Riyan stayed in his office long after the building emptied.
The lights on the floor dimmed one by one, the hum of the air conditioner the only sound left to keep him company. His laptop sat open in front of him, untouched for nearly an hour.
He wasn't working.
He was thinking about the way Aarvi wiped her tears when she thought no one was watching.
That image wouldn't leave him.
He told himself distance was the right decision.
He told himself this silence would protect her.
He told himself pain now was better than damage later.
But the truth sat heavier in his chest with every passing minute:
He was hurting her.
And worse—he was letting it happen.
---
Across the city, Aarvi struggled too
Aarvi lay on her bed staring at the ceiling, fully dressed, phone untouched beside her.
She hadn't cried after leaving the office.
She'd already used up her tears.
What hurt the most wasn't the rumors.
It wasn't the whispers.
It was the absence.
The sudden emptiness where his concern used to be.
The silence where his quiet presence once existed.
She hugged her pillow tightly.
This is what you wanted, she told herself.
Professional distance. Safety. Control.
So why did it feel like losing something she never officially had?
---
Riyan stopped fighting the truth
Back in his office, Riyan stood abruptly and grabbed his coat.
He didn't analyze it.
He didn't plan it.
He just knew one thing—
He couldn't sleep knowing she was hurting because of him.
The drive to her place was quiet, the city lights blurring past his windshield as his thoughts spiraled.
What would he say?
What right did he even have to show up?
But the image of her breaking silently answered every question.
---
The knock that changed the night
Aarvi startled when someone knocked on her door.
She frowned, checking the time.
10:43 p.m.
Her heart thudded as she walked to the door, hesitation heavy in her steps.
When she opened it—
Her breath caught.
"Riyan…?"
He stood there, coat still on, eyes tired, hair slightly undone, looking nothing like the untouchable billionaire everyone knew.
"I'm sorry," he said immediately, voice low.
"I know I shouldn't be here."
She stared at him, stunned.
"Then why are you?" she whispered.
He exhaled slowly.
"Because staying away was hurting you," he said.
"And I couldn't let that continue."
Her eyes filled instantly.
"You said we needed distance," she said softly.
"I was wrong," he admitted.
"Distance only works when people don't care."
Silence stretched between them, thick and fragile.
---
The conversation they couldn't avoid
"Do you know how hard it was pretending you didn't exist?" she whispered.
"How hard it was watching you turn cold overnight?"
Riyan's jaw tightened.
"I did it to protect you."
"But you never asked if that's what I needed," she said, voice trembling.
That hit him harder than any accusation.
"You're right," he said quietly.
"I decided for you. And that wasn't fair."
Her tears finally spilled.
"I don't need you to disappear to protect me," she said.
"I just needed you to… stay."
Riyan stepped closer, careful, respectful, but determined.
"I'm here now," he said.
"And I won't make that mistake again."
---
A rule broken, but something healed
He didn't touch her right away.
He waited—giving her the choice he should have given her from the start.
When she didn't step back…
When she stayed—
He gently pulled her into his arms.
This time, the hug wasn't accidental.
It was deliberate.
Protective.
Honest.
Aarvi pressed her forehead against his chest, breathing him in like safety.
"I don't care what people say," she whispered.
"I care about how you treat me."
His hand rested lightly at her back.
"And I care about you," he said softly.
"More than rules. More than rumors."
They stood like that for a long moment, the world quiet around them.
Not fixing everything.
Not promising forever.
Just choosing honesty over distance.
And for the first time in days, Aarvi felt like she could breathe again.