Ira leaves and I can't help but glare at him.

How I wish I could punch him.

"Punch who?" He suddenly asks with a frown and I realize I said it aloud.

"You, of course," I say and he looks at me nervously.

I look at him wanting to demand answers but I know he is not a fool to answer me straight away.

"Mr. Pandit said to me what you have been doing behind my back," I say after a moment. "It's disappointing you are going around and telling everyone I don't deserve this position when you were the one helping me."

"That's not right-"

"Please don't lie." I interrupt. "If you have something to tell about me you should have the guts to tell on my face."

"I am sorry." He nods. I look at him and I think how easily he doesn't reveal his true intentions.

"Just know that I can go to any extent to protect my position," I tell him as I recall him telling Ira he wants this company. He earns well why would he want more money?

"I am not a fool." I look at him knowing he thinks I am. "Try keeping it in mind."

"You are getting pretty serious." He frowns.

"Because this is a serious matter," I say seriously. "I don't take my reputation trivial. That's what I own and no one is supposed to spread false rumors about it."

"That wasn't my intention." He says. "I just thought this company deserved a better CEO."

"Sorry?" I raise my eyebrows. "I am sure I deserve this position and I am gonna prove it. I am sure the board members are happy with me till now."

He looks at me for a moment before he nods. "Good luck to you."

"Good luck to you, Mr. Arora," I smirk.  "To prove that I don't deserve this position," I add after a moment.

"I don't-"

"Cut it," I say as I stand up. "Spit the truth on my face, I like that better."

I don't wait for him to say anything else as I walk out of the room feeling the anger all over again. Myra and Roy stand up when they see me and I sit silently for a moment trying to think about what I should do next. I am so thankful to them for waiting patiently.

"Myra." I let out a breath. "We need to keep Niam and Navya safe."

"Everything alright?" She looks on concerned.

I tell her and Roy everything I heard and they don't seem as shocked as I am probably because they don't have the idea he worked with Neil before and he trusted him and then Neela maa trusted him.

I also start to wonder why would he leave Neil's company only to join Neela maa's?

"I can be the bodyguard for them when they are going to school," Myra says. "That way they won't be terrified and will also be safe. I ensure you that."

"I know. There wouldn't be anyone else I want it to be." I say feeling a little relaxed that at least they will be safe.

I tell them about my plan with Vidhyut and they tell me it was a good idea so I feel kind of relieved that everything is going well. I make the plan in my head of what to do next and I leave the office after Myra and Roy.

I let Neil know I am picking Niam and Navya from the school and that I'll be staying home. I have a headache all of a sudden and I need to stay with Niam and Navya as I think about my next step.

❊❊❊

It's around 7 when the door opens and Neil walks in. Navya jumps from the couch and rushes to him.

"Papa." She squeals.

"Hello, princess." He chuckles as he picks her up in his arms.

I smile as I watch them kiss each other before they walk to the living room where Niam and I are sitting. Navya sits back beside her brother as they focus on the cartoon running on TV.

"So, you planned to leave me with Kabir," Neil says as he sits beside me. I close my laptop and turn to look at him.

There's so much I have to tell him. From why I wanted to work with Vidhyut to my ongoing plan. As much as I would want to keep it to myself and solve I know I should tell him because he is stressed too. I am going to tell him in the room we can't talk in front of Niam and Navya.

"I hope you guys talked?" I ask curiously.

"What do you think?" He arches an eyebrow at me.

"Why do you have to ask question to my question instead of answering?" I roll my eyes.

He laughs slowly. "We were waiting for you and Sara to join and in the meantime, we talked and sorted things up. When it was almost thirty minutes over and neither of you showed up Kabir called Sara and asked where she is and she blurted out the plan."

"So guys sorted things before you got to know we bailed out?" I frown.

"Yeah." He nods.

"Wow," I say. "If I knew that was so easy we would have joined you guys after thirty minutes you know."

"Your loss." He chuckles. "That's why you should let your husband know before you do anything."

I look at him amazed as he uses one of my dialogues. "It was a surprise."

I say and we both laugh out loud. He puts his arm around me and looks into my eyes before he leans in and presses a kiss on my lips.

He pulls away quickly knowing Niam and Navya are around. I look at them who look at us and then at each other before they laugh and shrug.

"You need to behave." I narrow my eyes at him.

"I am behaving." He smirks. "You have no idea what are the things I want to do right now."

"Neil." I look at him in disbelief but I can't help the smile that appears on my lips and then I'm suddenly desperate to kiss him and let him do what he wants to.

"Control, Mrs. Khanna." He says huskily and I realize I am looking at his lips.

