The devil's Enigmatic bride

(Chapter - 9)

Maya's smile deepened as she listened to Ayansh's complaints.

With a gentle smile, Maya replied, "Darling, I'm home now. Come to my room, quickly."

Her voice was calm and tender, filled with love. On the other end, Ayansh's voice brightened with joy, "Really, Mommy? Are you truly back?"

"Yes, sweetheart. I'm back. Hurry to my room; Mommy missed you so much."

As soon as Maya finished speaking, the call abruptly disconnected.

Maya stared at her phone for a moment before turning it off and placing it on the bed.

Meanwhile...

Mr. Rudra stood outside Maya's closed door for a moment, his expression heavy with sadness.

As he descended to the living area, he noticed his father, Mr. Angad, who, with a stern tone, stopped him in his tracks, "Rudra, all of this is your doing. Your greed, your one wrong decision, cost my granddaughter her mother. Now, she lives like an orphan. The girl who smiles in front of everyone loses that smile the moment she sees you. Have you ever considered that, Rudra? Do you even care about your elder daughter, or is it only Zara and Natasha who matter to you?"

Hearing his father's harsh words and the mention of Maya's mother, Rudra felt a mix of confusion and sorrow.

Mr. Angad only scolded him like this and brought up Maya's mother when Rudra had made a grave mistake.

Rudra thought carefully about recent events. He couldn't recall making any significant errors. His life had been a routine of home to office and back again.

Finally, Rudra asked in a subdued tone, "Did I make a mistake, Dad?"

Angad's patience snapped, "A mistake? You dare ask me that, Rudra? Tell me, do you think I've grown senile? Just because I handed over the company's responsibilities to you, do you think I'm oblivious to what's happening? Do you think I wouldn't catch wind of the conspiracies you're brewing against my granddaughter?"

Rudra exhaled deeply, caught off guard.

He looked at his father and said, “Dad, I'm only trying to mend my relationship with Maya. That's why I did what I did.”

Angad's anger flared, his voice sharp, "There's a war brewing in this family, Rudra, a war for the heir. And though it's just between Maya and her stepsister Natasha, you've clearly taken Natasha's side."

Rudra was the current president of Emperor Industries.

In Maya's absence, Rudra had secretly called a meeting with the company's senior executives and shareholders, urging them to support Natasha. Zara's cunning had already strengthened Natasha's position. Most of the family and the company backed her.

Maya's only ally was her grandfather.

Despite the secrecy, Angad's experience and keen network had unearthed the truth.

The relationship between Maya and Rudra was already so strained that, to the world, Rudra was not known as her father but as her uncle.

In the Arya family, only a select few knew the truth about Rudra being Maya's biological father. The reasons behind this secrecy were known only to Maya, Angad, Rudra, and Rudra's second wife, Zara. Not even Natasha was aware.