Beneath the Silence - Chapter 3

 

Chapter 3: The Mask She Wore

The next morning, Aditi arrived at the office fifteen minutes early—like always. Her face was calm, but her heartbeat hadn’t slowed since last night.

Rajeev.
She hadn’t expected to see him again—especially not in Raychand Enterprises. Their past was buried deep, or so she thought.

Aditi shook off the thought and focused. No distractions. No slip-ups. Not here—not under the eyes of Aditya Raychand.

At 9:58 AM, the internal line buzzed.

“Come in.”

No ‘coffee’ today. Just a simple command.

She walked in with her notepad, ready.

He didn’t look up immediately. He was staring at something on his laptop, eyes narrowed, jaw tense. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, exposing forearms inked with a quote she couldn’t quite read. He looked too perfect to be real—but also too lonely to be untouched.

Finally, he spoke. “I have a question.”

She waited.

“Do you always prepare yourself for battle before walking into my office?”

She blinked. “Do I look like I’m going to war?”

He leaned back, studying her.

“You wear that calm like armor. Like you’re protecting something.”

There was a pause—too long to be casual. She didn’t respond.

“Forget it,” he muttered, breaking eye contact. “Meeting at 11 with the Oberoi board. You’re coming with me.”

She nodded. “I’ve reviewed their proposal and found two major gaps in their financial forecast. Would you like a briefing now?”

He tilted his head, impressed.
“Go on.”

As she briefed him, Aditya couldn’t help but watch the way her eyes lit up when she spoke about numbers. Calm, precise, composed—yet something in her voice trembled when it came to personal interaction.

Like she had learned to master control. Like she was terrified of being vulnerable.

Later that night, Rajeev waited near the building parking lot.

As Aditi exited, he stepped forward. “We need to talk.”

Her eyes darted around. “Not here.”

“He doesn’t know, does he?” Rajeev asked, voice low. “That you changed your identity? That you’re not who you claim to be?”

Her expression shifted. “I didn’t change who I was. I just left who I used to be.”

“And you think he won’t find out?”

Aditi looked away, her voice barely a whisper.
“I pray he doesn’t.”

Meanwhile, in his private office, Aditya stared at the CCTV footage. His jaw clenched.

So she was hiding something.

And for the first time in years… he wasn’t angry.
He was curious.

No one ever made him feel that way.

No one ever broke the silence around his heart the way she did.

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