I Became His Replaced Bride

Chapter 21

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London,

11:00 pm.

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Aarav sat in his hotel's pool lounge, common for all guests, a dull headache throbbing at his temples. He had been trying to reach Aashna, but she hadn't answered his calls. It had been two days since their fight, and the silence was gnawing at him. He couldn't stand the unresolved tension between them.

Yet, duty had called him away to his company's branch in London, where he had to deal with a major issue caused by an incompetent manager. Firing the fool had provided some satisfaction, but it did nothing to ease his mind. The irritation of having to leave Aashna behind to solve problems that shouldn’t have existed in the first place was maddening. How could someone else's incompetence force him away from her at such a critical time?

In a few hours, he would be on a flight back to India, back to Aashna, just in time for their wedding reception. The desperation of being away from her was becoming unbearable. His frustration with the situation only deepened his longing to be by her side, to resolve their issues and move forward together.

As he sipped on his mocktail, his thoughts were consumed by her. On his phone, he gazed at their wedding photos, unable to tear his eyes away from her face in each picture. Every image of Aashna pulled at him, a constant reminder of what he was desperate to fix. His mind raced with plans and worries, his obsession with her and their future together growing with every passing moment.

Ritesh, sitting opposite Aarav, watched his boss carefully. He took a cautious sip of his lemonade, the memory of Aarav's demeanor earlier that day sending a shiver down his spine. Aarav was terrifying when enraged. Ritesh had no desire to ever find himself on his boss's bad side.

Today, Aarav had been particularly irritable—Ritesh suspected it had something to do with Aashna. But when they met with the branch manager, David Brown, Aarav's irritation transformed into a cold, controlled fury. David had pleaded, blaming the mistake on his secretary, but Aarav was unmoved. The anger in his eyes was a stark contrast to his otherwise composed exterior. He fired David on the spot, ensuring his name would be blacklisted across the corporate world. The scene had been brutal. David, on the verge of tears, had fallen to his knees, begging Aarav Modi for mercy. But Aarav had only looked at him with cold disdain, ignoring his desperate pleas.

Ritesh had always known Aarav to be a decisive and ruthless leader, but today he had seen a new level of intensity. Aarav's obsession with perfection and his zero-tolerance policy for incompetence were legendary, but the raw fury he displayed had been unsettling. It was clear that Aarav’s personal turmoil was fueling his professional ruthlessness, making him even more formidable.

As Ritesh took another sip of his drink, he couldn't shake the image of David's tear-streaked face and Aarav's unyielding gaze. It was a stark reminder of the man he worked for—relentless, uncompromising, and driven by an obsessive need for control, both in his business and personal life.

Afterwards, Aarav, who had already dispatched Vikram Singh and Rudraksha to investigate the copyright breach, uncovered that David was a mole. The revelation came as a shock, but it explained everything. David had sabotaged the documents, implanting original designs from another company into Amé. Aarav's response was swift and merciless. David was immediately sent to prison, his career and reputation utterly destroyed.

In the aftermath, Aarav addressed the local media, his demeanor calm and composed as he explained the situation. He spoke with precision, detailing the betrayal and the swift justice that followed. The press hung on his every word, sensing the iron will beneath his controlled exterior.