“I guess just like your memory,” she said from behind, “your apologies are selective too?”
Karan stopped.
He did not turn around because by the time he halted, she had already moved ahead of him and stood facing him. Her eyes met his without hesitation.
“I am glad you apologised to Maria,” she continued. “She did not deserve what you said to her. But you do not have anything to say tome?” she asked.
His jaw clenched visibly, realising she had been standing up to him far more these days, refusing to absorb his anger, his cruelty, or his outbursts in silence.
He took a step toward her.
“I thought you would have packed your bags and left by now,” he said flatly.
For a moment, she simply stared at him in disbelief. Then she stepped closer in fury, closing the distance this time, forcing him to look at her.
“I am going nowhere,” she said. “Not until I find out why you hate my family so much.”
For the first time, her words and actions made Karan swallow. He was unsure if it was anger or the way she had stepped closer to him, forcing him to retreat a fraction.
“And remember one thing, Mr Karan Wadhwa,” she continued. “The day I leave this house, I will never come back. Not even if you beg me to return.”
That stunned him.
Beg?
Him?
Had she lost her mind? But before he could respond something cruel enough to put her back in her place, she denied him the chance.
Without waiting for his response, Mishti turned around and walked back toward the kitchen, leaving him standing alone.
For a moment, he only stared after her, unable to believe that she had just walked away from him. From Karan Wadhwa!!
He almost wanted to follow her, grab her by the waist, pin her against the corridor wall, and remind her exactly who she was dealing with. The visuals of him doing all this almost flared hot and immediate, but before he could act on it, Abhimanyu descended from the staircase. He was already dressed for work and glancing at his watch.
“The clients are on their way to KW Capital, Bro,” he said. “We should leave now.”
Karan nodded once, forcing his expression back into control. He would deal with his wife later. Right now, he had work to handle. With that, the brothers walked out together, heading toward the car to start their day with business as usual.
CHAPTER 20
KW Capital Office
Mishti noticed the bruises on Karan’s knuckles during one of the meetings. It was not immediate. At first, her attention was where it was supposed to be, on the discussion happening across the conference table. But then Karan shifted slightly in his chair, resting his hands on the table, and her gaze was drawn to them without her intending it.
The darkened knuckles stood out against his otherwise spotless appearance. She was certain the bruises had not been there the night before when she had stood behind him, massaging his head. Which meant it had happened after.
After lashing out on her last night, he must have exhausted himself in the gym punching the bag as a way of controlling his anger, trying to cool the rage that had consumed him.
She knew he would do nothing to tend to those wounds. He would ignore them until they healed on their own or scarred, whichever came first.
By the time the meeting ended, her decision was already made, even if he resisted, snapped or hated it.
She knocked on his cabin door later that afternoon, first aid kit in hand. She had expected him to be alone, but when the door opened, she saw Rajat seated across from him.
“I can come back later,” she said immediately, pausing at the threshold.
Rajat glanced between them before smiling faintly. “We just finished,” he said. “You can come in.”
