Page 37 of Empowered

I smiled. “That would be great.” I was excited that she approved of my relationship with Shyam so far, but I really needed to make sure she didn’t come to visit.

“Sweetheart, I need to go to bed now. It’s late here and I have work in the morning.” Her voice sounded heavy with sleep.

“Of course, Mom. I love you.”

“I love you so much, Amelia. Let’s Facetime next time so I can see your beautiful face.”

“Sounds great. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I shut my eyes tight and let out a huge exhale that I had been holding in for too long. That was difficult as hell, and I felt like shit for lying.

The sun was too hot, and I felt like I needed a nap from the heat in addition to the exhaustion from my conversation with my mother. I slid on my shoes and made my way into the house.

Just walking to and from the courtyard was tiring. The house was enormous and going from point A to point B almost always felt like a hike. Now I knew why Shyam had kept me sequestered in my room to rest.

The cool air inside the house instantly relieved me. I followed the long corridors adorned with colorful pieces of art and sculptures. The house was opulent, decorated in whites and creams with dark wood furniture. It was a stark contrast to Shyam’s homes in New York, which were sleek and masculine with cool grey tones. This house looked like the type of home that wealthy families owned for generations.

My sandals slapped against the shiny marble floors as I walked. I had always thought shoes were not allowed in Indian homes, but I noticed that everyone in this house wore them inside. I asked Raj about that and he joked that “the boys were too modern.”

He was a sweet man. I could tell that Shyam respected him from how he interacted with him. Even though Raj was employed by him, Shyam spoke to him with reverence. Raj looked after him as if Shyam were his son. It was a special relationship.

In the distance, I could hear the loud chatter of the staff as they worked in the kitchen. Laughter and conversation sounded over the clatter of pots and pans. I loved the energy of the people who worked here—so happy and cheerful.

The warm smell of fried dough and spices danced into my nostrils, making my stomach growl. I had just eaten a delicious lunch of some sort of flatbread and savory chickpeas with a side of a cooling yogurt with chopped cucumber. I was ready for more.

I made my way up the long, circular staircase to my room. I still hadn’t seen the entire house yet, but I was betting that this place had at least ten bedrooms from how massive it was. Exhausted from the trek, I finally reached my door. I turned the knob, so ready to crawl in bed—

The room was bare. The sheets had been stripped off the bed and my medication and phone charger were missing from my nightstand. I ran to the bathroom and didn’t see any of my toiletries. My closet was empty too.What the hell?

I was so confused. I ran out of the room in search of Shyam.

I found his office on the first floor. I knocked on the door.

His deep voice sounded. “Come in.”

I peeked my head inside. “Are you busy?”

“I’m always busy,jaan.” He was sitting behind his desk, in front of his laptop screen. His white shirt was unbuttoned to reveal a hint of his toned chest and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showing off the thick veins of his forearms. He was sexy even while working from home.

I came inside and shut the door anyway. “I have a problem.”

That got his attention. He pushed back his chair and focused on me. Concern was etched on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“My stuff. It’s all missing.”

His eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I approached his desk and stood on the side of it closest to him. “I went to my room and everything was gone.”

He smirked at me like he thought I was crazy. “Your stuff is inyourroom.”

“What? No. I’m telling you! It’s all gone!” I raised my voice in frustration. Here I was, completely confused and he was writing off my concerns.

He stood up from his chair and took my hand in his. “Let’s look again.” He led me out of the office and back up to my room.

“I know what I saw. It’s not there. I swear, I’m not crazy!” I tried to convince him.

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