(Rudra’s POV)

The morning after the attack, the house felt too quiet — a suffocating silence that clung to the walls like smoke. Rudra sat in his study, a glass of untouched whiskey beside him, his mind spinning.

The Rathores were gone. Eliminated. Yet something about the attack didn’t sit right.

The Rathores wouldn’t have moved so recklessly unless they were desperate. Unless someone forced their hand.

His fingers hovered over his phone. He had contacts — spies who owed him favors, allies who knew how to sniff out whispers in the underground. But before he could dial, there was a knock on his door.

“Come in.”

Ayesha stood there — pale, eyes still swollen from the night before. She looked exhausted, but her shoulders were squared, her gaze firm.

“I need to talk to you,” she said.

Rudra gestured to the seat across from him, but she shook her head. “I won’t stay long.”

“You should be resting,” Rudra said quietly. “For the baby.”

Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach. “Don’t pretend to care now,” she shot back, but her voice lacked venom. It sounded tired.

“I’ve always cared,” Rudra muttered. “Even when I hated you.”

“I never lied about loving you,” she said suddenly. “I lied because I had to. Because they—” Her voice caught, her eyes flickering with something almost like fear.

“Because who?” Rudra’s tone sharpened.

Ayesha bit her lip, clearly debating how much to say. “I never wanted to leave you. The Rathores… they threatened you. I walked away to protect you.”

Rudra clenched his fists, rage brewing beneath the surface. “You’re telling me that after all this time? After I—”

“I didn’t have a choice!” she cut in. “They said if I didn’t leave you, they’d kill you. They knew about your father’s debts — they knew you were vulnerable back then.” Her voice broke. “I thought I was saving you.”

Rudra’s stomach twisted. He’d spent three years drowning in anger, convinced Ayesha had betrayed him. Now the truth was suffocating — heavy with regret.

“You should’ve told me,” he said quietly.

“You wouldn’t have believed me,” she shot back. “You still don’t fully trust me, do you?”

“I want to.” His voice softened. “But there’s still something you’re not telling me.”

Ayesha hesitated. “I can’t — not yet.”

His jaw tightened. “What aren’t you saying?”

Before she could answer, his phone buzzed. Rudra snatched it off the table and answered.

“Boss… there’s something you need to see,” his man said grimly.

---

An Hour Later

The surveillance footage flickered to life — grainy and distorted, but clear enough to recognize the figures. Rudra’s blood ran cold.

One of the Rathore men — speaking to someone familiar. Someone Rudra knew well.

Vikram Khanna.

His business partner. His so-called “ally.” The man who sat at his table last week laughing over drinks — the same man who had toasted to Rudra’s unborn child.

“That bastard,” Rudra growled, hands curling into fists.

“He was feeding information to the Rathores,” his man explained. “Looks like he wanted you out of the picture. With you gone, your territory — your entire empire — would’ve been his.”

Rudra’s vision blurred red. Betrayal.

“I want him found,” Rudra ordered coldly. “Alive. I’ll deal with him myself.”

“Already working on it,” his man assured him. “But boss… that’s not all.”

The camera footage jumped forward. This time, Vikram wasn’t alone.

Ayesha appeared on the screen.

Rudra’s breath stopped.

It was old footage — maybe weeks ago. Ayesha stood in a dimly lit alley, speaking to Vikram. Her face was tense, her body language defensive. Vikram leaned closer, his face twisted in a cruel smile.

“She’s been meeting with him,” his man added. “More than once.”

Rudra’s world shifted. His pulse thundered in his ears. Why was she meeting Vikram? Why hadn’t she told him?

“She lied,” Rudra muttered under his breath, barely noticing the storm building inside him.

“Boss?”

“Find him,” Rudra ordered coldly. “Now.”

---

Back at the Mansion

Ayesha was in the kitchen when Rudra walked in — his expression stone cold.

“You met with Vikram,” he said without warning.

She froze, eyes wide with shock. “What?”

“Don’t lie to me,” he snapped. “I saw the footage.”

“Rudra, I can explain—”

“You told me you were protecting me,” he interrupted. “But you were meeting with the man who tried to have me killed?”

“It’s not what you think,” Ayesha said quickly. “He—he threatened me. He said if I didn’t meet him, he’d hurt the baby.”

“The baby?” His voice broke slightly.

“Yes.” Her eyes glistened. “I was scared… I didn’t know what else to do.”

Rudra’s heart pounded painfully in his chest. He wanted to believe her. But the image of her — standing with Vikram, whispering to him like a trusted friend — refused to leave his mind.

“You should’ve told me,” he said bitterly. “Instead, you kept secrets. Again.”

“I didn’t want you to get hurt,” she whispered.

“Or maybe,” Rudra said darkly, “you’re still playing games with me.”

“Don’t,” Ayesha’s voice wavered. “Don’t push me away again.”

But Rudra was already walking out, the cold weight of betrayal drowning out her voice.

This wasn’t over.

---

End of Chapter 27

Heey lovliees,

Comment below 👇 Target 100 vote

thanks