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Naina's POV

After what happened at the event last night, I made a firm decision—I wasn't going to overthink it.

Veer Malhotra's actions were none of my concern.

So what if he had defended me in front of an entire hall full of people? So what if his words had carried a possessive weight that left my heart racing? So what if, for the first time, I had seen something flicker in his eyes that I couldn't decipher?

It didn't matter.

I had a job to focus on, and that was exactly what I intended to do.

Yet, despite my best efforts, he refused to leave my thoughts.

I was distracted all morning at the hospital, nearly writing Malhotra instead of the patient's name prescription and pouring coffee into chai.. Priya had noticed, of course, and had wasted no time in teasing me about it.

Priya leaned against the reception desk, arms crossed, her smirk firmly in place. "You sure you don't want to check on your bossy knight in shining armor?"

I groaned. "Priya, please—"

"No, really, I'm concerned." She placed a hand over her heart dramatically. "The poor man probably lost sleep over you last night. Must be tough, being all rich, powerful, and hopelessly obsessed."

I shot her a glare and shoved a patient file into her hands. "He is not my anything, Priya. Drop it."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So if he's nothing to you, why have you been distracted all day?"

"I haven't been distracted."

"Oh really?" She gave me a knowing look. "Then explain why you poured coffee into your chai this morning?"

I winced. "That was a mistake."

"Mmhmm. And what about earlier, when you wrote 'Malhotra' on a prescription slip instead of the patient's name?"

My face heated. "That was—just—"

"—another mistake?" Priya finished, grinning. "Or maybe, just maybe, your brain is a little too occupied with a certain grumpy billionaire?"

I rubbed my temples. "You're impossible."

"And you're in denial."

I let out a dramatic sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Fine. Let's just say, hypothetically, that he's been on my mind—what am I supposed to do about it? Confront him? Thank him? Pretend last night never happened?"

Priya tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, if you were me, you'd march straight into his office, dramatically throw open the doors, and demand to know why he's acting like your possessive boyfriend."

I nearly choked. "Are you insane?"

"A little."

I shook my head. "That's not happening. I don't want to feed into whatever this...thing... is."

Priya studied me for a second before her expression softened. "Okay, let's be serious for a minute." She placed a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to do anything if you're not ready. But at least be honest with yourself. What Veer did last night—it wasn't just business, Naina. And deep down, you know it."

I swallowed hard, looking away.

Because as much as I wanted to deny it, a part of me did know.

And that was the scariest part of all.

The real problem wasn't just my thoughts—it was that Veer himself wasn't making it easy to ignore him.

Every time I stepped out of my office, I felt his presence lingering somewhere nearby.

And when I accidentally locked eyes with him across the hallway, I felt my stomach tighten in ways I didn't understand.

What was I supposed to do with all of this?

Veer's POV

She was pretending.

Pretending like last night never happened.

Like I hadn't claimed her in front of everyone.

Like she hadn't stared at me with those wide, startled eyes, caught between fear and something else—something she wasn't ready to admit.

I knew she wouldn't acknowledge it.

And maybe... that was for the best.

I had crossed a line last night. A line I had no business stepping over. And yet, despite knowing that, here I was again. Watching her.

Naina moved through the hospital with effortless grace, her presence bringing warmth to a place drowning in suffering. She smiled at her patients, her words soft, soothing, as if she could take away their pain just by existing.

She was a tiny flicker of light in a world I had long believed to be dark.

Little Dr. Sunshine.

The thought slipped into my mind before I could stop it, and I clenched my jaw.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I exhaled sharply, forcing my gaze away, forcing my thoughts back into the steel walls I had built over the years. But just as I turned, something made my muscles lock.

Someone.

One of the junior residents.

I had seen him before. Noticed the way his eyes followed Naina a little too often, the way his words were always just a shade too sweet, too lingering.

And now, he was standing too damn close.

Naina, oblivious as ever, was simply listening, unaware of the way the bastard leaned in, of the way his fingers twitched as if fighting the urge to reach for her.

My blood turned ice cold.

I didn't stop to think.

Didn't stop to rationalize.

I was already walking away, my phone in hand, dialing a number.

Because if that bastard thought he could get away with this—he was about to learn otherwise.

Veer's POV

"Sir, it's done."

I leaned back in my chair, gripping my phone tighter.

"And?"

"Dr. Karan has been given a strict warning. He won't be bothering Dr. Sharma again."

A slow smirk spread across my face.

"Good."

I hung up, staring at my phone for a long moment.

Naina would never know about this.

But that didn't matter.

What mattered was that no one would cross the line again.

And if they did...

They'd deal with me.

Naina's POV

Later that night, as I lay in bed, I picked up my phone, staring at the screen.

A part of me—an incredibly stupid part—wanted to text Veer.

But what would I even say?

"Hey, thanks for almost claiming me in front of an entire event last night."

Yeah. No.

Instead, I put my phone away and turned on my side, closing my eyes.

It was better this way.

It had to be.

~~^~^~~

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