With an email, drafted by his team of obscenely paid lawyers, Jiggy had put a hold on all future funding for the Nepal project. That meant their effort to fast-track the construction of the clinics had been fortuitous. It meant work didn’t have to stop, for now. But you couldn’t have clinics if you couldn’t fund setting them up.

Jiggy had also claimed intellectual property rights to the app, since it had been created under the umbrella of Omnivore. Sadiya had already responded with suits.

“Alas, I’m pretty sure your friend Jiggy will appreciate you leaving your shirt on. We don’t need to give him more reasons to be jealous and bitter,” Naina said.

They had a call with Jiggy in ten minutes. Naina was not looking forward to whatever games he had left to play.

She didn’t want to rely on Omnivore’s funding to complete the project anymore. Vansh had agreed. They’d been trying to come up with an alternative.

“You’re right,” Vansh said. “Let’s focus on enjoying the Jiggster’s bitterness when we throw his strings-riddled money back in his face.”

Naina sat up. “Vansh?” She slid a glance from him to Hari, who smiled and then gave a long yawn and stood.

“I wanted to be here when you told her about our fundraising plan, but these medicines knock me out.” He also didn’t want to be in the same room where he could hear Jiggy’s voice. And the fact that he recognized what he could handle and verbalized it made Naina fill with pride.

“Way to keep a secret, Hari!” Vansh said. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

“Oops,” Hari said, but he was smiling.

“That’s fine. I think she’s going to be excited enough that it will last until tomorrow. You can enjoy it then.”

Tonight, it seemed, he wanted to enjoy whatever this surprise was alone. His eyes warmed as soon as Hari left the room, and her heart sent the most intense spark of electricity through her body.

“I love when you talk about me like I’m not here,” she said.

Vansh pressed a kiss to her lips. “You’re always there, Knightlina. Always.”

Before she could pull away because those words turned the buzzing in her body heavy and cold with fear, he pointed to the couch. “You might want to sit down for this.” He sank into the couch in front of the laptop and pulled her into his lap.

She came willingly and dropped a kiss on his cheek. “You’re cute when you’re excited about work.”

“Cute? That almost makes me not want to tell you.”

“I mean cute in a wildly manly way. Tell me.”