Chapter 84 – Avi ReturnsThe sky above Manhattan was streaked in warm gold and watercolor pinks as the plane touched down at JFK, the hum of the engine fading beneath the excited chatter of passengers disembarking. Avi Kapoor adjusted her sunglasses, stepped into the terminal with the unshakeable grace of someone who had seen more of the world than most ever dreamed, and let out a slow, steady breath.She was home.Not the India of her roots or the Paris of her recent whirlwind photo campaign—but here, in New York, where her heart had left a tiny thread anchored to one woman she hadn’t stopped thinking about.Clara Vale.The taxi ride into the city was filled with soft jazz and half-mumbled texts sent from her phone.AVI: Landed.AVI: You home?AVI: Tell me you’ve got wine. And stories. And maybe a man?The last message sent was accompanied by a photo: her grinning in oversized sunglasses with her suitcase beside her like a loyal dog. When she reached the penthouse, Clara was already
1**THE BREAKUP** Clara sat down for the stylist to begin her work. It was her wedding day, the day she had been anticipating for. She looked at her beautiful wedding dress and smiled. Finally, She and Jeremy would tie the knot. Jeremy walked in suddenly with a girl by his side. "Jeremy what are you doing here? You know that you're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding." Clara said looking all excited. "Wedding my foot, Clara we need to talk" Jeremy said and signalled the stylist to leave the room. "What is so important that we need to talk about and who's that girl beside you"Clara asked. "She is Vivian the rightful owner of that wedding dress"Jeremy said pointing to the wedding dress on the mannequin. "Wait, what do you mean?" Clara asked confused. "I'm breaking up with you and getting married to Vivian here" Jeremy said and hugged Vivian's waist. "What do you mean you're breaking up with me?"Clara asked on the verge of tears. Vivian couldn't take it
Clara opened her eyes the next morning. Wait where was she!!. She had a terrible headache, probably from all the drinking last night. She looked around the unfamiliar room, the room was quite luxurious . She looked under the sheets and found out she was naked. What in the world happened last night? She couldn't wrap her head around it. She heard the sound of running water in the bathroom and then it stopped. A fine young handsome man stepped out of the bathroom. She recognised him. "You're Jeremy boss!!" "Yes, I am"Alex banks nodded. "What are you doing here? what happened last night" "This is my room" "So how did I end up in your room?" Clara asked. "Are you kidding me? You really don't remember what happened last night. How you forced me to get drunk, dragged me here and asked me to sleep with you" Alex banks said trying to look all innocent. "You must be mistaken, I'll never do such a thing" "Then why are you naked on my bed?"Alex asked. "You must've taken ad
Clara stepped out of her room after freshening up. She looked really great this morning. "Look at you looking good after having an all night sex" Avi teased which made Clara blush. "Stop teasing me already" Clara said and waved her hand. "So where are you going?" Avi asked. "I'm going to Jeremy's place to pick up my things" "Let me come with you "Avi suggested "No need for that, I'll handle things there myself okay. Thanks for worrying about me "Clara said and planted a kiss on Avi's forehead. **AT THE BANKS OFFICE* Kevin, Alex assistant didn't know what was going on with the CEO today. He was all smiles ever since he arrived at the office this morning. "Sir,it seems you're in a good mood this morning" Kevin said. "Of course, I met a girl last night and she was hot" Alex banks said. Kevin now realised the reason behind his smiles. The boss had met a girl but he had never slept with a girl. "I had sex with this girl". Alex said shocking Kevin. "Wait, you di
"Don't take down the video"Alex banks said surprising Kevin. "But sir the last thing you need right now is to be involved in a scandal" "Just find whoever posted the video and deal with them"Alex concluded not wanting to talk about it anymore. **AT AVI'S PLACE** "Have you seen the video that is surging the internet?" Avi's asked Clara who seemed relaxed. "Yeah, Vivian posted it" "You mean that Jeremy's bitch that insulted you" "Yeah " "Then you should do something about it because I'm not sure Alex banks is going to do anything about it, not like this is his first or going to be his last relationship scandal "Avi said. "So what should I do Avi?"Clara asked lazily. Avi stood up,took her car keys and pulled Clara along with her. 'Where are we going,Avi"Clara asked "We're going to meet Alex banks and asked him to fucking take the video down" **AT THE BANKS COMPANY** Avi and Clara stood before the receptionist in the lobby. Immediately they entered, the employees remembe
"Are you crazy?" Clara shouted angrily. Avi and Kevin both raised an eyebrow. Did Clara just curse at Alex banks. Clara had had enough of people playing her so she didn't care anymore. "Fine I'll take down the video, but on one condition" Alex said. This was definitely his opportunity to have this girl. "Okay, what condition?"Clara asked finally cooling off. "Let's make a deal, be my girlfriend and I'll take down the video"Alex said leaving everyone shocked. Alex was clearly proposing to Clara. "You can as well leave the video on the internet" Clara response brought disappointment to all in the office. Even Kevin expected her to say Yes. She pulled Avi's arm and turned to leave. "What if I help get revenge on that bastard?" Alex said not wanting to miss this opportunity. Clara turned to look at Alex, her face was lit up indicating that she loved the idea. "What are you getting at?"Clara asked "Jeremy works in my company, I could fire him and even blacklist
