Fixation (Fatal Attraction #3)

Chapter 35

35

A rmaan, Navya, and Vedant rushed to the study the second they reached home. Mihir was pacing the floor, speaking into the phone. He cut the call the second he saw them.

“What happened?” Vedant asked, his heart beating furiously. “You weren’t answering your phone.”

Mihir rushed forward. “Mrs. Braganza saw her.”

Vedant stilled. He knew exactly what Mihir was talking about.

“What? Where?” Armaan asked.

“In Mumbai,” Mihir replied.

“Karina’s in Mumbai?” Vedant asked. “Tell us everything.”

“We all know that Mrs. Braganza is living with her daughter in Mumbai,” Mihir began. “She was on the escalator at a mall when she saw a woman descending the parallel escalator. She was certain it was Karina. In fact, she was so excited that she yelled out her name. This woman turned and froze on seeing her. Then she hurried down the steps and disappeared before Mrs. Braganza could return down to follow her.”

“How is she so certain it was her?” Navya asked. “It’s been fourteen years since you all saw Karina.”

Mihir nodded. “That’s why I sent Mrs. Braganza the AI image we have of Karina. She confirmed it was her, except that her hair was more wavy and shoulder length. I asked the team to modify the image we have of Karina to those specifications, and Mrs. Braganza confirmed this new image is what she looks like now.”

Mihir showed them all the new picture he had of their sister.

Vedant pressed his fist to his chest, where his heart was running away in excitement. “This means she’s alive. Oh God, she’s alive.”

“Thank God,” Armaan said. “At least we know this now. There was always this niggle in the back of my mind that we were chasing a ghost.”

“Same,” Vedant concurred.

“There’s one more thing,” Mihir smiled. “Mrs. Braganza also mentioned that Karina was dressed very well. She carried several shopping bags in her hands, and she looked fine.”

Vedant’s eyes burned with unshed tears as he looked at his brothers. “Can you believe it? She’s safe and happy, da ?”

“Yes,” Navya shifted out of Armaan’s arms to look at Mihir and Vedant. “Now we can narrow our search to Mumbai. Let’s hope she actually lives there and wasn’t simply visiting.”

“God, I hope so!” Armaan pulled Navya in his arms, resting his chin on her head. “This is the best night ever. I get to celebrate my engagement to the woman I love, and we finally have some concrete news about our sister.”

Armaan addressed Mihir and him. “Should one of us go to Mumbai?”

“Absolutely not,” Mihir rejected. “We don’t want anyone to suspect Karina’s there.”

“I agree,” Vedant said. “We have resources that we can mobilise from here itself.”

Armaan nodded.

“We have to be careful now,” Mihir warned. “The whole world now knows of Armaan’s newfound happiness. I’m certain Ivan knows it too. He won’t like it, and my instinct says he will act.”

“I’ve been thinking,” Vedant began, “This whole plan has been to push Ivan to come out in the open. I want to instigate him further. To force him in such a way that he has no choice but to make a move against us.”

Mihir’s brow furrowed. “What do you have in mind?”

Vedant faced all of them. “What is the one thing we have that inheriting O-Corp has given us?”

“Money, status?” Navya said.

“Sure, and?”

“Power,” Armaan lifted his jaw. “We have power.”

“Exactly,” Vedant concurred. “In all the stress over Ivan, over our attacks, and Karina’s safety, we’ve forgotten how powerful we truly are. I have contacts in all the major banks across the world. I can force the banks to freeze all his accounts and assets. They will listen to me.”

Armaan released Navya and stepped closer. “That is, in fact, a great plan.”

Mihir nodded slowly. “If we actually manage to do that, he will have no choice but to crawl out of whatever hole he’s hidden himself in. Do it, Vedant.”

“Consider it done then,” Vedant said. “I’ll start finding out where Ivan’s stored his money. I’ll start with his accountant and go on from there. It will take some time, but it will be done.”

Armaan squeezed Vedant’s shoulder. “Have I told you lately that you’re bloody brilliant?”

Vedant gave him the stink-eye. “You bastard, you weren’t even on my side a little while ago.”

“I’m always on your side, brother,” Armaan said sheepishly.

“That sounds very convenient now that Reina isn’t here. At least Navya and Mihir’s Anna are on my side.”

Mihir huffed out a breath before he looked heavenward, shaking his head in frustration.

Armaan pulled Navya to him. “Yeah, I’m still waiting to hear how that happened. Let’s call it a night, moya milaya . You have some explaining to do.”

Before they exited, Armaan turned to address Mihir, “Oh and by the way, Rajiv knows about Vedant and Reina. You’re still in the clear as he doesn’t know you got the baby sister kidnapped.”

Navya chuckled. “All the best, Mihir. Trust me, you will need it. I have a feeling Vedant will get away scot-free, but you… You’ll have to deal with my brother’s wrath.”

“Fuck,” Mihir cursed. He, too, left the room. Vedant followed his brothers out. They all parted at the stairs, each one heading to their private wing in this grand house they had built by the sea.

Smiling, he entered his bedroom. Tonight, was a great night indeed. First, Reina had agreed to give him a second chance, and now they had some concrete evidence that Karina was alive and well. One day soon, he would meet her. In the meantime, he had to first win Reina back.