"You can't be so hot all the time," I whisper.

He smiles as he looks over at Niam who has his attention on the TV but I don't know if he is still able to hear us.

"Are you guys done with your homework?" He asks as he stands up.

"We are." Niam nods.

He looks at them for a moment before he reaches for my arm and pulls me up with him. I keep the laptop aside as I stand up and he drags me to the kitchen.

"What are we doing here?" I frown.

"Romancing, I guess?" He says as he pushes into the corner.

"Are you crazy?" I laugh slowly as I look at him. "There are kids out there."

"I know." He eyes my lips as he leans in. "They won't enter here, they seem pretty engrossed watching TV."

He keeps his hand on my cheek as he presses his lips against mine. I keep my hand behind his neck as I kiss him back desperately.

He pulls away when we run out of breath and he tugs on my lower lip before he kisses the side of my mouth. I grasp his coat as he kisses my face and moves down to my neck.

"Neil," I say breathlessly. "You should stop."

I gasp as he turns me around in a swift and puts my hair to the side before he presses his lips on my back and purses his lips on my skin.

I feel the sensation all the way down to my toes and I would fall to the ground if he hadn't pressed his body against mine and wrapped his arm around my waist.

I realize he has never been like this, he waits till we get to the room, and I suddenly start getting worried. It takes everything in me to turn around and hold his face in my hands.

I can see the desire in them and I can also see the worried look on his face.

"What is wrong?" I ask softly as I look into his eyes.

He looks at me silently before he leans in to hug me. I feel my chest tighten with emotions and he hugs me tightly as if afraid I was going to leave him.

"I don't want to lose you again." He says.

"Hey, everything is alright," I say slowly. "I am with you. In your arms. I am safe."

I pull away so that I can look at him. "Did something happen?"

"Someone send me a photo today." He looks away.

I wait for him patiently to continue and he looks down at me with tears in his eyes. "It was a photo of you being at a gunpoint."

I frown. "Nothing like that happened."

I remember him calling me around 5 and asking me if I was safe and then he asked me to video call him. I thought he was just worried about me since I left the office early today.

"I know." He nods. "After I disconnected the call and looked at it again I realized it was an edited one."

I sigh. "Neil, I know you are afraid to lose me but I am not going to let anything happen to me, you, or our family this time."

He looks at me sadly and I reach up to press a kiss on his forehead. "Trust me."

"I am not going to let anything happen to us too." He says determinedly. "I just can't bear the thought of losing you again."

"I am going to be alright." I smile.

He just nods as he pulls away from me, I look at him feeling sad that I am the cause of his sadness even though I am not at fault.

"There are twelve months in a year," I say and he looks at me with a frown. "Each month has four weeks. Each week has seven days. Each day has twenty-four hours and each hour has sixty seconds."

"And?" He asks with a small smile.

"And I was just saying that," I bite my lower with a smile as I look at him and he chuckles.

"I thought you are going to say something romantic you know." He takes a step toward me.

I take a step back as I smile. "I don't think I am good at it."

"Of course, you are." He grins. "When you speak from your heart and not mind."

I raise my eyebrows at him and he takes a step forward. "I guess, I love it when you speak whatever is in your heart and mind. Romantic, hot, both."

"My words do turn you on then." I chuckle.

"Yeah. I know I have the same effect on you." He wraps his arm around my waist as he looks down at my lips. "How does a bubble bath with rose petals and candles around sound for tonight?" He arches an eyebrow. "Maybe you could finally wear that sexy white dress you got." He adds with a smirk.

I gasp. "You saw it?"

"I did." He grins.

"It was supposed to be a surprise." I slap his arm.

"You should have hidden it somewhere then instead of throwing it on the bed." He rolls his eyes. "I am a little upset that I won't be surprised now but..." He smiles mischievously.

"But?"

"I was happy to know you are going to wear that for me and... I already imagined you in it."

"Geez!" I slap his arm as I try not to blush.

"So you do blush." He laughs. "And come on, I have seen you without anything."

"Neil." I shake my head at him. "I am not going to wear now that you already imagined me and that you have seen me better than a sexy dress."

"You are wearing that." He says as he leans closer to my ear. I gulp as he presses a kiss there and his hot breath fans.

"Would you not want to know the things I would want to do with the dress on you?" He asks in a low voice.

I part my lips and I am thinking about what to answer and how to answer when we suddenly hear Niam.

"Mumma?" He calls out as he walks in and we pull away quickly.

"I knew he was going to spoil it," Neil mutters under his breath. I bite my lip as I look at Niam.

