IT WAS MEANT TO BE HIM

14- Game on Kabir!

A week passed after the incident...

Kabir and Erica had drifted further apart. Not once in the past seven days did he sleep in their room-he was either holed up in his office or vanishing into his penthouse. Erica, on her part, chose silence over confrontation. Distance became their new normal, and even catching a glimpse of each other felt rare.

Kabir felt a flicker of guilt for his behavior, but his ego kept him from apologizing. The truth? He didn't even know why he had reacted the way he did.

Meanwhile, Anay was reaching his breaking point.

Erica had been ignoring him like the plague. And it was driving him insane. He still liked her. Still wanted her. The only reason he'd walked away was because he wasn't ready for commitment-not because his feelings were fake. He felt like his father had forced his decision down his throat. But that day... that day he saw Erica making coffee for Kabir, even serving it herself, and something inside him twisted with jealousy. Just a month ago, they were a lovey-dovey couple. Now, she looked at him like he was a stranger.

After a lot of contemplation, Anay made up his mind.

He'd talk to Kabir.

After all, his mom had told him about the business deal between Kabir and his father-the marriage wasn't based on love. Kabir cared only about business, not relationships. So surely, he wouldn't mind stepping aside. Right?

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Late Night | Kabir's Office Room

Kabir was typing on his laptop when the door burst open.

"Kabir, I have to talk to you." Anay's voice cut through the room.

Without even looking up, Kabir said, "First go out, knock the door, and then come in."

"Are you serious right now?" Anay scoffed. "This is important-"

"If you don't want me to throw you out, do as I say," Kabir replied flatly.

Clenching his jaw, Anay turned on his heel, slammed the door shut, knocked once-hard-and walked back in.

"Now can we talk, please?" he snapped, barely holding back his irritation.

Kabir leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. One hand supported his temple, thumb tucked beneath his chin, eyes still glued to his screen.

"Hmm. Go on. I'm listening."

"It's about Erica," Anay said.

Kabir's eyes snapped up. And the look he gave could have incinerated walls.

"Kabir, look... Erica and I- we love each other. Yes, I messed up. But that doesn't give you the right to claim her like she's a trophy. Because of this stupid agreement-based marriage, she's completely cut me off!" Anay's voice rose, desperate. "I know feelings aren't your thing, but for her sake-just let her go. Let her be free. I'll fix what I ruined. You-"

A solid punch landed on Anay's face, cutting him off mid-sentence and sending him crashing to the floor.

"One more word," Kabir growled, his voice dangerously calm, "and I'll make sure you can't speak again."

He stepped over him, towering like a storm. "I don't know what you two had before, and frankly, I don't care. She's my wife now. You don't even have the right to think about her."

Kabir smirked cruelly, mock-thoughtful. "You ran off, remember? For some random chick... what was her name again? Ah, yes. Maya, wasn't it?"

His voice sharpened like a blade. "You slept with her. And with others too, didn't you? And now you're here, lecturing me about love?" He shook his head. "Shameless."

Anay's face burned with shame, but he forced himself up, wiping the blood from his lip.

"It was just a passing affair, okay? It's normal. You wouldn't understand-you're too old school."

"And let's talk about you," he shot back. "You married Erica just to climb your way up in business. Does she even know what kind of scum you are? At least I left her for my own happiness-not for greed. You're nine years older than her, Kabir. You two have zero compatibility. She'll never like you- infact she will never even look at you. You are not her type. You will never get any kind of affection from her."

Kabir's fists clenched again, ready to strike-but something about Anay's words sank in, deeper than expected. He masked the flicker of insecurity with ice-cold defiance.

"Erica is my wife. And that's how it will stay. Your little love story? Irrelevant."

They were now face to face, eyes burning with mutual rage.

Anay sneered. "You'll lose, Kabir. Because this isn't your playground of profits and power. This is love. And in this game-game on-I'll win her back. She will come back to me."

He stormed out, leaving a silent, fuming Kabir standing alone.

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Author's Note:

This chapter was very emotionally intense and personally challenging for me to write. 💔 Thank you so much for reading! If you liked it, please vote and comment-it truly motivates me to keep going. I'm honestly pouring my heart into this story! 🙏❤️

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