The Traps of Black Swan

Remembering that she hadn't called her team on Sunday and they would be worried and waiting for her. Aarvi quickly completed her morning meeting with Dax and dialed her team.

Aarvi heard hurriedness in the voice, [Thank god you called us, Boss. I thought you forgot us. I was near the phone from morning six.]

Aarvi leaned on the chair without understanding why the other end was panicking so much. Next, the girl's voice came, being more mysterious, [Boss, hold tight and listen to me carefully. I know you stay calm but still control your reaction.]

Aarvi couldn't understand why they were so anxious. Just then she heard Tia's voice.

"Sister Aarvi?" Tia peeked inside to ask permission. She entered after seeing Aarvi nod with a faint smile.

The other end of the call continued after a pause, [The real Tia Spencer died three years ago in an accident. That damned girl in the shop isn't Tia, she is deceiving us.]

Was Aarvi angry to listen to it? Not yet.

She wanted to know if Tia pulled the trouble on herself knowing the consequences or unaware of it.

A beautiful smile bloomed on Aarvi's petite face looking at 'Tia' placing the cup carefully in front of her, "Thank you for the coffee, Tia." Aarvi sounded sweet. Nobody could say what was in her mind and what she was going to do.

'Tia' flashed an innocent smile filled with admiration for Aarvi having no idea her mask had fallen off.

Aarvi nodded at Tia when she pointed to the door indicating she will take leave. Looking at fake Tia's back, Aarvi asked the one who was on the call, "Why did you check on her information?"

She had only checked general information about Tia Spencer when fake Tia joined there as a shopkeeper. She hadn't asked her team to check about Tia so she inquired about the events from the beginning.

"Boss, yesterday night while tracking Leon's action, I got information that Leon Harmon was going through the details of the employees including the former employees of his company. 

I was feeling uneasy so I wanted to replace your nerd look picture so I hacked their network. I replaced your picture with an edited realistic picture and suddenly got my eyes on a profile that had the known name - Tia Spencer.

I couldn't stop myself from checking the profile. She was a summer intern in that company for two months. When I saw the picture, the girl in it was an entirely different one.

Then I downloaded the specifics and proof that the intern had submitted to the company when she joined and compared it with the shopkeeper. 

Boss, everything is the same except the picture."

The whole time Aarvi was silent as a grave. Even her breathing wasn't reaching the ears of the other end.

After giving a pause, "Boss, if you are so quiet, I will be frightened to death here." He sounded like he was going to cry.

Aarvi finally uttered her worry, "She is dating Dax." She was so happy to know Dax was moving on but didn't expect Tia's identity to turn into a bundle of mystery.

"Oh f**k… Sorry Boss. Uh… Shall I inform CEO Dax? This girl's identity isn't so simple. We are still digging up information about her but nothing fruitful."

"Nope." Aarvi blurted out before composing. She really hoped Dax hadn't started falling for Tia or rooted any kind of deep feelings.

She wanted to know everything about 'Tia' before speaking to Dax. She didn't want to see him go back to the same zone.

"What is the status now? How did you confirm the death of the real girl?" 

For the next half an hour, Aarvi heard about the investigation status. Then she gave them a few ideas to get information without leaking any information. 

In the end, Aarvi was slightly startled when one after the other started screaming at her, "Boss, don't drink coffee."

"Boss, what if it is poisoned?"

"Boss, It could contain a slow poison"

"Boss, there could be some drug to affect your health?"

Aarvi looked at the empty coffee cup hearing her team blames themselves for waiting for Aarvi to call. Aarvi sighed, it was her who had ordered them to take off and she will be with Aaron. 

If Tia really wanted to harm her, she wouldn't have waited for two years and slow poison would react in a few months so she was assured there was nothing wrong with the coffee.

Aarvi realized her guard wasn't up against Tia. She didn't even get to know she was acting, 'So fluent and natural.' She thought, rubbing between her brows.

If this is Leon's pawn, or if fake Tia was there with an ulterior motive against her or any of her friends, nobody was going to save fake Tia from Aarvi.

"Alright, You guys were awake all night so rest first, then check on her. Don't worry about me."

She hung up the call after a few more words and went out of her office.

----

Seeing Aarvi holding the empty cup, Tia quickly grabbed her cup in concern, "Sister Aarvi, no caffeine more for you. Doctor Handsome will get angry."

How hard she tried, Aarvi really couldn't tell 'Tia' was acting. She was so blended with the character. 

Aarvi chuckled without showing any changes, "Uff, you and your Doctor Handsome." Aarvi was no less of an actress.

'Tia' too laughed with Aarvi as she went aside near the hand wash to wash the coffee cup.

Leaning on the counter, Aarvi teased, "Someone is getting dressed to look beautiful for her boyfriend." Even if Tia wants, it was impossible for her to know Aarvi was acting.

Tia blushed, her face turned pink as she shook her head, "He doesn't have time for me. His mom gifted me this dress." She shyly accepted.

Aarvi added another tease while her scrutinizing gaze was trying to catch something in her behavior. "Mother-in-law's love. No doubt even the air is speaking of your love."

Drying her hands, Tia was chuckling, looking at Aarvi sitting on the barstool and teasing her.

After a few seconds, she excitedly went back to Aarvi and proposed, "Sister Aarvi, how about you join me and Dax for lunch? Dax invited me to Skylar as we can't meet."

'Can't meet out?' Aarvi felt like laughing. 

Dax was trying to keep 'Tia' safe from Leon Harmon but her identity itself is fishy.

As the president of Skylar, she didn't want 'Tia' to step into Skylar due to her ambiguous identity, however, she wanted to let 'Tia' loose and see what she was up to.

Putting a big fat pout, "Do you and your boyfriend want to shove me some dog food? Let me and Aaron get free, I will teach you two. Hmph." She got off from the barstool and heard Tia laughing heartily. 

'The best actress.' Aarvi thought. Before Aarvi's face could turn grave, Shawn entered with a grim expression, "Who annoyed my Little Heart?"

Aarvi saw him wearing sunglasses with styled clothes, she could imagine the salesgirls swarming around him. Controlling her smile, Aarvi continued to sulk, "She and Dax want to shove me some dog food." 

Against her expectation, Shawn high-fived Tia, "Good girl, fill her with dog food whenever you get time."

Aarvi grabbed the nearest bunch of flowers and chased after her friend while 'Tia' laughed her heart out supporting both until a customer entered inside.