The grumpy boss sweet wife

Chapter 15: The Investigation

Ayesha didn’t go home that night.

After Armaan’s hug, she sat in his cabin for 2 hours. Just sitting. The city lights outside the window looked blurry through her tears. Drinking the black coffee he made her himself.

"I'm not letting you go home alone," Armaan said. His voice was firm. "It's not safe. Not until we catch her."

"I don't want to be a problem, Sir," Ayesha whispered. She felt guilty. Because of her, the whole office was in chaos.

"Armaan," he corrected her. "And you're not a problem. Tania is. You’re the victim here."

At 8 PM, Armaan personally dropped her at a hotel. Not just any hotel. A 5-star hotel owned by his company in Gulshan. Marble floors, chandeliers, 24-hour security.

"Room 1201," he said, handing her the key card. His fingers brushed hers. "Security is downstairs. No one gets in without my permission. I'll send someone with dinner. And clothes."

Ayesha stared at the key. "Sir, I can't afford this. It's too much."

"It's on me," Armaan cut her off. "Consider it employee protection. Company policy. Now go rest. And Ayesha?"

"Yes?"

"Lock the door. And don’t answer it for anyone except hotel staff."

That night, for the first time in 3 days, Ayesha slept for 8 hours straight. No nightmares. No fear.

---

The next morning at 10 AM, Ayesha was called to the legal department on the 8th floor.

Armaan was already there. Sitting at the head of the table. With 2 lawyers in suits and the head of HR, Ms. Farah.

"Sit," Armaan said. He looked serious. No smile. CEO mode on.

The room was cold. The AC was too high.

The HR lady, Ms. Farah, opened a thick file. "Ms. Ayesha, Ms. Tania has filed 3 formal complaints against you. Harassment, misuse of company resources, and creating a hostile work environment."

Ayesha felt her blood freeze. Her hands went cold. "All of that is false. Every single word."

"We know," one of the lawyers, a middle-aged man with glasses, said. "But we need proof to fight this legally. Do you have any evidence? The messages? The photo? Anything?"

Ayesha took a deep breath and opened her bag. Her hands were shaking. She pulled out the pink envelope with the photo. And screenshots of the 3 unknown messages printed on paper.

"Here," she said, pushing them forward across the table. "And my room... I took photos on my phone last night before the hotel."

Armaan picked up the photo. His jaw clenched so hard a muscle ticked. "This was taken from my cabin. From the corner near the plant. Only 4 people have access to that angle."

"Exactly," the lawyer nodded, making notes. "Tania is one of them. The timing matches too. 10:05 AM yesterday."

For the next 3 hours, they went through everything. Dates, times, CCTV footage requests, witness statements.

"We're pulling security footage from your building, Ms. Ayesha," the other lawyer, a young woman, said. "And from our office for the last 2 weeks. We’ll also subpoena her phone records."

"And we're putting Tania on administrative leave," Ms. Farah added. "Effective immediately. She won’t be allowed in the building."

Ayesha's eyes widened. "Really? Just like that?"

"Really," Armaan said. He looked at her directly. "No one attacks my employees and gets away with it. Not in my company."

My employees.

Ayesha looked down at the table to hide the small smile on her face. Her heart felt lighter.

---

That afternoon at 4 PM, Armaan called Ayesha to the rooftop of the office building.

It was empty. Wind was blowing hard. Dhaka looked small from up here. Cars looked like toys.

"Are you okay?" Armaan asked. He was leaning on the railing, looking at the skyline.

"I'm better," Ayesha said honestly. She stood next to him, 1 feet of distance between them. "Thank you. For believing me. For fighting for me."

Armaan turned to her. The wind was messing up his hair. "I always believed you. From day one when you walked into that interview room with torn shoes but fire in your eyes."

"Why?" Ayesha asked. She had to know. "Tania is your... she’s been with you for 3 years. She knows you."

Armaan sighed. He ran a hand through his hair. "Tania and I dated. 3 years ago. For 6 months. It was a mistake. She couldn't separate personal and professional. She wanted to control everything. When I ended it, she didn't take it well. She started spreading rumors then too."

"And now she's taking it out on me," Ayesha finished. Her voice was soft.

