UNWILLINGLY HIS

The Setup

**Advait’s POV** 

I sat in my office, the luxurious leather chair creaking slightly as I leaned back, steepling my fingers. The room was cloaked in a silence that felt heavier than usual, save for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. 

“Bring me the files on Singhania Industries,” I said to my assistant, who stood at the edge of my desk, nervously adjusting his tie. 

“Yes, sir. Right away.” He hurried out, leaving me momentarily alone. 

The Singhanias. Samaira’s family. 

It wasn’t personal—at least, not entirely. The situation had forced my hand. She thought she’d outsmarted me by using my mother’s affection as a shield. Clever. But cleverness wasn’t enough to win this game. 

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. My assistant entered again, this time holding a thick file. He placed it on the desk, the faint smell of fresh paper wafting up as I flipped it open. 

“Good,” I said, scanning the contents. Numbers and names jumped out at me—profits, acquisitions, shareholders. The Singhanias had done well for themselves, but they were far from untouchable. 

I tapped the edge of the file with a pen. “I want you to make a few calls. Quietly,” I instructed. “Start with their suppliers. Delay shipments, complicate logistics, create bottlenecks—whatever you need to do. But make it look like a coincidence. Understood?” 

My assistant’s brows furrowed slightly, but he nodded. “Yes, sir.” 

“And,” I added, leaning forward, “keep me updated on every step. No mistakes.” 

“Yes, Mr. Shekhawat.” 

He left again, and I was alone with my thoughts. 

This wasn’t about hurting her family. It was about control. Samaira had to understand that I wasn’t a man to be crossed. She’d walked away from our arrangement with her head held high, but I’d seen the flicker of defiance in her eyes. 

She wasn’t going to run—yet. But she wasn’t going to play the dutiful wife, either. 

I glanced out the window, the city below shimmering with life. If she wanted to play games, I would show her who the real master was. 

--- 

**Later That Evening** 

My phone buzzed on the desk. I didn’t need to check the caller ID to know who it was. Smirking, I picked it up and leaned back in my chair. 

“Samaira,” I greeted, my voice calm and collected. 

“Don’t act like you’re innocent!” Her voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. “What have you done?” 

“Done?” I repeated, feigning ignorance. “I don’t follow.” 

“Don’t play dumb with me, Advait!” she snapped. “I know it’s you. The suppliers have stopped shipments to Singhania Industries. My father’s business is crumbling, and you think I don’t know who’s behind it?” 

I chuckled softly. “Samaira, that’s quite an accusation. Do you have proof?” 

“I don’t need proof to know you’re responsible!” she yelled. 

“Calm down,” I said, my tone measured. “It’s not like I’ve sabotaged your family’s business. These things happen in the corporate world. Competitors, market fluctuations, logistical errors. You can’t blame everything on me.” 

“You’re lying,” she hissed. “Why are you doing this? It’s not like I’m running away or trying to escape you.” 

“That’s exactly why,” I said smoothly. “Because I want to ensure you stay right where you are. And I can help you, Samaira. But…” 

“But what?” she demanded. 

I let the silence stretch, letting her stew in anticipation before delivering the final blow. 

“But I’ll only help if you agree to my condition,” I said, my voice calm and decisive. “In front of the press, you’ll publicly accept our relationship.” 

Her sharp intake of breath told me I’d struck a nerve. 

“Publicly?” she echoed. “You want me to stand in front of the world and—” 

“And tell them the truth,” I finished for her. 

She laughed bitterly. “The truth? That you married the same woman you left at the altar a year ago? What are you going to tell the press, Advait? That you suddenly realized your mistake? That you couldn’t resist humiliating me all over again?” 

My lips curved into a small smile. “You don’t need to worry about that, Samaira. I’ll handle the press. All you have to do is smile and stand by my side like the perfect wife.” 

Her silence was telling. 

“And what if I refuse?” she asked quietly, though her voice lacked the fire from earlier. 

“You won’t,” I said confidently. “Because we both know how much your family means to you. And I’m the only one who can save them now.” 

--- 

**Samaira’s POV** 

I gripped my phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white. Every word he said sent a wave of rage coursing through me. How could one man be so cold, so calculated? 

He was right—I couldn’t refuse him. My family was my weakness, and he knew it. But agreeing to his condition meant shackling myself to him publicly, sealing my fate as Mrs. Advait Shekhawat. 

I closed my eyes, my mind racing. My father’s business, my family’s legacy—everything was on the line. 

“Fine,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll do it.” 

I could almost hear the triumph in his silence. 

“Good,” he said. “I knew you’d make the right choice.” 

I hung up before he could say anything else, throwing the phone onto the bed as tears of frustration burned my eyes. 

Advait Shekhawat thought he’d won. But this wasn’t over—not by a long shot. If he wanted me to play the perfect wife, I would. But I’d also find a way to turn his plans against him. 

The game was far from over.