INNOCENCE : An Innocent Lovestory

Chapter : 16

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Dhiraj Khurana sat at the head of a large, dimly lit conference table in his private study, the room filled with the quiet murmur of tense voices. His secretary, a sharp-eyed man named Raghav, was hunched over a laptop, rapidly typing away as he tried to contain the crisis that had exploded around them. A few of Dhiraj's most trusted men were scattered around the room, speaking in hushed tones, their expressions a mix of concern and determination. They were all trying to salvage what they could from the disaster that had befallen them.

But Dhiraj’s focus wasn’t on the men or the frantic energy buzzing around him. It was on his daughter, Shivya, who sat on a plush armchair in the corner of the room. Her usually flawless composure was shattered; her eyes were red-rimmed, and her hands trembled slightly as she clutched her phone. She was scrolling through social media, reading the flood of articles and comments that were tearing her reputation apart.

The exposure of Dhiraj’s illegal businesses had hit hard, but what made it worse were the salacious details of Shivya’s affairs with married men that had come to light. The media had latched onto the story, and it was quickly becoming the scandal of the year. The damage to their reputation, both personal and professional, was incalculable.

Shivya was trembling, but it wasn’t just fear that coursed through her veins. It was anger—raw, seething anger. Ananya’s cold, dismissive eyes flashed in her mind, fueling the fire within her. How dare Ananya humiliate her like this? Shivya was certain that Ananya was the mastermind behind everything—the exposure, the scandal, all of it. But the question that gnawed at her was how to prove it.

Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Shivya stood up, her voice trembling with fury as she addressed her father. "Dad, I’m sure this is all Ananya’s doing. She’s trying to destroy us, destroy me! She has to be behind this!"

Dhiraj, who had been staring blankly at a stack of papers, lifted his gaze to meet Shivya’s. His face was a mask of frustration and exhaustion. The past few days had aged him, and the burden of dealing with this crisis was clearly taking its toll. He sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as if trying to ward off a headache.

"I know she’s behind it, Shivya," Dhiraj said, his voice heavy with resignation. "But the real question is, why? Why would she do this? Ananya is ruthless in business, yes, but she never interferes in others’ affairs unless there’s something in it for her. What could she possibly gain by going after you?"

Shivya hesitated, biting her lip as memories of the incident with Rihaan flooded her mind. She had tried to harass him, thinking it would be easy to manipulate the mentally unstable man. She hadn’t expected Rihaan to be so resilient, nor had she anticipated Ananya’s fierce protectiveness over him. The realization that she might have crossed a line with Ananya hit her hard, but she couldn’t bring herself to confess it to her father.

If she told him the truth, he might blame her for everything, might even refuse to help her. She couldn’t afford that—not now, when she was desperate for his support. So she swallowed her fear and kept the incident to herself, choosing instead to focus on her anger.

"I don’t know why she’s doing this, Dad, but I know she hates me. She’s always looked down on me, always acted like she’s better than everyone else. Maybe this is just her way of showing that she’s in control, that she can crush anyone who crosses her," Shivya said, her voice trembling with barely contained rage.

Dhiraj studied his daughter’s face, sensing that she wasn’t telling him everything. There was something more to this, something she was hiding, but before he could press her further, the door to the study burst open. One of his men rushed in, his face pale with urgency.