"Seems like people are getting used to it," Nikhil says, leaning against the chair and sliding the tabloid to her. Maya picks it up and tilts her head, reading the news about her appointment. "Well, some good news after days," she mutters. It's only been a couple of days since she was selected as the new ceo of royal crest, getting most of the votes of the board

"But some people will still keep barking," Kunal scoffs, making the other two frown in confusion. Noticing that, Kunal places the phone on the table. The screen had an article about the comments circulating online regarding her appointment. A few people are satisfied, a few are neutral, holding their opinions until the work starts, and a few disapprove. Most probably the supporters of her father

"How can a lawyer become a CEO?" Maya repeats one of the comments, shrugging her shoulders. She knew they would ask this; she had been preparing for this moment for years since her father divorced her mother and disowned her. Why? Because she couldn't give him a son. Biology was never his cup of tea for sure

Typical backward thinking

The irony is, his sons now worked under Maya. Backing off from the race of being the next successor.

Nikhil was never invested in inheriting the empire; he wanted to have adventures instead of being stuck in four walls and working on a screen for hours. Especially with Nyra in his life, his first plan is to travel different countries

Kunal was ambitious; he wanted to carry the legacy forward and maybe hear one praise from the father of his, who parented him only for name's sake. He hoped at once that maybe he could have enough power to protect the ones he loved. But he didn't know that she had become capable enough to protect herself.

That made him lose the motivation; he doesn't know what he would do with the empire. And with the level of distraction he had in his mind right now, he thought it was better to back off instead of ruining royal crest

Noticing the sudden silence, Nikhil flips the phone downwards. "Hey, don't think about it too much; the PR team will manage it. They will speak for a few days before forgetting it."

Kunal sighs, shaking his head. "They will forget it only when our father dearest stops his dirty games."

Maya rolls her eyes; she can already guess the amount of anger he might have had when he heard the news about her selection, and he couldn't say much. He is supposed to retire in a few months too, as he already promised it to the boards, thinking his sons might take over. But now that there's a slight change in the plans, he doesn't want to retire.

"Agar, we also work on something like what Veer is working on for the Singapore expansion. We might get more people in our favor?" Nikhil suggests getting up from the chair and walking over to the coffee table, pouring himself water.

"That wouldnt stop our father's efforts," kunal comments, his jaw clenched

Maya scoffs, shaking her head "For years uneducated men have run countries. Now one educated woman wants to run a company, and it can't be digested?" She was done for; no law in the country ever restricted a lawyer from becoming a CEO. In fact, her law degree and experience brought her an advantage and praise from the board

"We need to go strong, not a single mistake that gives them a chance to suppress us." Nikhil reminds them, "And do not let our father know about our plan to remove him from the position."

Kunal straightens up, shoving his hands in the pocket of his pants. "Nikhil's suggestion is good. Maybe we should also start expanding. If we get any deals under Maya's name. We will be secure."

"Yeah, but how? Veer got it because of Bhabhi's connections." Kunal tried, but he couldn't hide the scowl at the mention of them. Nikhil didn't notice, but Maya knew very well; she just chose not to comment on it.

"We have connections too, very popular ones actually" maya says, a confident smile appearing on her face

Both the twins' heads snap in her direction, waiting for an explanation. "Who are you talking about?" Kunal asks carefully, internally praying that she isn't talking about the person he is thinking about.

Maya's smile widens. "What? With this pace he is definitely going to be our brother-in-law; better take advantage of it, and Australia is a good place."

Kunal already started shaking his head before even listening to what maya was saying; he knew it was a bad idea "With whatever happened? I don't think any of the brothers would want to work with us, or at least me." Maya shrugs her shoulders, unaffected. She had a wider thought on this; if not them, then at least the Williams had a wider connection that could land them a partnership deal there. Maybe after everything has calmed down, she could talk to them.

Maya had been in contact with Jasmine since she left for Sydney, getting to know the updates and Lucas's health, but she couldn't ask about this during a critical time.

