The Obsession
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Shala Mungroo
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719K
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8
Chapter 1
“Mira, are we really eating this again?”
Mira Singh glanced at her six-year-old half-brother, Jahan, a soft smile on her face as he poked at his ramen with a plastic fork.
“Sorry, buddy,” she said, ruffling his dark curls.
They were sitting at a fold-out table in their tiny studio apartment, located in a less-than-ideal part of town. It wasn’t what she wanted, but it was all she could afford.
Their mother, Preeti, had been killed in a hit and run a year ago, leaving them in a tough spot, both financially and emotionally.
Preeti had come to the United States from Delhi, hoping to start fresh. She didn’t have much money, but she had a lot of hope.
Mira’s father was a mystery. He’d left when she was a baby, and Preeti never liked to talk about him. She always said it was better that Mira didn’t know.
Preeti had met Jahan's father at work. They were together for a year before she found out he was married. By then, she was already pregnant with Jahan, and his father wanted nothing to do with them. They were alone, with no family to turn to.
Now, Mira was left to raise Jahan and keep her part-time job as a waitress at a local restaurant.
“Next time, I’ll bring you something from work, okay?”
His face lit up, and he started eating with more enthusiasm. She hated that she couldn’t provide more for him.
She sighed, reminding herself that she was only twenty-three and doing the best she could. She’d had to drop out of college and could only find part-time work.
When things got better, she planned to go to night school and finish her degree in Finance.
After helping Jahan get ready for bed, she read him a short story and tucked him in, leaving his little airplane night light on.
She took a quick shower, using the last of the hot water. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell into a restless sleep.
***
The next day, she arrived at work just before noon, having already dropped Jahan off at school. Her best friend and coworker, Kaley Matthers, was waiting for her.
“Hey, Mir!”
Mira returned the greeting, stifling a yawn.
Kaley was a quirky blonde with red streaks in her hair and piercings in her nose and lower lip. Like Mira, she wore the standard uniform—black jeans and a black shirt.
While Kaley was tall and thin, Mira was petite and curvy, a result of her East Indian heritage.
“Before we start, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Kaley said as they headed to the back room to get ready.
Mira tied on her apron and pulled her hair back to keep it out of her face while she worked.
“What’s up?” Mira asked, her mind elsewhere. She’d barely slept the night before because Jahan had woken up with a stomachache, and it took over an hour to get him back to sleep.
“I’ve got a catering gig at Nicholai Bach’s house,” Kaley said, her voice filled with excitement. “It’s a big launch party for his new media empire. My boss needs extra help, and I know you could use the money.”
She was right.
“And...,” Kaley added, giving Mira a knowing look. “Have you seen Nicholai Bach?”
Kaley pretended to faint. “He’s some young billionaire bachelor mogul or something.”
Mira rolled her eyes. She’d never seen the guy, but she already didn’t like him.
“He’s probably a total womanizer,” she said.
Kaley just stared at her.
“Who cares? Let’s go check it out!”
Mira sighed.
“I’d like to, Kal, but I need to see if Mrs. Morris can watch Jahan,” she said, referring to their elderly neighbor.
Kaley waved her hand dismissively.
“If she can’t, bring him to my house. My mom can watch him. But you’re coming with me,” she said, her tone final.
Mira looked at Kaley’s determined face and knew she didn’t have a choice. Besides, the extra money would be helpful.
Mrs. Morris agreed to watch Jahan for the four hours Mira would be at the catering job.
She wore her usual black jeans and a tight black polo with the catering company’s logo on the left side. She pulled her hair into a bun and put on a little makeup, making her look younger than she was.
She walked three blocks to meet the shuttle that would take them to the exclusive location and sat next to Kaley, who was practically vibrating with excitement.
Mira just rolled her eyes as the bus started moving.
***
“Wow!”
Mira couldn’t help but agree with Kaley as they passed through the large wrought iron gates and into the Bach Estate.
The long driveway was lined with tall, flowering trees, making it feel like a country home, even though it was just outside the city.
Mira only caught a glimpse of the front of the mansion before the shuttle pulled around to the back so they could unload the food.
She’d been walking around the large garden where the event was being held for about an hour, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her.
There were so many people: businessmen, celebrities, athletes.
Every time she turned around, someone was taking something from her tray or asking for a refill, so she couldn’t figure out where the feeling was coming from.
She was about to head back inside for another tray when she bumped into a solid male body. Strong hands grabbed her arms to steady her.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, looking up—and up—into a pair of intense blue eyes. She froze.
The man looking back at her was just as intense—and incredibly handsome.
He towered over her, easily over six feet, his hair as black as a raven’s wing. A shadow of stubble darkened his jaw, giving him a dangerous, brooding look.
He was dressed in a navy suit, the collar of his crisp white shirt left open, no tie in sight. His lips, full and tempting, were pulled into a frown as he looked down at her. She had a sudden, wild urge to bite them, just to wipe that frown off his face.
“Could you maybe watch where you’re going?” he snapped, jolting her back to reality.
He began to let her go, but she jerked out of his grasp, irritated by his rudeness. Without a word, she turned and headed back towards the kitchen. Just another arrogant celebrity, she thought to herself.
As she neared the kitchen, the sound of raised voices reached her ears. A crowd was already gathering.
Deciding it was a good time for a break, Mira made her way to the powder room on the ground floor. On her way, she passed the grand staircase leading to the upper floors.
The staircase was lined with paintings, and curiosity drew her up the stairs to take a closer look.
Most of the paintings were landscapes, not the family portraits she’d expected.
She wasn’t usually one to snoop, but the mansion was so beautiful, it felt more like a museum than a private home. And there was no one around to stop her.
The first floor was lined with bedrooms on either side, ending in a large sitting room.
The door to the first room was slightly ajar, and the scent of fresh roses wafted out.
She knocked lightly, just in case someone was inside. When there was no answer, she pushed the door open and gasped.
A large four-poster bed with a floral canopy took up most of the room. Mira ran her fingers over the lace bedspread, awestruck. A glint of light caught her eye, and she turned to see a large, ornate dresser.
She walked over and sat on the bench in front of it, picking up the brushes and hand mirror and imagining the woman who used them, getting ready for a ball or some other grand event.
She opened a jewelry box and her eyes widened at the strand of pearls nestled inside. She couldn’t resist touching them, wondering how much they were worth.
She lifted the pearls and held them against her chest. As she looked up into the mirror, she met a pair of blazing sapphire eyes.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing up here, you little thief?”
