Page 163 of Since You Stole My Heart

Kashvi asked bluntly, ‘You call blackmailing girls for money an independent assignment?’

‘Listen to yourself. Do you have any idea how absurd you sound right now?’ he asked, the condescension unmistakable. ‘Why are you so determined to drag me into this?’

She breathed hard as she threw the venomous words back at him. ‘Because I know how desperate you can get for money.’

He inhaled sharply. ‘I wouldn’t be desperate if you hadn’t stolen the trust fund from me! Your mother pulled the same stunt by sending her share back to the foundation. You inherited her knack for betrayal perfectly.’

His cocky tone hit harder than the cruel words themselves. He truly believed he was invincible. Anger surged through her, driving her to shatter that belief.

‘Take a good look at yourself in the mirror, Father. Because the man you present to the world, the devoted father you play in interviews and at events, is going to be exposed by his own daughter.’

‘And how exactly is my dumb, ungrateful daughter going to do that?’ Karthik asked dismissively.

With a hint of pride in her voice, she said, ‘I have Viraj’s laptop. Dhruv and Vihaan hacked it, and every one of Viraj’s filthy deeds leads back to you.’

For a moment, Karthik said nothing.

Then a violent crash sounded on the other end, followed by her father swearing.

Kashvi chuckled. ‘Was that a glass? Did I piss you off, Dad?’

‘I brought Dhruv home from the orphanage! I gave him food and a home, and this is how he repaid me?’ Karthik shouted, and she hated how proud he sounded for doing the bare minimum. ‘I should’ve gotten rid of him when I had the chance.’

‘He’s your son! You leftBhaiyain an orphanage until you needed your male heir to secure ownership of Kashyap Luxe.’

‘Oh, he’sBhaiyanow?’ Karthik mocked cruelly. ‘I can’t believe all of you would turn on me like this.’

‘Stop acting like you’re the victim when I don’t even know how many girls you and Viraj have trapped in this scheme.’

Karthik scoffed. ‘I’m not short-sighted. There are powerful men who have just as much to lose, sometimes far more, if their reputations are at stake.’

Her grip tightened around the phone. ‘You think destroying everyone equally somehow makes it okay? How could you do this?’

‘I had to do this! Your sister left me with nothing,’ Karthik snapped. ‘You’re looking at this like a child. You don’t understand that it takes money to maintain influence and power in the real world.’

‘Fuck that,’ Kashvi shot back as heat flooded her face. ‘The truth is you’re a despicable human being who needs to control everyone in your life, but now you’re finished.’

All emotion drained from his voice. Only the vicious businessman remained. ‘Alright. Since you called me insteadof having me arrested already, I’m assuming you want to negotiate?’

‘All I want is for you and your lapdog to stay away from me,’ Kashvi demanded.

‘That can be arranged. I’ll even make sure he’s kept on a very tight leash. But only after you give me the money I’m owed.’

‘No.’

‘No?’ he asked, surprised.

‘No,’ she repeated, firmer this time. ‘I have all the proof I need to put you away for a very long time, so why would I make any kind of deal with a criminal like you?’

‘Watch how you talk to me! I’m still your father, whether you like it or not,’ he pushed, trying to regain control of the conversation.

Kashvi let out a startled laugh. ‘Just how delusional are you? You sent someone to beat me, blackmail me, harass me, and you still call yourself my father?’

He sighed. ‘I know I’m a complicated man, but families don’t turn on each other like this. Where’s your loyalty in all this?’

‘Burning in hell,’ she said honestly. Exactly where she’d end up one day.

His voice turned sharper. ‘So that’s it. You’re willing to betray your own father?’