“Soon, Dad.”
There was a long pause before he spoke again. “Manav, I heard you’ve decided to sell the house…” His voice trembled slightly. “Your mom… the house meant a lot to her.”
“There’s no reason to keep a house full of memories neither of us can face without her.”
Another silence stretched between us before he spoke again. “I understand. But…”
The lump in my throat grew harder to swallow. “I’ll call you back, Dad.”
“Take care, beta,” he said softly before hanging up.
The line went silent after I ended the call. I lowered the phone, staring at the screen for a moment before placing it on the table. My head sank back into the chair. A house full of memories. Memories I had buried deep, never wanting to unearth them. My mother’s laughter in the garden. Her warmth, her smell. The last time she baked cupcakes,humming softly as if nothing in the world could go wrong.
____________
“How the fuck did you even dare to look in my sister’s direction?” Roy was gripping Rocky’s neck tightly, “Do you have any last words before I end you?”
Rocky chuckled darkly. “She bruises easy, doesn’t she?”
That was it. Roy snapped. His fists flew, pounding relentlessly into Rocky’s face. Blood began to pour from his nose, yet the smirk never left his lips.
I knew this was bound to happen the moment I called Roy last night. Kiara didn’t say anything outright, but I could feel it—the way she was missing him, the quiet sadness in her eyes that she tried so hard to hide.
After last night’s incident, she needed him more than ever. She wouldn’t admit it, but the cracks in her carefully crafted armor were starting to show. And as much as I wanted to step in and be the one she leaned on, I knew it wasn’t my place.
I grabbed Roy’s arm mid-swing. “Let me handle him.”
Roy’s fists were clenched, and his body was shaking with anger. After a moment, he stormed out of the room. Rocky was still grinning through his bloodied teeth, unfazed. “So… how’s she holding up?”
I stepped closer. “If I were you, I’d stop talking about her.”
He leaned back with a mocking chuckle. “I hope she’s not in some trauma again… poor girl.”
“Rocky…” I growled, my fists clenched, every muscle in my body fighting to stay calm.
“Relax, dude. She’s been through worse. Trust me, she’ll bounce back. Our girl is tougher than you think,” he muttered while spitting out the blood.
“Stop. Talking. About. Her. NOW!” I barked, the last thread of my patience snapping.
“She means a lot to you, doesn’t she?”
I swung, landing a punch square on his jaw. “You should be more concerned about your life,” I replied coldly.
“Manav Oberoi—the gentleman—threatening me?”
“You know nothing about me, Rocky… but Roy? You touched his sister?” My anger was losing control.
Rocky laughed again. “Okay! Enough of the chat. Now, please leave me alone. I need a nap.”
I rushed outside, my hands shaking as I dialed Justin's number. “Send Alex to handle Rocky Mehra. Freeze his accounts. Leak the hotel footage. Let’s see how smug he looks when the board drops him, and the cops drag him back to India. End his world. I want him to cry tears of blood.”
“Consider it done, Sir.”
9 ♥?Kiara
The long, hot shower had done wonders for my mind, but as I stepped into the dining room, it was still hard to believe that both Roy and Myra were there. My eyes naturally drifted toward Manav, and when our gazes briefly locked, he quickly returned to his plate.
He’s been acting strange for the past few days—ever since the night Rocky attacked me. That disastrous night could’ve shattered me completely, but he didn’t leave my side, not for a second.
