CHAPTER 2: FROM WHERE EVERYTHING HAS STARTED

"Strange," said the black-haired man, his demeanour indifferent. "I thought you came here to seduce me."

WHAT?

That immensely egocentric man irked me with his first sentence. And it was his usual apathetic expression that bothered me the most. He said presumably the affair had been nothing more than a game for children.

"What makes you think I'm interested in seducing you?" I objected.

"Because I am a billionaire, charming, and famous?" He said it with a sidelong glance at me as if I were the most uninteresting thing on the planet.

"Who exactly are you, and what have you done to me? Tell me, or I'll call the cops on you!" With my dominant voice, I intended to frighten him. Albeit, the individual in front of me chortled as if I'd said something absurd.

"You don't know who I am?" A cynical grin curved his lips.

"Yet you crawled into my bed, completely naked?" He included it, staring down his nose at me with contempt.

"What? Are you crazy or something? I didn't show up on my own! I was—"

"I don't intend to hear a bunch of lies," That obnoxious man said, interrupting me.

"What the f***?"

"This isn't the first time Darsh Sinha has been seduced by a lady."

I was taken aback! D-Darsh Sinha? India's youngest business tycoon. My eyes expanded in astonishment.

I'm naked in Darsh Sinha's bed?! What the heck is going on?

"I'm not into people who get into strangers' beds for money, woman. Thus, it would be wiser if you left right now." Darsh added it serenely. I found it intriguing how nonchalant he seemed about the circumstance. Nonetheless, his tongue was sharper than a knife.

"I already said that I did not come here on my own. Okay?" I squealed.

I had only heard of Darsh Sinha, the cocky CEO, but he was far more arrogant and narcissistic than the rumours claimed.

"How did you wind up here, then?" He tilted his head.

"Yes, that's what I've been trying to explain since the beginning!"

"I was on my way to Mr. Akash Malhotra's room when I was kidnapped and rendered unconscious.

And when I awoke, I was in this place." I clarified in an attempt to show my innocence.

"Kidnapped? What a joke." He scoffed, earning glares from me.

"Anyway, what was your motive for going to Akash's room?" The sardonic tone still lingered on his voice. He didn't wait for me to respond and spoke up again. "Oh. I got it. Your intended victim was Akash, but you ended up here by accident."

"Pathetic." He sneered.

"I'm familiar with the type of woman who follows wealthy people around in search of money and fame.

They simply enjoy luring men into traps to satisfy their lustful desires." Darsh's face darkened. He was becoming infuriated by his own words somehow.

That young, wealthy CEO was so full of himself that he never hesitated to smear an adolescent lady's reputation.

"I DON'T DO THAT, I SAID! I AM A STAFF MEMBER AT THIS HOTEL.

I AM A BIG FAN OF AKASH MALHOTRA. AND I WAS ONLY GOING TO HIS ROOM TO GET HIS AUTOGRAPH!

DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING?" Finally, I erupted in a rage. Finishing my explanation, I inhaled heavily since I had said everything in one breath, trying not to leave that bastard to interrupt again.

"There's one more thing!

I still wouldn't have trapped you if I were that sort of girl." Darsh became deflected to my words, and he waited for me to finish my statement.

"Because I despise people who are self-centred, conceited, and narcissistic!" Darsh seemed enraged by what I said. His visage darkened even further.

He, although, folded his arms and asked, "Do you have any proof?" in a clear, enraged tone.

"Huh?"

"Do you have any evidence to back up your claim?" He demanded, keeping his sight fixed on me and the question elicited a hushed response from me.

I needed to establish my innocence, but how? Thankfully, I recalled the hallway security cameras. At least one of them has caught the incident on surveillance video.

"Take a look at the fourth-floor corridor surveillance camera footage. I'm sure it will prove my claim!" I exclaimed.

Darsh, on the other hand, was deafeningly quiet while casting suspicious glares my way. But soon after, he rose from the couch and dialled the manager's phone number, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"The manager is on his way here.

You better not be lying. Because if you're making a fool out of me, you don't know your end." Darsh delivered a cautionary warning as he hung up the phone after a while.

"C-can you lend me something to put on until the manager arrives?" I requested, clutching the blanket over my shoulders.

"Are you asking for my expensive clothes?" Darsh raised an annoyed brow at me. Whoa, what a jerk!

He was being ridiculously dramatic about his attire. It infuriated me even more, but I felt obligated to borrow clothes from him because I had no other choice. The manager was on his way already.

"I will return them after getting my clothes back at the back office." I feigned a grin, despite all I wanted to do at the time was choke that insolent CEO with my bare hands.

Darsh paused briefly. Then he handed over a man's shirt and trousers, and both were absolutely huge. But I didn't have much choice but to wear them.

"Make a quick turn. I'm going to get dressed." I requested as Darsh was still gawking at me. He rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall, turning his head around, his arms crossed across his chest. "I have no interest anyway."

I imitated his expression before starting to put on the oversized clothes. I was almost done when the doorbell rang. Darsh went to the door while I remained in the bedroom, waiting for the manager.

I stood up to greet the manager as I heard footsteps rushing towards the room. But instead of my manager, a few people with microphones and cameras barged in. I figured they were journalists as they began clicking my photos and asking strange questions about me.

"Who are you?" Someone inquired.

"Why are you dressed in men's attire in Mr. Darsh Sinha's bedroom?"

"How much did he pay you for all this?"

