Forbidden Mania | 18+

18.

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𝒜𝓇𝓈𝒽'𝓈 𝒫𝑜𝓋~

The soft hum of my alarm buzzed me out of a shallow sleep. I groaned, running a hand through my hair as I reached for my phone on the nightstand. 6:45 a.m. I had slept through most of the night, but it felt like I hadn't rested at all.

I sat up, letting the silence of the early morning sink in. My mind immediately went to her. Mishka. But before I could indulge in the thought of her radiant smile or the way her anklets chimed, another image surfaced. My mother's cold, stern face.

Today was going to be tough.

I swung my legs out of bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Mishka deserves this, deserves us, and no matter how difficult my mother become, I'm determined to make her see that. I can't leave anything to chance.

Grabbing my phone, I scrolled through my contacts until I landed on Patil's number. My personal assistant had been with me for years, and if anyone knew how to manage my unpredictable schedule, it was him.

The call connected on the second ring. "Good morning, Mr. Patil." I said, keeping my tone formal but brisk.

"Good morning, Sir. How can I assist you?"

"Cancel all my meetings for today." I said without hesitation. "Reschedule the important ones to tomorrow or later in the week."

There was a brief pause. "All of them, Sir? You have a conference call with the Tokyo branch at noon."

"All of them." I repeated firmly. "Clear my calendar. I have a personal matter to attend to."

"Understood, Sir." Patil replied, his tone professional, though I could sense his curiosity.

"Thank you." I said and hung up.

As I placed the phone down, I let out a slow breath. Step one, done. Convincing my mother would require every ounce of patience, reasoning, and persistence I could muster. But for Mishka, I'd do it.

Forcing myself to move, I headed to the shower. The sound of running water filled the room as I mentally rehearsed my argument. "She's the one, Mom." I whispered to myself, trying to gauge how it might sound.

I didn't care if it took all day or all week. I had made up my mind. Today is the day I will take the first step toward giving Mishka everything she deserves, even if it meant going up against the woman who raised me.

By the time I finished my shower and got dressed, I stepped into the hallway, the quietness of the house unnerving me. Usually, by this time, Mom would be in the living room, sipping her morning tea and going over her planner, but today, the air felt off.

Frowning, I made my way to her room, knocking lightly before stepping in. The neatly made bed and untouched teacup on the side table told me she hadn't been here for a while. A sinking feeling formed in my chest.

"Mom?" I called out, my voice echoing slightly in the stillness. No response.

I turned and walked toward Dad's room. He was standing by his wardrobe, knotting his tie with precision. He glanced up when he saw me in the doorway.

"Arsh." He said, his tone mildly surprised. "What brings you here this early?"

"Dad, can you hold off going to the office today?" I asked without preamble, stepping into the room.

He frowned slightly, pausing his movements. "Hold off? What for? I have back-to-back meetings."

"It's important." I said firmly. "We need to have a family discussion today."