Beneath The Storm (Completed)

Chapter-48: Between Right and Wrong

The evening sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains of their lavishly decorated room, casting soft golden hues on the walls.

Atharv sat on the plush armchair, his posture rigid, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

His piercing eyes bore into the floor, a storm brewing within him.

The sound of the door opening pulled his gaze upward.

Inaara stepped inside, her expression calm yet weary from the long day.

She noticed his tense demeanor but walked in with a steady composure, her steps echoing faintly in the quiet room.

Atharv's cold, unrelenting gaze fixed on her. His voice, sharp and demanding, sliced through the silence.

"Where did you go last night?"

Inaara met his eyes without hesitation, her tone neutral.

"Navya's house. I informed you."

His jaw tightened, the veins in his neck becoming prominent.

Grinding his teeth, he hissed, "Why? Who gave you permission to stay out the whole night?"

Her brows furrowed as her own frustration began to rise.

"Permission? Now I need permission to stay with my best friend? Stop behaving as though I spent the night in a club. I was with Navya. She needed me, and that's why I stayed."

Atharv's voice rose, a mixture of anger and fear driving his words.

"Knowing the danger?"

Inaara's eyes narrowed, her tone sharp.

"What kind of danger? You've been chanting this 'danger' mantra for the past month. I'm fed up with it! You're making a scene out of nothing. What's the problem if I stayed with Navya? Tell me!"

Atharv stood abruptly, his towering frame looming over her.

His voice thundered.

"Anything can happen, Inaara! Anyone could breach security and attack you. It's not a safe zone. You must take permission from me to stay anywhere!"

Her voice matched his intensity, frustration spilling over.

"I don't understand this, Atharv! I informed you beforehand, yet here I am giving you explanations! And why do you even need to do a business that constantly puts lives at risk? Normal people are better off than this. At least they don't have to live under this suffocating control, worrying about attacks all the time. Sometimes I envy the people who can walk freely on the streets!"

Atharv's voice dropped, cold and firm, yet seething with intensity.

"Normal people are not Rajvanshs. They don't belong to one of the most influential and richest families in Asia. Everything has a cost."

Inaara crossed her arms, her voice trembling with emotion.

"So the cost of your business is my independence?"