That question enraged me. How could everybody be so callous to carelessly taint a girl's reputation? I was about to yell to defend myself when 3 to 4 men dressed in black penetrated through the crowd. They all had the appearance of bouncers. They evacuated the room right away, ejecting all of the paparazzi. That's when the manager and Darsh walked into the room.

"Khushi Acharya?" He growled as he spotted me. "What's going on here?"

"She is the issue I was referring to," Darsh remarked while pointing at me. The manager's eyes glowed with fury. I could tell I was done for good just by looking at him.

"Actually..."

I described everything that had transpired to me, and Manager Tyagi immediately agreed to investigate the aisle footage I mentioned.

Everything was evident once Darsh, Manager Tyagi, and I watched the recording in the control room. And it substantiated my innocence. For a prolonged period, two tall, black-clad males were seen in the footage waiting for a scapegoat to kidnap. And they fulfilled their work when I appeared in the footage.

The masks made it hard to recognise their faces.

They were able to get me into the room before Darsh arrived. It appeared that they were informed about which room Darsh would be staying in.

Darsh's gaze suddenly travelled to me, and he flashed me a forgiving look. It made me bemused for a few seconds before I clenched my teeth. Has anyone ever asked for his forgiveness? He should've shown regret!

"Why were you going to 609?" Manager Tyagi demanded, his attention riveted on me. It was the exact question I dreaded being asked. Despite being aware of our hotel's rigorous standards, I still went to visit Akash to satisfy my aspiration.

"Khushi, I've asked a question!"

The manager's tone grew even more furious.

"N-no one." With a lowering of my head, I blurted out.

"I can't believe you breached the rules! I can't keep you here after what you have done." Manager Tyagi shifted his orbs to Darsh after instructing it and apologised. "I apologise for the inconvenience, Mr. Sinha. The security here was lax, and I take responsibility. I'll investigate the incident further."

"I sincerely apologise, Manager Tyagi. I'm not going to attempt something like this again. I need this job." I requested, but the manager was indifferent to my apology.

"Khushi Acharya, you've been dismissed.

Take your payment and walk away." He replied with a harsh, frigid expression before drifting back to Darsh again.

"Mr. Sinha, dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Please take a rest now, and I apologise once again for the inconvenience."

Darsh nodded and then gave me a sidelong glance as we walked back to his suit again. Albeit, he entered his room without a word as a bodyguard opened the door for him.

I followed Manager Tyagi down to the office. Regardless of how much I begged to stay, he cleared my salary to the recent date and ordered me to leave asap. He even barred me from entering the hotel.

At last, I gathered my belongings and departed the hotel through the back entrance. Observing the main entryway, I saw it was still clogged with reporters covering Darsh and my stories. Wiping the corners of my eyes, I carried on walking to the nearest metro station with my head low.

My employment and my reputation were both taken away from me at the same time. It felt even more frightening for me to return home. I didn't know what excuse I could give my parents for my abrupt resignation from my job.

A notification shortly appeared on my screen, grabbing all of my concern. As I opened the notice, my heart froze for a brief time. Sweat beads formed over my temple as my stature began to shudder.

It was news about Darsh Sinha, a well-known industrialist, being caught with a call girl in the five-star hotel "Star Palace," along with pictures of Darsh and me.

"No, no, no!"

That news shattered my entire world. If my family found out about it, they were going to die. I couldn't bring myself to return home anymore.

The piece of news was the final piece of wood needed to cremate my body.

My field of vision was directed to the approaching vehicle. I jumped in front of it without thinking much, clutching the phone tightly in my hands. When I decided to violate the regulations, I never expected it to cause me this much trouble. Who knew how my life would turn out because of my one poor decision.

But none of that mattered at that point. Everything I had envisioned accomplishing in the future was no longer feasible. All I wanted at this point was to be embraced by death and get rid of my misery.

Silence~

However, other than a sudden screeching sound, nothing reached my ears. Curiosity compelled me to open my eyes, and I got a chance to examine the vehicle I was waiting for. It was a high-end vehicle that stood a short distance away from me. The tire marks on the street explained the driver had skillfully swung the car over and stopped so that it would not hit me.

A man in his fifties emerged from the car. He rushed closer as soon as his gaze rested on me.

"Are you okay, Miss?" He asked with disquiet as he extended his hand to me. Not knowing what to say in response, I blankly stared at him without a word while tears trickled down my cheeks.

The old man stared at me for a long minute before hurriedly taking a phone from his pocket. He mumbled something before placing it next to my face as if confirming something. At first, he appeared bewildered, but afterward, his eyes twinkled with relief.

"Are you Miss Khushi Acharya?" Worried, the man inquired.

I hesitantly nodded my head.

"Thank God. We were looking for you, ma'am. Please come with me." He slid the phone into his trouser pocket and extended his hand to me once more, this time grinning. Despite the scenario looking baffling, I accepted his hand and rose from the ground.

"Wh-what?" I questioned.

"It's safe to state that your issues have been resolved." As he dusted my arms, the man stated.

"I am Hemant Sharma. Master Darsh's chauffeur and personal secretary. You may address me as Hemant." He flashed me a friendly smile as he introduced himself.

Darsh's secretary? What is he doing in this place? And why is he claiming that my issues have been resolved?

Pulling out the phone once again, he called someone.

"Hello.

Yes, Master Darsh. I've found her." While speaking, the man strolled a short distance away from me. He evidently didn't intend for me to hear what he was talking about on the phone. Though, Darsh Sinha was on the other end of the line.

"Please have a seat inside. We must return quickly." Hemant, the elderly gentleman, returned promptly and opened the backseat door.

"W-where?"

"From where everything has started." He responded by pointing at the interior of the car.