"I'm sorry," Armaan said. He sounded genuinely guilty. "This is my fault. I should have fired her years ago."

"It's not," Ayesha said quickly. "Tania made her choice. You’re not responsible for her actions."

They stood in silence for a while. Watching the sunset turn the sky orange and pink.

"Ayesha," Armaan said suddenly.

"Yes?"

"I don't want you to quit. Even after this is over. Even if you get scared."

Ayesha looked at him. "I wasn't planning to."

Armaan smiled. A small, real smile that reached his eyes. "Good. Because the company needs you. And I... I need you too."

Ayesha's heart skipped a beat. "As your PA?"

"As my partner," Armaan said. "On this project. And maybe... more. If you want that."

The wind picked up. Ayesha didn't know what to say. Her face was burning.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Unknown Number: "You think you won? This isn't over. I have something on you that will destroy you. Ask Armaan about 3 years ago."

Ayesha’s blood ran cold. She showed the message to Armaan.

His face went dark instantly. "Give me your phone."

He took it, called his IT head on speaker. "Trace this number. Now. I want to know who this is in 1 hour. And I want a report on my desk by 9 PM."

He handed the phone back. "We're not running anymore. We're fighting back. And Ayesha? Whatever she has, we’ll face it together."

---

By 6 PM, they had answers.

The number was registered to Tania's personal assistant, Rima.

And the CCTV footage from Ayesha's building showed Rima entering with a duplicate key at 9:30 PM. Wearing a red dress. Carrying a bag.

"We have her," the lawyer said, excited. "This is enough for police. We can file charges tonight."

"Not yet," Armaan said. He was thinking, pacing. "I want her to confess. On record. In front of witnesses. That will destroy her credibility forever."

That night, Armaan made a plan. And Ayesha was part of it.

---

The next day, Ayesha came to office. Her suspension was officially lifted. Email was sent to everyone.

Tania was already in the conference room. With her lawyer. She looked confident. Smug.

Armaan sat at the head of the table. Calm. But dangerous. Like a storm before it hits.

"Ms. Tania," Armaan started. His voice echoed. "We have evidence. CCTV footage. Phone records. The photo you took in my cabin. And a witness."

Tania laughed. Loud. "You can't prove anything. It's all circumstantial."

"Can't I?" Armaan pressed a button on the remote.

The big screen showed the CCTV footage. Clear as day. 1080p. Tania's assistant Rima entering Ayesha's apartment with a key.

Tania's face went white. Her lawyer whispered something in her ear.

"And we have this," Armaan played an audio recording from his phone.

It was Tania's voice, clear and cruel: "Leave the company. Leave Armaan. Or next time, it won’t be just your room. Next time it’ll be you."

The room went silent. You could hear breathing.

Tania stood up. "This is fake! You edited it! This is defamation!"

"It's not," Armaan said. He stood up too. "And if you don't resign right now, we go to the police. For harassment, break-in, assault, and defamation. You’ll be in jail by tonight."

Tania looked around. No one was on her side. Everyone was staring at her with disgust.

With shaking hands, she signed the resignation letter that was pushed to her.

"You're done," Armaan said coldly. "Security will escort you out. Don’t ever come back."

As Tania was dragged out by 2 guards, she looked at Ayesha one last time.

"You haven't won," she mouthed. Her eyes were full of hate. "He'll get bored of you too. Just like he got bored of me."

Then she was gone. The door closed.

---

After everyone left, Armaan and Ayesha were alone in the conference room.

"It's over," Armaan said. He sounded tired but relieved. He rubbed his temples.

"It's over," Ayesha repeated. She couldn't believe it.

Armaan walked to her. "You were so brave. I’m proud of you."

"I was scared," Ayesha admitted. Tears were in her eyes again.

"I know," Armaan said. He reached out and took her hand. His hand was warm and steady. "But you didn't run. You stood up."

Ayesha looked at their joined hands. "What happens now?"

"Now," Armaan said. "We finish the project. And we see where this goes. You and me. No more secrets. No more fear. Just us."

Ayesha squeezed his hand. "Okay."

For the first time in weeks, Ayesha felt hope. Real hope.

The threat was gone.

But somewhere in the city, in a black car, Tania was watching the office building.

And she was smiling.

Because she still had one last card to play. A card from 3 years ago.