"There's nothing wrong with trying; Uncle is trying to contact them and apologize for what happened. Maybe after Lucas is recovered, we can approach them?" Nikhil says, his eyes flickering to Kunal and back at Maya. Kunal knows both of them like the idea, and it's the closest they could get to a good deal. "Alright, but only after everyone is settled."

Maya nods in agreement. "It's settled then."

***

"I am still very sorry about what happened, Veer. I hope it doesn't affect us." Kabir's voice carried a hint of remorse; he couldn't meet Veer's gaze. he knew the damage was done

"You know I am not angry at you; you know where my hatred lies, and I can't change it," Veer replies. He never liked Kavya's weird liking towards him, especially when he was turning into an adult and she was still a teenager. He had mentioned it to Kabir many times, but he was ignorant, taking it as a harmless crush. Veer couldn't blame Kabir in that matter, because Kabir was an older brother too. He protected and loved Kavya the same way Veer is with Jasmine.

Maybe that ignorance had gone too far; he should have reacted long back. maybe then he wouldnt be standing in front of his friend with his head lowered

"I don't know what to do; I barely stopped Papa from kicking her out," Kabir mutters, rubbing his face, trying to hold back his emotions. "On her behalf, from you, Jasmine, Lucas, and his whole family, I am seeking forgiveness," he mutters.

That broken expression on his face made Veer hesitate and almost convinced him to contact Jasmine and request her to stop whatever she did against Kavya. But he composed himself; some people deserved it for the mistakes done.

Veer lifts a hesitant hand on his shoulder, making Kabir look up and meet his gaze. "You don't need to do that for her. Almost everyone is affected; Lucas is the most, and it strained my sister's relationship. "It's totally on them," Veer replies. Kabir doesn't know who did that, but he has a clue. veer didn't want to relay it either

"I can't fix what happened," Kabir exhales slowly, straightening himself, "but I will make sure it doesn't happen again. I just don't want us or our father's friendship to be tarnished," Kabir says, a hint of fear creeping inside him. It wasn't the fear of losing a business partner but the genuine memories made. He saw his sister throw away the years of friendship because of jealousy, and it pulled everyone into the fire.

Veer's expression softens. "Don't think about that. As long as she stays away from my family, we are good." Veer didn't try to hide; his message was clear: "Kavya wasn't allowed near them," and Kabir understood that.

Veer wanted to get back to his work as soon as Kabir left his cabin; the preparation of the wedding made him lag behind at work or be unavailable most of the time. But deep down he enjoyed the show of a wedding they had put up.

Veer might have just sat down on his chair when the door swung open. He hated people who came without informing him, but when the uninvited guest was his wife? He would just zip his mouth and listen

"That's a pleasant surprise," Veer mutters under his breath, leaning against his chair. Mira stops in front of his desk, crossing her arms, making his gaze fall on her hands, the mehendi still dark.

"I saw Kabir leaving; what happened?" she asks, almost too curious. When Mira agreed to marry Veer, she didn't know about the deeper politics that ran inside their family, and the way her first 3 days of being married went could be written into a movie.

Which newly wedded bride helps her sister-in-law run from home at midnight by adding sleeping pills into her in-laws' food?

"He came to apologize. "For what happened with Kavya," Veer replies, standing up and walking over to her. "The reason for your sudden visit? I thought you were on a date with Aryan, Sehr, and Aditi." He knew her schedule now, every bit of her habit too. If se was out of work, then it would only be for her son or her friends.

She lets out a soft sigh, lowering her arms. "They are taking him. I needed to talk about who is taking care of the Singapore assignment," she says. That was a main clause of this contract marriage: a few years, two expansions, and both of their hotels profiting.

Right now, they have known each other enough to have a civil conversation instead of being on each other's throat like before

Veer discussed this with his father long back, wanting Jasmine to take care of this along with a few trusted and experienced employees. But so much has happened since then; he knew it couldn't happen, and they aren't waiting. "Jasmine wants to continue her studies in Australia; I don't think she will take this," he says, noting the frown on her face. "I am not asking her or pressuring her again." he adds, his tone firm leaving no place for arguments

Mira predicted it already, since she first saw Jasmine and the Australian boyfriend of hers. For a second, she was jealous, knowing that their fake relationship turned real while her fate had the opposite effect. "I will go then; I can get the work done quicker, and I have worked there before."

