Two Brothers: Shadows of Deception

Chapter 47

Unveiling Shadows of Betrayal

(Niharika)

When I stepped out of the arrival gate, I was immediately engulfed in a bear hug from my best friend. "I missed you so much!" she exclaimed, releasing me from the bone-crushing embrace and giving me a mischievous look.

"You're glowing! What's the secret?" she asked, a smirk playing on her lips. I playfully slapped her shoulder and hooked my arm around hers as we walked towards her car. After stowing my suitcase in the trunk, I went around to the passenger seat and hopped in.

"So spill the beans. What's been going on? How long are you staying?" she asked as she started the engine.

"I'm not sure yet. I need to visit my mom and Ananti first. Apparently, Dad isn't doing well. I hope everything gets sorted out soon," I sighed.

"Aww, missing your hubby already, huh?" she teased, raising an eyebrow. I sighed again, knowing Kavya couldn't resist poking fun. But deep down, I knew I was already missing him.

"You should see your face right now," she continued with a sly grin. I furrowed my brow. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"Oh no, silly. You're blushing and smiling to yourself like you're head over heels in love with someone," she said, bursting into laughter. "Stop teasing, Kavya," I said, slightly annoyed.

"So, tell me, how's your hero? Will he miss you as much as you miss him?" she asked, a playful glint in her eyes.

I rolled my eyes and bit my lip. "Oh no, this can't be good," she suddenly exclaimed, slamming on the brakes. I was thrown forward in my seat but thankfully had my seatbelt on. "What the heck, Kavya? Are you trying to kill me?" I shouted, clutching the dashboard in shock.

"Oh my God, now that you're here, they'll be all alone, right? Your husband and his ex? What if he cheats on you? You said he acts differently around her. What if she takes advantage of him?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear and her mouth agape.

I looked at her with a puzzled expression before bursting into laughter. She stared at me, her confusion evident. "What? I'm serious! You told me they're close, so why are you laughing now? Aren't you worried?" she asked, maintaining a serious tone.

Struggling to control my laughter, I looked at her perplexed face and bit my lip to compose myself. Just then, we heard a loud horn blaring from behind us, and we both turned to see the traffic building up. The driver behind us was impatiently honking and cursing. Kavya winced and mumbled a quick apology under her breath, even though the guy couldn't hear her. She quickly accelerated, and I scoffed while shaking my head.

Once we reached my apartment building, I grabbed my suitcase from the trunk. We stepped into the elevator when my phone rang. I fished it out of my handbag, and a smile crept across my face as I saw the caller's name.

"Hello," I answered excitedly.

"Hey, have you arrived?" he asked eagerly.

"Yeah, I just got to the apartment," I replied.

"Good. So, the key to my place is in the back pouch pocket of your handbag. Stay there," he instructed.

"What? Why did you put it there? I can stay in my own apartment," I protested.

"No, you're staying at my place," he said firmly.

"But..." I began, only to be cut off by his stern tone. "Niharika, I don't want you to wake up from a nightmare in the middle of the night, especially in that place. Please take the key and stay at my apartment. We're not going to argue about this. Is that clear?" he said in his usual no-nonsense business tone. I sighed, realizing how challenging it was to argue with him.