He looks at Neil with a frown and he looks back at Navya in the living room. "I didn't spoil her mood. She got angry because the show was over."

I almost laugh and I have to keep my hand on my mouth to control myself. He definitely has no idea what his father meant.

"Oh." Neil nods. "I can make her smile again I am sure."

I follow them out into the living room and Neil tries to cheer Navya up who is sitting with a sad face because her favorite show was now over.

Then he decides we are going to play together with them to make her happy.

"So, who is going first?" Neil looks at me and Niam.

"Me." Niam grins as he stands in front of me so that I tie the blindfold on his eyes.

"Can you see?" Navya asks.

"No." Niam shakes his head.

"How much is this?" Neil asks as he raises four fingers.

"He said he can't see." I frown.

"Uh, four," Niam says. I know that was a random guess but the dramatic father and daughter start shouting that he can see while Niam shouts back that he can't see.

"I am not doing it any tighter." I shake my head. "Try again."

"How much is this?" Neil asks raising his three fingers.

Navya asks him twice and he answers wrong all the time.

"And this?" Neil asks as he turns around and shows his bum.

"Neil." I laugh and Navya laugh.

"Uh, zero," Niam says.

"That's right." Neil laughs. "Two zeros."

I narrow my eyes at him expecting him to behave but he doesn't even look at me and he picks Navya in his arms and asks Niam to start.

We run around the house for a while as Niam tries to get hold of us. Neil touches his arm and pulls back quickly in time and Navya giggles.

"Stay silent," I tell her and I duck when Niam hears and reaches up to me.

"Danger. Danger." Neil says but Niam did sense my presence as he extends his arms and gets hold of my shoulders.

"Yes!" He cheers as he pulls the blindfold off his eyes. Neil ties the blindfold on my eyes and I adjust it.

"Is it fine?" He asks.

"Yeah." I nod.

"How much is this?" He asks.

"I am not doing that." I shake my head. "I can't see."

"Okay." He says. "Start then."

I start the game and I am too confused actually. Someone touches my shoulder, someone on my legs, someone on my hair and head.

I stand in the middle getting too confused. I can hear Navya and Niam giggling so I stand in the middle shrugging off their touches and focusing on voices.

I extend my arm as I follow Navya's giggling when suddenly the doorbell starts ringing. I frown and pull the blindfold away when someone rings it continuously. Neil sets Navya on the couch and we share a glance.

"Stay here, okay?" He tells Niam and Navya before he walks to the door and I follow him.

As he pulls the door open I am surprised to see Vidhyut on the other side and I frown seeing his angry face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He looks at me as he steps in and Neil suddenly stands between us.

"Who the hell gave you the permission to come in?" He asks angrily. "Security!" He shouts.

"Neil." I hold his arm. "It's okay he has just come to talk to me."

"I don't want him anywhere near my home." He looks at me angrily. "I said you to keep Business relations you don't get to invite him to home."

"I didn't invite." I shake my head. "I will tell you everything later."

"Don't come any closer," Neil warns Vidhyut when he tries to come near me.

"Sir." The guard stands on the porch. "We tried to stop him he said he knew Mrs. Khanna, so I let him in."

"It's okay." I nod at him. "You can go back."

"Please, step out," I tell Vidhyut after the guard leaves. "I'll come out."

"Please, step out," I tell him. "I'll come out."

"You are not going anywhere." Neil frowns.

I look back at Niam and Navya sitting with worry on their faces.

"I will be back in a few minutes. Stay with them."

I don't give him time to answer I step outside to the porch steps and Vidhyut follows me.

"You should have called." I glare at him.

"You weren't answering." He glares back at me. "Where is my sister?"

"What?" I frown.

"She is not at her place and neither does her husband know where the fuck she is." He says angrily.

"Keep your voice low." I glare at him. "You don't get to shout at me."

"I can." He says. "Because you kidnapped her."

"I didn't," I say annoyed.

Then I remember Neil was taking Rayan's help to get someone and I think it was Maya who he needed.

While I was planning something my ex-undercover cop husband was planning another and got his hands on her before me. We really need to share our plans to make things easier.

"Wait here," I tell as I step back inside.

Neil is pacing around the house and he looks at me when I come in."What is all this?"

"Where is Maya Kashyap?"

He frowns. "Rayan has her."

I sigh as I tell him everything I have been doing and how Vidhyut is related to Maya in a short story before I ask him to call Rayan.

❊❊❊

How was it?

Enjoyed writing family time! ❤

I know there hasn't been Neil's POV in the previous chapters but that's because Avni's POV was necessary.

Also, the next POV is going to someone else's. Guess who? 😂

Do vote, comment, and share your views.