"For the girls who dared to believe in love, only to have their hearts shattered. She craved a love without conditions. He built walls to keep love at bay. Will he surrender to his heart's desire, or will he leave her with nothing but broken dreams?"
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"Welcome home, Kiara Rajesh Mehta."
The sound of my full name slithered through the air like a cold, sharp blade. My stomach twisted as I froze mid-step, my breath catching in my throat. That voice—it was unmistakable.
I slowly stepped further inside, each movement as heavy as lead. And there they were. My parents. My tormentors. My ghosts.
The years had done nothing to soften their presence. My father’s domineering stance and my mother’s sharp gaze were exactly as I remembered, a nightmare etched into my reality. Memories I had locked away clawed their way to the surface—the screams, the blows, the suffocating words that branded me as worthless.
I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms to stay grounded. I wouldn’t cry in front of them. Not again.
“It’s such a shame our dear daughter didn’t inform us about her new job,” my father said, his sinister smile curling like smoke in the air. He turned to my mother with mock disappointment. “Isn’t that right, Sunita?”
The sound of her heels clicking against the floor as she approached made my pulse race. I took a step back instinctively, but the wall behind me halted my retreat. She stopped mere inches away, her perfume suffocating me.
“Let’s talk, shall we?” she purred, her nails digging into my arm as she dragged me to the couch. I stumbled into the seat as if I were no more than a rag doll.
My father sat across from me, his expression cold and calculating. “Listen, Kiara. We don’t have all day, so I’ll keep this simple.”
I stiffened, every muscle in my body screaming for me to run. But I stayed rooted, unable to escape the trap I had been born into.
“We know you’re the new PA at Whales Group,” he began, his tone leaving no room for argument. “And we’ve made a deal with Malhotra & Sons.”
My heart sank. Malhotra & Sons—the biggest rival of Whales Group.
“You’re going to provide us with all the confidential information we need,” my father continued. “In return, we’ll be paid handsomely. It’s easy."
My father’s words hung in the air, suffocating me. My mind raced. Betray my job? Risk the livelihood of so many innocent employees? All for the approval of the people who never cared about me?
I looked at him, his gaze hard and unyielding. My mother sat beside him, arms crossed, lips twisted into a smirk. “Don’t make us repeat ourselves, Kiara,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain. “It’s not like you have a choice.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I knew what they were capable of. Saying no wasn’t an option. But agreeing to this? Selling out the company that had just given me a chance? Agastya’s harsh words from this morning echoed in my mind: Girls like you can’t be trusted.
Bitterness bubbled up in my chest. Why should I care about his company when he clearly thought so little of me.
“Yes,” I whispered, barely audible.
“What was that?” my father demanded.
“Yes, I’ll do it,” I said louder, my voice trembling but resolute.
They exchanged a satisfied glance, my father smirking while my mother leaned back, her victory clear. “Good girl,” she cooed.
I felt sick.
As they left, the weight of my decision pressed down on me. My stomach churned as I replayed the moment. Could I really go through with this? A part of me wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, if I did what they asked, they’d finally love me. Finally treat me like their daughter.
But another part of me—one I tried to ignore—knew the truth.
They’d never change.
I sank to the floor as their voices faded, curling my arms around my knees. For years, I’d fought to escape their shadow, to build a life for myself. And now, in one fell swoop, I was back under their control.