"It will take very long; are you sure?" Oh, he didn't want her to go; it's a project that might take years, maybe the whole period of their contract. "What about Aryan?" he asks, his eyes flickering to her face, hoping for some hesitation.

"Sehr and Aditi can take care of him, or I can just take him with me," she replies. She had a lot of trust in the two friends she had; they had been there from her college till her marriage. She could never say she raised Aryan alone, because they raised him too, like mothers.

Veer knew this; he knew they would take care of the boy he suddenly got so close with. He was worried about being separated from his son. "I can take care of him," he says, his voice lower than he wanted it to be.

Mira looks at him, surprised by his offer. "You already have so much work. If you take both, you will be neglecting one. I don't want that. I will talk to them if they are available for a long-time commitment. If not, I will just take him there" she says. she couldnt come to trust him much

Especially as he came from the same bloodline as her ex.

If it weren't for helping her empire, she would have never gotten married. Veer gave her a great deal to save everything she built in return for the contract, which she could get as she had connections. She only dreamed of wearing red with him, but he crushed her dreams and left her at her weakest. Thats why she didnt want to have a red wedding, because this was a contract one, a fake one so it didnt have place for the colour of love

He takes a deep breath. "I will assign someone else for this. Neither of you is going."

Mira looks at him in disbelief but she did expect that; she wanted to hear it from him. "veer..."

"I want to spend time with him, please." That made her heart stop for a second, seeing the pleading expressions on his face. She gulps the lump forming in her throat. "You shouldn't be getting so close to him. It will kill him when you leave," she murmurs, already imaging the face of her little boy; it clenched her heart

Veer's expression hardens slightly. "I adopted him, Mira," he reminds her; he had taken the responsibility legally and emotionally. The time he spent with him, even before the marriage or contract, when he didn't even know about Mira and Kunal.

Mira exhales slowly. "What should I do then?"

It was just one collaboration, right? But she got in trouble, and he helped. When did he propose for the marriage? She accepted. With complications, of course, but still accepted.

"I don't want to argue with you." He mutters, stepping closer, maybe a bit too close. "I want you both to be here, where I know you both are safe, okay? We will assign someone else for this work." He didn't need to mention it; they both knew people have started to plot against her.

"Fine." She agrees reluctantly. "But I want to make sure it goes smoothly. It was really hard to get the investors"

"I will give you the authority for it, the decisions, people, everything," he says, taking her by surprise. "But please do it from here. Visit when it's extremely"

Mira's mouth opens slightly before she closes it. She liked having things organized and sorted out, and she does-but whatever this guy says is like a web of confusion in her mind. "You are giving me the authority for it? Really? It's your company." she did want a say in the project but didnt expect him to give everything under her

"And I got the deal because of you. Moreover, you are my wife."

Mira inhales sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. That one word-he just loved repeating that, especially to get a reaction out of it. "Wife? Yeah, you should have gotten me a memorable wedding gift instead of jumping back to work."

"Wedding gift?" he repeats her resort, his eyebrow slightly raised. "Yeah, I should, right? You have given me such an unforgettable one," he reminds me, his voice a mix of mockery and teasing. Mira's head snaps in his direction, shooting him a deadly glare. "We agreed not to mention it!" she was embarrassed about it but not guilty; killing her husband on their wedding night would have been such an iconic thing

"I am already getting late; they must be waiting for me. We will talk about this later!" she exclaims, already walking out of the door before he could even react. His hand twitched at his side, barely stopping himself from reaching out to stop her. "Let's get to work then," he mutters under his breath, walking back to his seat. He pulls out his phone, leaning against his chair and searching for some gift ideas

***

"You need rest," Stella mutters, gently closing the laptop and removing it from Liam's lap. He lets out a sigh while dropping his head back on the couch support. "It's fine, Liam; you don't need to stress yourself too much." She slides onto the couch beside him, taking his hand in hers. His hand squeezes hers gently. "I am fine and almost done." he had been busy in trying to nyx back into place after the sudden loss and pull out of investors

"Jeff has taken care of it." He adds, "It has helped a lot; everything will be alright," he says. The assurance was directed towards himself more than Stella. Everything was falling back into place except for his feelings. He respected Lucas's wish to not bring up the topic again, but what was he supposed to do with all the emotions built up inside him?

