"Cracks Beneath the Surface"

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𝙎𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚 1: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙝

The day after the successful negotiation, 𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 sat at her desk, replaying the events in her head. She had proven herself in front of 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣, but the mysterious phone call still echoed in her mind. Who were these people she was working for, and why did they want 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣’s secrets?

𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 snapped out of her thoughts when her office phone rang. It was 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣’s assistant. “Mr. 𝙈𝙚𝙝𝙧𝙖 wants to see you in his office,” she said briskly.

𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 quickly gathered her things and headed to the top floor. As she entered 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣’s office, she noticed a tension in the air.

“Take a seat,” 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 said, not looking up from his laptop.

𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 sat down, her heart racing. Had he found out about the call?

𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 finally looked at her. “I want you to head the next phase of the *Tech Innovations* deal. You’ve shown you can handle the pressure.”

𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 blinked in surprise. “Me? Lead the next phase?”

“Yes,” 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 replied, his tone serious. “I trust you’ll deliver.”

𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 nodded slowly, still processing his words. “I won’t let you down.”

𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 leaned forward, his intense gaze locked on hers. “Good. Because failure is not an option.”

𝙎𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚 2: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙇𝙪𝙧𝙠

Later that evening, 𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 left the office feeling conflicted. 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 had placed a lot of trust in her, but the phone call kept nagging at her. Who were these people pushing her to dig into 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣’s life?

As she walked down the street, her phone buzzed again. It was the same unknown number.

She answered cautiously, “Hello?”

“We need results, 𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖,” the voice on the other end said coldly. “You’ve been there long enough. What do you have on 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 𝙈𝙚𝙝𝙧𝙖?”

𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖’s pulse quickened. “I’m working on it, but it’s not easy. 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 is careful. I need more time.”

“Time is running out,” the voice warned. “We’ve invested in you, and we expect a return. Don’t forget why you’re there.”

Before 𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 could respond, the call ended. She stared at her phone, anxiety gnawing at her. She wasn’t ready for this. She had to find a way out—before it was too late.

𝙎𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚 3: 𝙐𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝘽𝙤𝙣𝙙

The following day, 𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 arrived at the office early, eager to focus on work and push the pressure from the call aside. As she was reviewing the latest documents, the office door opened, and 𝘼𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙮𝙖 𝙈𝙚𝙝𝙧𝙖 strolled in.

“Well, if it isn’t the star negotiator herself,” 𝘼𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙮𝙖 said with a wide grin.

𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 looked up, startled but amused by his energy. “𝘼𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙮𝙖, hi. What brings you here?”

“Just checking in on how things are going,” 𝘼𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙮𝙖 said, leaning against her desk casually. “You’ve certainly impressed my brother.”

Rhea raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“Trust me, 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 doesn’t give out compliments easily. You’re doing something right,” 𝘼𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙮𝙖 said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “And hey, if things get too intense with him, you can always come to me for a break.”

𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 smiled at his teasing, but her mind was elsewhere. “You seem so different from 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣,” she said thoughtfully.

𝘼𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙮𝙖 chuckled. “That’s one way to put it. We have different approaches, but don’t let his cold exterior fool you. He’s got his reasons for being the way he is.”

“What do you mean?” Rhea asked, curiosity piqued.

𝘼𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙮𝙖 hesitated, as if considering how much to reveal. “Let’s just say… there’s more to 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 than meets the eye. You’ll see.”

𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖’s mind spun with possibilities, but before she could ask more, 𝘼𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙮𝙖 winked at her and left the office, leaving her with more questions than answers.

𝙎𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚 4: 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚

That evening, 𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 sat in her small apartment, going over the day’s events. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was getting in too deep. 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 had begun to trust her, and 𝘼𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙮𝙖’s words hinted at something more complex beneath 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣’s steely facade.

As she sipped her tea, her phone buzzed again. She hesitated before answering, knowing who it would be.

“You’re running out of time, 𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖,” the voice said sharply. “You need to get closer to 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣. We need access to his files.”

“I’m trying,” 𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “But it’s not that simple. He’s careful with what he shares.”

“You’ll figure it out,” the voice said coldly. “Or we’ll find someone who can.”

The line went dead, and 𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 was left sitting in silence, fear creeping up her spine. She couldn’t keep this up much longer. But how could she betray 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 when she didn’t even know the full truth?

𝙎𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚 5: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣

The next morning, 𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 arrived at work earlier than usual, her mind racing. She was pacing the hallway when 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 appeared, startling her.

“𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖,” Ayaan said, his voice softer than usual. “Everything okay?”

She paused, searching his face for any sign that he knew about her secret. But all she saw was concern. For a moment, she wanted to tell him everything—to confess the truth and walk away from this dangerous game.

But she couldn’t.

“Yeah,” she said finally, forcing a smile. “I’m fine.”

𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙖𝙣 studied her for a moment before nodding. “Good. Because we have a lot to accomplish. Keep your focus.”

𝙍𝙝𝙚𝙖 watched him walk away, guilt twisting inside her. She had to make a decision soon, and whichever path she chose would change everything.

This episode introduces more tension and emotional conflict, setting the stage for the difficult choices Rhea will have to make.

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𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙮 #𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗱u💕

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