Advika straightened her shoulders and pushed open the door.
The dining room was as ostentatious as the rest of the house—a table that could seat twenty, a chandelier that probably cost more than most people's houses, and walls lined with more judging ancestors. Sidharth sat at the head of the table, impeccably dressed in a dark suit, his attention on his phone. Nisha was to his right, beautiful in a designer dress, her eyes cold. Rishabh sat across from her, looking up as Advika entered.
"Good morning," Rishabh said, his smile polite if not warm. "Please, sit."
Advika took the seat to Sidharth's left—apparently her designated spot. He didn't look up from his phone, didn't acknowledge her presence at all.
The first cut of the day.
"Sleep well?" Nisha asked, her smile sharp as glass. "I'm sure the bed was comfortable. Sidharth had it custom made."
"I wouldn't know," Advika replied, reaching for the teapot. "He didn't seem interested in sharing it."
Sidharth's fingers stilled on his phone screen. Rishabh coughed, poorly disguising a laugh. Nisha's eyes widened, then narrowed.
"How crude," Nisha said. "Is that how people from your... background talk?"
"Only when provoked." Advika met her gaze steadily. "Would you prefer I lie and pretend this is a love match? I thought you valued honesty."
"I value knowing one's place."
"And I value not being condescended to before I've had my morning tea." Advika took a deliberate sip, maintaining eye contact. "So perhaps we can start over. Good morning, Nisha. Lovely weather we're having."
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the room. Then Rishabh laughed—a genuine sound that seemed to surprise even him.
"I like her," he announced, grinning at his brother. "She's got spine."
Sidharth finally looked up, his amber eyes moving from Rishabh to Advika. His expression was unreadable. "Don't encourage her."
"Why not? Someone should." Rishabh turned to Advika. "Welcome to the family, Advika. For what it's worth, I hope you'll be happy here."
The words were clearly sincere, and they settled something in Advika's chest. At least one person in this house didn't actively hate her.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"Don't get too comfortable," Nisha interjected, her voice saccharine sweet. "Marriage doesn't change anything. You're here because we need the Pradhans to stay in line. Nothing more. You're a means to an end."
The words were designed to hurt, to put her in her place. Advika felt the sting but refused to show it.
"Fascinating," Advika said, spreading jam on her toast with exaggerated care. "And here I thought I was here because your brother agreed to marry me. But if I'm just a means to an end, that makes him what? The end that justified the means? Or is he a means too, just better dressed?"
Nisha's face flushed red. "You dare—"
"Enough." Sidharth's voice cut through the room like a blade. He set his phone down, his gaze moving between his sister and his wife. "Both of you."
"She started it," Nisha said, sounding like a petulant child.
"And I'm ending it." Sidharth stood, adjusting his cufflinks. "I have meetings all day. Advika, the staff will show you around the estate. Stay within the grounds for now."
Stay within the grounds. Like a prisoner.
"And if I want to leave?" Advika asked, her voice deceptively calm.
"You don't." It wasn't a suggestion. It was an order. "Security protocols are still being established. Until they are, you stay here."
He walked out without another word, leaving Advika staring at his retreating back.
"Welcome to your new life," Nisha said with a satisfied smirk. "Enjoy your cage, sister."