"What's on your mind?" Stella asks softly, tilting herself to face him properly. His face flickers with hesitation, unsure whether to voice it out or not, but the earnest expression on her face made him want to share it. He sits up, his hand still holding onto hers. "I am overwhelmed; things happened so fast that I didn't know if I handled everything well or not. I couldnt pay attention to anyone to make sure they are fine-"

"Liam," she stops him softly. "I will remind you again, it's not your responsibility to fix everything, okay? It wasn't your fault." She knows about his internal struggle to make sure his family never faces any difficulty. To assure his father that he is here to take care of them.

"I wondered why they didn't tell us." His voice comes out weaker than expected. His shoulders slump down as he stares at their intertwined hands. He talked to his mother, asking every question about what happened and how.

At one point he was angry at his parents for never telling it to Lucas sooner, not noticing his behavior that made him feel like he didn't belong with them. But he couldn't blame them; they did their best in their own way. It was the world that showed-no matter what, the outside world is harsher than what your parents show you.

He wanted to ask Lucas why he never told him about this. He didn't; he couldn't ask in this kind of situation. He would just need to be patient and let Lucas tell it on his own.

His mother has already decided to not stay in contact with Elias anymore, especially after knowing what he did to her son. Amelia was very much in support of this, while the kids didn't have any opinions except for focusing on their brother's recovery.

"You care about everyone, Liam," Stella says softly, her hand coming to his cheek, caressing his skin, her thumb grazing under his tired eyes a little too much. We can't expect answers from anyone; they might love us to the fullest, and we might love them with everything, but some things are hard to share with anyone. It needs time."

He nods slowly, leaning into her touch. "You have done everything you could for them, and they are very grateful for it," she reminds him, noticing his eyes slowly meeting hers again. She gives him a smile. "I am one of them, okay? I want you not to be bottled up with emotions; share them with me if you could. I am here for you," she says softly, her voice laced with concern.

Her hand drops down from her face, and Liam presses his lips together, letting out a deep breath. "I know, my love. That's what's helping me right now." He brings her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. The couch dips as a new company buddy sits beside Liam, his tail waggling as he presses his paw against Liam's lap-a reminder of his support too.

They both chuckle in unison, seeing the support of their fur baby. "Yes, I know you are here too." Liam scratches the back of Buddy's head, making him bark. He looks at stella, his lips curving into a genuine smile she had seen in days

"I need my mind off from all this chaos," he says, his head resting on her shoulder before pulling her into an embrace. Her expression softens, her hands wrapping around, running her fingers through his hair. "Should I plan a trip?" she asks, her other hand coming to pet Buddy, who is still sitting behind Liam, giving them equal attention. "With all three of us?"

"Yeah, a family trip is very much needed right now" he mutters, nuzzling into her neck

***

"Please forgive me for what happened." Lucas's grip tightens on the phone, hearing Jasmine's father apologize. His gaze lingers on Jasmine, who is a few steps away, cutting some fruits. She had a talk with him a few days ago; it was a bit heated. They both have made mistakes, and she accepted it, but her father was hard to explain. When she got a call from him today, apologizing to her and requesting a talk with Lucas? That was very unexpected.

"I have reacted in a wrong way; the words from my family and me have affected you, and I take full responsibility for it. I am really sorry for it. I know that "sorry" doesn't fix the damage that happened, but I wanted you to know that I regret my actions." He could understand the guilt in her father's voice. "It's alright; I understand why you have reacted like that. You care about Jasmine."

"And you both love each other." His heart skips a beat at that. "If she went beyond everything, fighting anyone who questioned you, she fought for you. I shouldn't doubt my daughter's choice. It'