That evening, Aarya hosted a private dinner at the Verma estate with a few handpicked allies—lawyers, journalists, and old friends from the business circle. The media storm had stirred curiosity. Whispers were spreading. And Aarya was fanning the flames with grace.
As laughter echoed across the hall, Janhavi discreetly pulled Aarya aside.
"There's someone watching the estate. Same black sedan from before. Parked two blocks away this time."
Aarya's eyes sharpened. "Let's confront it."
"No. Let's bait it," Janhavi suggested. "I'll make a call. Set a decoy. We'll see if the rat bites."
From a nearby rooftop, Shaurya watched the estate through high-powered binoculars. His expression was unreadable as he saw Aarya smile, hold a glass of wine, whisper into Janhavi's ear. She was no longer the girl his father had warned him about. No longer the naive heiress dancing at media events.
She was fire now. Calculated, controlled fire.
And for the first time, Shaurya's resolve wavered.
"She's not what I expected," he muttered.
His phone buzzed. A text popped up.
Unknown Sender: Are you getting too close to the flame, Shaurya?
He exhaled sharply, shoving the phone in his coat pocket. He couldn't afford distractions. Especially not the kind that came wrapped in emerald eyes and veiled strength.
But as Aarya turned suddenly toward the estate gates, her gaze piercing the darkness like she knew someone was watching, a sliver of something dangerous stirred in his chest.
Interest.
----
Alone in her father's study again, Aarya stared at the surveillance footage Janhavi had transferred to her tablet. The same sedan. The same shadowed figure. Still no face.
Her father's portrait hung above the fireplace, proud and stoic. "What did you hide from me, Papa?" she whispered. "Who did you anger before you left?"
Her phone buzzed—a new message, no ID.
"The truth you seek isn't in boardrooms or media houses. It's in the sins of the past. And they're coming for you next."
Aarya read it twice, her expression unreadable.
Then she whispered, "Let them come."
----
"He's getting desperate," Janhavi muttered, scanning the headlines spread across the breakfast table. "This media counterattack screams of fear."
The morning tabloids and business journals lay in disarray, their bold fonts screaming chaos:
"Cracks in the Malhotra Empire?"
"Malhotra's Leadership Questioned Amid Shareholder Tensions"
"Insiders Hint at Fissures Within Malhotra Enterprises"
"Karan Malhotra's Grip Loosens as Verma Heiress Gains Ground"
Aarya stirred her coffee slowly, her gaze fixed on the large window overlooking the Verma estate's courtyard. "Fear makes men reckless. Let's make sure he stays that way."
The morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow on the polished floor. But the air inside was heavy with tension, like a storm waiting to break.
"You asked me to dig deeper into Kartik's current portfolio," Janhavi continued, placing a thin folder beside Aarya's plate. "His recent investments are tied closely to Malhotra Enterprises. Too closely."
Aarya opened the folder, her eyes narrowing. "So he's not just flirting with both sides. He's feeding Karan."
"Exactly. And if we don't act soon, he might shift public perception against us."
Aarya's lips curved into a faint smirk. "Then it's time to invite him to play on our board. Let's see how well he lies when the stakes are personal."
----
Later that day, Aarya received an encrypted email. No sender. No subject. Just a short message:
"Not all shadows serve the enemy. Meet me at the old Lighthouse Pier. Midnight. Come alone."
Janhavi frowned when Aarya showed it to her. "It's a trap. Or a test."
"Both, maybe," Aarya said calmly. "Either way, it's an opportunity."
"You're not going alone."
"I'll be fine," Aarya insisted. "But keep backup ready. If I'm not out in twenty minutes, come in."
Janhavi hesitated, her fingers tightening around her phone. "Just promise me—if anything feels wrong, walk away. We can't lose you now, Aarya."
Aarya nodded, but her expression remained unreadable. "I promise."
Midnight arrived with a biting chill. Aarya stood alone under the rusted structure of the lighthouse, the waves crashing behind her. The silhouette of a man emerged from the shadows.
"You don't trust easily," he said.
"Neither do you," Aarya replied.
"Good. That's why we might work well together."
His voice was smooth, confident, and unfamiliar. But there was something unsettling about how much he knew.
"Why are you helping me?"
"Because Karan's fall benefits more than just you. But my reasons... are personal."
He stepped forward, offering a sealed envelope. "This will lead you to his offshore assets. They're not on any of the company's books. Use them wisely."
Before she could ask his name, he disappeared back into the shadows. Aarya stood still for a moment, fingers tightening around the envelope.
----
The next morning, Aarya entered her office to find a single white rose placed on her desk. No note. No name.
Janhavi's face hardened. "He's mocking you."
"No," Aarya whispered. "He's warning me. The white rose was my mother's favorite. Only Karan would know that."
"He's getting too close."
"Which means he's losing control. Let's push harder."
As Janhavi made a call to tighten estate security, Aarya contacted her legal advisor.
"Prepare to file for a board seat," she ordered. "I want to confront Karan on his own turf."
----
By evening, the news broke.
"Aarya Verma to Attend Malhotra Enterprises' Annual Board Meet."
Social media exploded with speculation. Investors were divided. Employees whispered. And inside his office, Karan stared at the screen, unmoving.
Mr. Kartik walked in, sipping from a crystal glass. "So she's finally making her move."
"Let her," Karan said coldly. "She wants to play in the lion's den, she better be ready to bleed."
"And if she wins the shareholders?"
Karan turned slowly. "She won't. Not unless someone betrays us."
Kartik smiled, but his eyes gave nothing away. "Betrayal isn't profitable."
Karan gave a tight nod. But in the pit of his stomach, doubt had started to grow. A strange sensation he hadn't felt in years—uncertainty.
Back at the estate, Aarya stood on the balcony, the sealed envelope still untouched in her hand.
"Everything is moving," she murmured.
Janhavi joined her, offering a cup of tea. "And it's only the beginning."
Aarya took the cup, her voice firm. "Let's make sure we finish what we started."
----
Unbeknownst to both of them, the man from the lighthouse watched from a nearby rooftop. Shaurya's eyes narrowed as he observed Aarya's silhouette in the moonlight. His eyes were glittering but still focused on her, fingers tapping on the railing.
"You're smarter than I thought," he muttered. "But are you innocent? That's what I still need to know."
Suddenly his fingers stopped tapping and he lost in deep thought.
The lines between revenge and truth were starting to blur. And soon, so would the lines between hate and love.