**AT ALEX BANKS OFFICE** Kevin walked into Alex's office,"Your mother is here to see you"He said. "Send her in"Alex banks said. James knew well that Alex banks didn't like it when family members come to visit him at work. "How dare you make your mother wait at the reception, Alex"Anna shouted as she entered the office. Anna Banks was Alex's mother and she was always nagging. "You know why I'm here right?"Anna Banks said, trying to cool off. "What is it this time Mom?" "The video that has been circulating the internet,can you explain that?"Anna Banks asked. "There is nothing to explain mom" "What do you mean by nothing to explain. who is the girl in the video?"She asked. "She's my girlfriend". Alex banks said smiling,he knew what his mother's next reaction would be. Anna Banks gasped in shock,"Girlfriend!!Since when were you serious enough to have a girlfriend". Alex banks was always fooling around with other girls which made her really upset and worried, now
Every body in the conference room looked at him. Was he really leaving in the middle of a meeting? "I've got somewhere to be so finish up without me"Alex banks said and rushed out the door, leaving the people dumbfounded. **AT THE BANKS MANSION** "I'm talking to you and you're not showing any concern"Anna shouted at Robert Banks. Robert Banks was Alex's father. "We shouldn't meddle in our son's private life. You know how he is, jumping from one girl to the other. Let him do as he pleases"Robert Banks said. "You men are always like this can't you just understand my worry. That girl doesn't even have parents and she ran off on her wedding day" Anna said. "There's all sorts of rumour about her, people say she's just a gold digger and I don't expect better from people like that". Anna Banks added. "You haven't even met her yet". Robert Banks said, all these talking was already tiring him. "Do I really need to meet a girl like that? She is going to be like a stain on my son's rep
Chapter 84 – Avi ReturnsThe sky above Manhattan was streaked in warm gold and watercolor pinks as the plane touched down at JFK, the hum of the engine fading beneath the excited chatter of passengers disembarking. Avi Kapoor adjusted her sunglasses, stepped into the terminal with the unshakeable grace of someone who had seen more of the world than most ever dreamed, and let out a slow, steady breath.She was home.Not the India of her roots or the Paris of her recent whirlwind photo campaign—but here, in New York, where her heart had left a tiny thread anchored to one woman she hadn’t stopped thinking about.Clara Vale.The taxi ride into the city was filled with soft jazz and half-mumbled texts sent from her phone.AVI: Landed.AVI: You home?AVI: Tell me you’ve got wine. And stories. And maybe a man?The last message sent was accompanied by a photo: her grinning in oversized sunglasses with her suitcase beside her like a loyal dog. When she reached the penthouse, Clara was already
Chapter 83 – The Story UnfoldsThe morning light filtered softly through the penthouse curtains, golden and warm, casting dappled shadows across the hardwood floors. Clara sat curled in the oversized armchair beside the floor-to-ceiling window, a cup of lukewarm coffee balanced on the armrest, her laptop open on her lap. She wasn’t typing. Not yet. She was rereading the final paragraphs of her manuscript, her heart drumming louder with each line.It was finished.Her debut novel. After the Fall.All 87,416 words of it.A shaky breath escaped her lips. The cursor blinked on the final page, where her protagonist walked away from the wreckage of heartbreak and into the light of something new—something earned. Clara’s eyes burned with tears she hadn’t realized were building. It wasn’t just a story. It was hers. A patchwork of wounds and healing, truth and fiction stitched together.And Alex—he was in every chapter. In the way she described longing. In the ache of the heroine’s denial. In
Chapter 82: What Healing Feels LikeClara woke slowly.The soft morning light filtered through the gauzy curtains of the penthouse bedroom, casting golden stripes across the bedspread. She blinked up at the ceiling, momentarily disoriented—not because the room was unfamiliar, but because it had been so long since she’d woken up here without that sickening twist of tension in her gut.The bed was warm beside her, but empty. She sat up, the sheets slipping down her shoulders. There was no sound—no footsteps, no clatter of dishes in the kitchen. Just stillness. But not the oppressive kind. This stillness felt... peaceful.Then she saw it.A note on the nightstand. Alex’s neat handwriting looped across creamy paper."Didn’t want to wake you. Went to the gym downstairs. There’s tea in the kitchen. Take your time. — A"Something about the message made her smile. It was simple. Nonintrusive. Thoughtful.She got up slowly, sliding her feet into the slippers he'd once bought her after she’d co
