"Love you too" he heard her saying to someone on call.
His jaws clenched in anger
Zayed didn't like it one bit.
Who the hell was she on call with?
Who was she telling love you too to?
Was that Arif Mehboob??
Is she still with him??
But didn't her employees file say she is single.
"Who was that??" He asked snatching the phone from her.
"Hey. Give it back. You can't do this" she protested
"Oh yes I can" he said scrolling through her call log and saw the number saved as Mom
Wasn't that the same number who called her last time too.
"Whom are you cheating Aveline?? That is not the way one talk to their mom. So definitely you are lying to someone" he gritted out.
"I'm not lying to anyone. Neither am I cheating. And even if I'm, it's not any of your business Mr Ahmed. I'm your employee. So please behave like an employer" she said infuriating him further.
"Fine Ms Dupont. You have 10 minutes to get ready for the meeting. Meet us at Mr Malhotra's suite in exactly 10 minutes. And I hate tardiness" he said and walked out
How dare she??
He doesn't care who she is talking to.
He doesn't care.
She can say the wretched I love you to anyone she wants.
It doesn't matter.
It never mattered.
He was yet again reminded of those days six years back.
He had heard her say the same words to Arif Mehboob on phone.
He could still feel the blinding pain he had felt when he heard those words she spoke to the other man.
He was not in love with her. He hadn't wanted her to love him. And he still don't understand why it hurt so much to hear her say that to the other man.
All he had asked her was to give him some time. To come to terms with the new commitment. To accept her into his life.
She couldn't even give him that.
She went straight into another man's arms.
How easy it was for her?
Didn't she care even a little bit for him?
She used to preach how much she respects their sacred bond of marriage
What happened to the vows she said she meant.
How could she forget all that?
***
Zayed was still fuming when he met his personal assistant Ameya Patel outside his suite.
"Everything alright??" She asked
"Why wouldn't it be??" He snapped back making her flinch.
"Let's move" he said and walked towards Mr Malhotra's suite with a stiff body.
As they entered Mr Malhotra's suite, they were welcomed with an ear splitting scream, making them halt in their steps.
They looked up to see Mr Karan Malhotra trying to calm a crying baby who seems to be around 5 or 6 months old
Karan Malhotra was married? He had no idea!!
"Oh I'm so sorry Mr Ahmed. I know we were supposed to have the meeting at ten, but-" he trailed off , giving a helpless look
"It's fine Mr Malhotra. I didn't know you were married." Zayed said conversationally
"Oh no. This is my little niece. My sister and brother in law are out for a baby less day and I offered to babysit. I honestly thought she would take a nap after being fed. But she isn't. And I don't know what to do" he said with a helpless shrug.
"Why is she crying??" Ameya asked
"I don't know. I tried everything. I fed her, changed her diaper even though it didn't need changing. I even tried dancing for her. Nothing is working. I have informed the reception to send in the best pediatrician as soon as possible" Karan said
"Pediatrician for a crying baby??" Zayed turned to see Aveline standing there with a look of disbelief on her face.
He saw Karan Malhotra's double take on seeing Aveline
A very normal male reaction, he thought
And it did nothing to reduce the anger coursing through him since he heard the I love you comment.
"You are??" Karan Malhotra asked looking stunned at Aveline
Normal male reaction, Zayed repeated to himself with barely repressed fury.
Why couldn't she be less attractive.
"I work for Mr Ahmed. I am here for the meeting Mr Malhotra" she said walking towards Karan Malhotra.
Work for him?? Work for him??
"May I" she asked pointing at the crying baby
"Sure" Karan handed over the baby to Aveline with a absolute relief.
Aveline took the baby in her arms and hugged her closer to her heart. And the sight did things to Zayed he didn't understand.
"Oh sweetie. It's okay!!" She said and and started patting the baby's back in a rhythm
And a few seconds later the baby let out a loud burp making everyone look stunned at the baby.
Such a big sound from a little body.
And the baby herself looked stunned that she was capable of such a thing.
"Aww. That's great honey" Aveline murmured and the baby's cries reduced to hiccups.
"Wow. How did you do that??" Karan Malhotra asked stunned at how the tiny beautiful woman did that within seconds.
"After feeding the baby, you should let her burp. Or else that would cause gastric distress to the baby" she said
The baby refused to be taken away from Aveline, when tried to be passed to the nanny, Mr Malhotra hired for an hour for the meeting time.
"It's okay. I don't mind" Aveline said and hugged the baby closer to her.
As the meeting proceeded Zayed couldn't keep his focus on the business deal. He kept glancing at the sight of the sleeping baby cuddled against Aveline's bosom.
One look at Karan Malhotra and he realised he was not the only one distracted.
Bringing Aveline for the meeting was a mistake.
All he wanted was to make her uncomfortable, but his plan royally backfired.
Once the meeting was over he saw Aveline smiling up at Karan Malhotra while handing over the sleeping baby to her uncle.
He will have her where he wants. Back in his bed. And he will give her a baby that would keep her with himself. And that will give him rights over her so that no one would again look at her like that, a traitorous thought formed in his head
He shook his head to dispel those images from his head
What the hell is wrong with him, he thought.
All the cradle custom and the sight of Aveline with the baby has messed up his head.
That is the woman who cheated on him. He should be making her regret.
Not giving her another chance to destroy him.