"I want all his messages to be checked".

"Yes, trace all his call logs too".

"I do not care how much it takes to break into his phone, but I need the report now, as in right now!!! Do you understand that?"

"Money isn't a problem here but make sure all his traces are wiped out".

He literally barked and then kept the call.

Inside his office in Staten Island, Vikram was pacing in his room from one corner to another. He knew that things had already gone out of his control when his guy informed him that Akira had gone to Raymond's place Sunday evening.

The image of Raymond touching her, playing with her, made his mind go berserk. He couldn't imagine someone else being with her again when he almost had her so close. She was slipping out of his hands like grains of sand through the crevices of his fingers.

His heart was in insurmountable pain. Every fleeting second had turned into infinity for him. The wait was endless and excruciating. He wanted to focus on his work but unfortunately, he couldn't. He just wanted the results as soon as possible. So when he saw his phone beep with an incoming message, without any further ado, he leaped to read it.

"Data extracted. All details uploaded on the Rosetta drive".

He saw the message and immediately took out his laptop and accessed the data. In front of his screen, he had all the data from Raymond's phone. His fingers trembled for a moment, there was a bit of hesitation at first but then with infinite resolve, he went through each and every message that was shared between Raymond and Akira. With every single line that he was reading his patience was receding at an alarming rate and his anger was increasing in manifolds. His eyebrows curled against each other and numerous tension lines started creeping on his forehead.

"You are playing with fire Akira. What are you doing?" he exclaimed with disappointment and his voice was filled with resentment against Raymond. He took a deep breath and then made a call.

"It's time to bring out the dirt. Bring out all of it".

He kept the call and stared at his laptop screen for quite some time. He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing but he knew only one thing that she was the right thing for him. Her innocent face, her bubbly smile, her faint lavender smell, it all overpowered his senses. He knew that he was treading the wrong path to get her but he had no other choice. He had to get her back no matter how unfair his means were.

Then he picked up his phone and call up Akira,

"Hey what's up?", he asked.

"Hiii, finally you remembered that I exist? Huh... what is wrong with you? Do I not exist in your life? Why were you not replying to my messages?", Akira complained.

"Oh my God Akira!!! You speak like we haven't conversed for centuries. I was stuck up with some urgent work." Vikram said.

"Seemed like a century to me", she said and scowled.

"By the way, I'll pick you up today evening from your office as we need to do your dress shopping for the gala dinner", Vikram said.

"Cool!!!", Can I buy heels to go with the dresses as well?", she asked like a kid.

"Anything!!! Buy anything that you want. Whatever makes you happy Akira. Just be ready at six", he said and kept the call.

---

Sharp at six in the evening Vikram came to pick her up. Before leaving she informed Simon that she was going out for some personal work and Simon being Simon couldn't stop his nosyness and went to the exit area to check up on her.

He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Vikram Shah waiting for her near his car on the entrace. They hugged each other like long lost friends and then she got in the car.

"Gosh, this girl has connections!!!", Simon muttered and returned to his seat.

A few minutes later Raymond, who was passing by the graphics wing halted not to find Akira at her seat. He came and asked Simon,

"Can you send my intern to my office? I need to check up on her progress status."

'Well, that doesn't look like happening today. Seems like she went on a date", Simon said and laughed a bit.

"Date?"

"Yeah and not just with anyone but with Vikram Shah", Simon said and chuckled.

"Can you focus on the work Simon instead of poking your nose inside other people's personal matter?", Raymond thundered and left the wing. Although he knew they were good friends, he couldn't digest the fact that she could be with someone else other than him. He retired to his office and slumped in the chair. He was not unfamiliar with love. But this love was totally a poison and he had no room left to escape.

---

They shopped for hours together stopping at every shop that she wanted to look at. Finally, Akira found a dress that she loved at a small boutique at the corner of a street.

"Are you sure you want to buy this? It's not even designer", complained Vikram.

"But it's looking cute on me Vikram", Akira said and pouted.

"You aren't looking cute. You are looking hot and sexy", Vikram said and shot a gaze at her. She indeed looked hot in that velvety maroon gown.

"Shut up", Akira sneered.

"Are you worried about money?", Vikram asked.

"Why should I be worried about money when I'm shopping with my boss's boss's boss's boss", she said and giggled.

"I just want to buy something which is worth every penny that I have spent on", she said and kept looking at herself in the mirror from different angles.

"Fine I give up", Vikram said and returned back to admiring her silhouette.

They packed the dress and went to Vikram's house as it had been long that she had visited his place and he insisted upon it. After having dinner with Vikram's parents, Akira when to Vikram's room as Vikram wanted to discuss her internship experience.

"So the ramp-up is well paced for you?", he asked.

"Don't even get me started. I am running on my toes there", she said and enacted the same. Just then Vikram got some work-related message on his phone so he asked Akira,

"Hey, can you get my laptop? It's on my study table. I need to send some data sheets".

"Yeah, yeah just because you have paid for my dress, you are now going to make me do all the dirty work aren't you?"

She said and walked towards the table.

She picked the laptop and turned towards Vikram but then immediately stopped.

On top of the table, there was file and the title said - RAYMOND WALKER

She turned back to Vikram and asked.

"Why do you have a file on my boss Vikram?"