Chapter 81: Clara’s StruggleThe morning light broke through the large windows of Clara’s apartment, casting a soft glow over the polished wood floors. She stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her blouse, her fingers brushing over the fabric nervously. It had been a few weeks since the gala, since Maddox's advances had been uncomfortably close, and since she had made the decision to distance herself from both Alex and him. Now, standing before the mirror, she was confronted by her own reflection, a woman who had lived through too many complications, too many battles.She didn’t recognize the woman staring back at her, but she was determined to find out who she was outside of the influences of Alex or Maddox. She was no longer just the woman who loved Alex and suffered from betrayal; she was Clara Vale, a woman who could stand on her own, a woman who needed no man to define her worth.The decision had come like a wave crashing against the shore—sudden, overwhelming, and all-consumin
Chapter 80: The Choice That Awaits.The next morning arrived with an unsettling calm. Clara woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window, the early light streaming through the curtains and painting the room in soft hues of gold. She turned over in bed, her mind clouded with the weight of everything that had been happening lately. The emotional rollercoaster with Alex, the growing distance between them, and the constant pull of Maddox’s words—it was all so much to handle.She lay there for a moment, eyes closed, allowing the silence to wash over her. But soon, the reality of the situation crept back in. The unease she’d felt for days hadn’t gone away. In fact, it had only deepened.Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. She reached over to grab it, her heart skipping when she saw the name on the screen. It was Alex.---The Message:"Clara, I need to see you. We need to talk. Can you meet me for lunch today? I want to fix things."---Clara stared at the message
Chapter 79: The Tension Beneath the Surface.The morning sun crept through the large windows of the penthouse, casting long beams of light across the plush furniture and sleek lines of the modern living room. Clara stood by the window, coffee cup in hand, her eyes tracing the skyline as her thoughts swirled. The city beneath her was buzzing, alive with the energy of a new day, but Clara felt an unease she couldn’t shake. Her mind kept returning to the conversation she had with Maddox the day before. His words lingered, like a shadow in the back of her mind, refusing to fade.She didn’t want to admit it, but his words had gotten under her skin.Was Alex really as committed as he seemed?Clara had always trusted him—had always believed in their bond—but after hearing Maddox speak so convincingly, she found herself questioning things she never thought to question before. Maybe it was the way Maddox had spoken to her, so calmly, so assuredly. He’d known just what to say to plant that seed
Chapter 78: The Unraveling GameThe city below stretched out in a tapestry of glittering lights, the night sky obscured by the towering buildings that seemed to touch the heavens. Inside the sleek, modern office, the cold glow from the windows cast long shadows on the polished floor. Maddox leaned back in his chair, the quiet hum of the air conditioning the only sound in the otherwise silent room. His eyes were fixed on the files spread out before him, each one representing another calculated move in a game that had been years in the making.Maddox had always prided himself on his ability to stay three steps ahead of his competitors. His rise in the business world had been relentless, driven by an insatiable hunger for power and control. But there was one thing—one person—that had always eluded him: Alex Banks. The man who had everything, the empire that seemed untouchable, and the woman who had stirred something in Maddox’s heart that he thought was long buried. Clara.He could almos
Chapter 77: New BeginningsThe morning after their tentative reconciliation was nothing like Clara had expected. She woke up to the sound of rain tapping against the windows, soft and steady, as though the world outside was breathing in sync with her own conflicted heart.She had expected the night to weigh heavily on her mind, but instead, there was a strange sense of calm. Alex’s words, his touch, his promise—everything lingered in the quiet of the room, a soft warmth that eased the tension that had built up between them over the past weeks.As she sat up in bed, her gaze wandered to the half-empty space beside her. Alex was gone, but it wasn’t the absence she feared. It was the quiet certainty that he was still there, in the sense that he hadn’t left her, and that, despite everything, she hadn’t left him either.She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock. It was still early, too early for business, too early for anyone to be stirring in the office. But there was something about t
Chapter 76: Unraveling TensionsThe moonlit night had barely settled when Clara entered the penthouse, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. The sounds of the gala still echoed in her ears—the laughter, the clinking of glasses, the hum of conversations. But as she closed the door behind her, the buzz of the outside world seemed to vanish. Inside, everything was still. Everything was charged.Alex sat on the edge of the leather couch, his sharp silhouette outlined by the dim glow from the chandelier. His jacket was discarded, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to his elbows, exposing the tension in his posture. He looked like a man at war with himself. But Clara wasn’t sure if it was with her or with something deeper.Her gaze flickered toward the empty space beside him on the couch. “You’re here,” she said quietly, her voice more unsure than she intended.Alex didn’t answer right away. He was staring at his hands, his fingers moving as if he were mentally organiz