(Vivaan's POV)
I unlocked the door slowly. The creaking sound was enough to make the night scarier. Kruthi was still on the bed. Sitting silent just as I signalled her to.
We were a family.
I know she would be confused and scared.
But only if she knew, this family wasn't a typical normal family.
One wrong move and everything's lost.
I glanced at the intruder.
Ayesha.
But what actually caught my attention was her hand. Bruised.
"Y-your another property is at stake." She said with lowered eyes. Teary.
I was suspicious but allowed her to enter in my room.
She seemed almost like she regretted coming here.
Vivaan stayed quiet for a moment before moving aside. "Come in."
Ayesha hesitated.
Actually hesitated.
Her fingers tightened around the strap of her purse as her eyes flickered once toward the hallway behind her.
Like someone might have followed.
Or worse—
like someone had warned her not to come.
Kruthi noticed it too.
"Ayesha?" she said gently. "What happened?"
Ayesha looked at her then quickly away. Guilt flashed across her face so suddenly that Kruthi's brows furrowed.
Something was wrong.
Vivaan shut the door completely. "Talk."
Ayesha inhaled shakily.
"The Maheshwari estate papers…" she whispered. "Someone accessed them."
Vivaan's expression darkened instantly.
"How?"
"I don't know."
"You came all the way here for a suspicion?"
"No." Her voice cracked slightly. "For a warning."
The room fell silent.
Kruthi slowly stood from the bed now, moving closer—but not too close. She could sense the tension tightening between them.
Vivaan crossed his arms. "Who's behind it?"
Ayesha opened her mouth.
Then stopped.
Vivaan's eyes narrowed.
Ayesha looked at him finally.
Long enough for something unspoken to pass between them.
Recognition.
History.
Then she slowly pulled out her phone.
Her hand trembled.
"I shouldn't do this," she whispered.
"Then why are you here?" Vivaan asked coldly.
Ayesha looked toward Kruthi.
"Because she ruined everything."
Kruthi stiffened.
Ayesha immediately shook her head. "Not in a bad way." Her voice softened painfully. "You exposed Rushaan. After that, people started digging deeper. Asking questions. Looking at files they were never supposed to look at."
Vivaan stepped forward. "What files?"
Ayesha swallowed hard.
Then unlocked her phone.
A paused video stared back at them.
Kruthi's breath caught instantly.
She remembered this clip.
This was the corrupted footage from the evidence she had shown at the wedding.
The one blurred figure nobody could identify.
But now—
the video was clearer.
Much clearer.
Vivaan's face hardened the second he saw it.
Kruthi slowly looked up at him.
"No…" she whispered.
In the video—
Vivaan stood in a dim warehouse, his black shirt stained with blood.
And beneath him—
Ajay.
Beaten nearly unconscious.
Vivaan's hand was wrapped around Ajay's collar while Ajay laughed through split lips.
The video had no audio.
But rage radiated from Vivaan so violently that even watching it felt dangerous.
Kruthi's heartbeat stumbled.
Not because she thought Vivaan was a monster.
Because she had never seen this side of him.
Ayesha spoke carefully, almost cautiously.
"Someone restored the footage."
Vivaan's jaw tightened. "Who has it?"
Ayesha didn't answer immediately.
Instead she looked terrified to even say the name.
Then—
"Rushaan."
Silence.
"He's using it," she continued weakly. "Against you. Against the company. Against the property transfers." Her breathing became uneven. "And Ajay… Ajay wants revenge."
Kruthi looked back at the video.
Ajay was smiling in it.
Even while bleeding.
Like he knew something.
Like he had won.
Vivaan suddenly snatched the phone from Ayesha's hand and paused the frame himself.
Kruthi noticed it then.
Vivaan wasn't looking at Ajay.
He was staring at the timestamp.
Two years ago.
The night his parents died.
A chill went down her spine.
Vivaan spoke very softly.
"Who gave you this?"
Ayesha's lips parted.
"N-no one did" she said with a slight choke. "I found it in Rushaan's phone. I cannot hurt you Vivaan, I cannot hurt anyone if I don't feel they deserve it. I will fight for myself, but not by destroying you and being his pawn. I respect you. I have seen how you have still never cried even when your parents died. I cannot hurt you..." She wiped a tear off of her left eye.
"Rushaan's motive is unknown to me. But I'd rather die than being a pawn in someone's game and destroying lives."
Vivaan's eyes softened for a fraction of second.
He glanced at Kruthi.
Silent. Permission.
Kruthi, who was staring at Ayesha when saw Vivaan nodded softly.
Gently Vivaan wrapped her arms respectfully around Ayesha. Utmost respect. Barely touching but enough to calm her down.
"You know sister-in-law is also a form of sister?"
He paused before glancing at her in her eyes.
"And trust me Ayesha, I won't let any harm come to you. Not now, not ever." He mumbled under his breath, enough to make Ayesha hear it.
She stared at him almost in disbelief. This wasn't what she ever expected from anyone in this family. Her own husband was tormenting her and then this man, who was vowing to protect her throughout. Her lips twitched slightly before she looked at Kruthi.
"You really have got a very nice and loving husband. I wonder what sins I did?" Her voice choked. A soft sob.
Vivaan left her calmly.
His tongue poking his inner cheek.
Nice? Loving?
No way.
And Kruthi? She was staring at him sarcastically.
"Don't worry, you didn't do any sins, maybe some people don't deserve your goodness." Kruthi said to Ayesha before turning to Vivaan "Right my nice and loving husband?"
Ayesha noticing the tension asked them.
"D-did I do something wrong?"
Vivaan shook his head, glanced at Kruthi but then sighed. She was also alone here. He didn't know if what he was doing was right, but if his decision makes the life of these two women better then hell yes, he would do that.
"Ayesha... see we're a team now." He begins gently. "You are being hurt by Rushaan, only we know that. I want to expose something too." He glances at Kruthi and says-
"I and Kruthi are not bound by love or marriage but by a contract, if that helps. As for why I am telling, you two should be together from now onwards. It's a command. Trust no one in this house, not even Naina."
"W-what?" Ayesha stared at them both in disbelief. And this time sobbed. Not softly, a little louder. "Why the hell you have to do that? Rushaan wants Kruthi back, and that's why he's doing all this. Why am I entangled in this.?"
"Rushaan what?" Kruthi asked her wide eyed. Shocked.
"So it's not just for wealth and property now?" Vivaan raised an eyebrow.