The First Strike

The Oberoi mansion was no longer just a home.

It was a battlefield waiting for war.

Arnav stood near the window, his sharp eyes scanning the dark streets below. He could feel it—Devraj was coming. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when.

Behind him, the tension between his siblings still simmered.

Ayush had been pacing restlessly, his mind racing with everything Arnav had revealed. Anirudh remained silent, arms crossed, his lawyer’s mind already calculating the legal and strategic angles of their situation.

Aryan and Avni? They weren’t their usual selves. The truth had shaken them.

Avni, the once untouchable spoiled brat, sat curled up on the couch, staring blankly at the floor. Aryan, the ever-mischievous troublemaker, had lost the light in his eyes.

This was real.

This wasn’t just Arnav’s war anymore.

It was theirs.

Ayush’s Anger

Ayush finally stopped pacing and turned to Arnav.

"We need to hit Devraj first," he said. His voice was ice-cold.

Anirudh immediately disagreed. "That would be the stupidest thing we could do. We don’t even know his next move yet."

Ayush scoffed. "We know enough. He’s been playing with us for years, and now that we know the truth, we do nothing?"

"We do what’s smart, not what’s reckless," Anirudh shot back.

"Smart?!" Ayush snapped. "You think it was smart to keep us in the dark for years?!"

Anirudh’s patience snapped. "And what would you have done, Ayush?! You can’t even handle a university fight without losing your temper—do you really think you could’ve handled knowing the truth when you were fifteen?"

Ayush opened his mouth but had no response.

Because Anirudh was right.

Arnav finally turned from the window. "Enough," he said, his voice deadly calm. "Devraj will expect us to retaliate. Which is why we won’t."

Ayush’s anger flared. "So we just wait for him to strike first?!"

Arnav’s gaze was sharp. "No. We make him think he already has."

The Plan

A slow smirk formed on Anirudh’s face as he realized what Arnav was suggesting. "You want to let Devraj believe his plan is working?"

Arnav nodded. "Devraj’s greatest weapon is manipulation. He wants us to turn against each other, to destroy ourselves before he even lifts a finger."

Ayush crossed his arms. "So what? We just pretend to fall apart?"

Arnav’s smirk was dangerous. "No. We let him believe we already have."

Avni’s Doubt

Avni finally spoke, her voice quiet but laced with doubt.

"And what if he doesn’t believe it?"

Arnav met her gaze. "Then we show him."

His next words were lethal.

"If Devraj wants war, we’ll give him a war he never saw coming."

To Be Continued…