48: The vault

Khana lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling the weight of the silence pressing down on her. Despite her efforts to fall asleep, her mind refused to shut down. 

The baby, unusually quiet tonight, provided her the perfect opportunity to rest, but sleep seemed impossible to grasp. 

She shifted from one side of the bed to the other, fluffing pillows and adjusting the blankets, yet no matter what she did, she remained wide awake.

She sighed deeply, pushing herself up to a sitting position. If she couldn’t sleep, tidying the room might help ease her restless mind. 

It had been a while since she’d gone through their things, and organizing might tire her enough.

Khana stood, stretching her legs before she began picking up stray items around the room. She carefully folded clothes draped over the chair and straightened the books on the nightstand.

As she moved to Richard’s side of the room, her eyes caught sight of something tucked away in the back of his wardrobe—a small box, a safe. Curious, she crouched down, pulling it out carefully.

"What could be in here?" she whispered, running her fingers over the cool, metallic surface. It looked old but sturdy. It must hold something important.

Without thinking much of it, Khana began trying to 

guess the combination. Her first thought was Richard’s birthday, but that didn’t work.

She tried their wedding day, their son Kharl’s birthdate, and even random numbers that popped into her head, but none unlocked the safe. 

She was so absorbed in the task that she didn’t hear the footsteps approaching from behind.

"What are you doing?"

The deep voice startled Khana, making her drop the 

safe with a small thud. She spun around, her heart racing, and found Richard standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were serious, but there was a hint of something else in them—nervousness.

"What is this?" Khana asked, her voice steady despite the surprise. "What are you hiding in this safe, Richard?"

Richard hesitated, his throat visibly tightening as he swallowed. His usually composed demeanor cracked slightly, and Khana could see the uncertainty in his eyes. He took a slow, measured breath before moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I’ve been carrying a lot of guilt, Khana," Richard finally said, his voice low and filled with regret. "I never told you the full truth, and it’s been eating at me every day. I forced you into this situation, into this life. I... I cheated to make you marry me."

Khana blinked, her grip tightening on the edge of the wardrobe. "What are you talking about?"

"I made your father lose the company," Richard confessed, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I never imagined that losing two investors would lead to his downfall, but it did."

"Your father... he trusted me, and I betrayed that trust. I knew how important that company was to you, to your family, but I was so desperate to have you back in my life that I didn’t care about the consequences. I manipulated everything so that you would have no choice but to marry me," he added.

Khana’s mind raced as she processed his words. She remembered the sleepless nights they spent trying to save her father’s company, the endless meetings with investors, and the hop slowly slipping away as they watched everything crumble. 

The company had been her father’s legacy, built from the ground up with years of hard work and sacrifice. Losing it had been a devastating blow to her family, and she had always believed it was an unfortunate turn of fate. But now, hearing Richard’s confession, it felt like a knife to her heart.

"It was Bettina’s plan," Richard continued, his voice breaking. "She told me that if I could get you to marry me, I could fix everything. I was so lost without you, Khana. I did whatever I could to make you mine again. I bought your father’s company, and... and I intended to give it back to him, to make things right."

Khana stared at him, the weight of his words settling heavily on her shoulders. The man she had trusted, the father of her child, had orchestrated the very events that had destroyed her family’s livelihood. And yet, there was a strange relief in his honesty. For so long, she had sensed that something wasn’t right, that Richard was hiding something from her, but now the truth was out in the open.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself before she spoke. "I appreciate your honesty, Richard. It must have been hard to carry that burden for so long."

Richard looked up at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fear. "Does that mean... you forgive me?"

Khana stood up and walked over to him, placing her hands gently on his shoulders. "I don’t know if I can forgive you completely yet, but I understand why you did what you did. I know you love me, and I know you are desperate. But Richard, love built on manipulation and deceit isn’t real love. We need to rebuild our relationship, this time on trust and honesty."

Richard nodded, his expression somber. "I want that too. I want to make things right, Khana. I’ve already bought the company back, and I was going to return it to your father as a gesture of goodwill."

Khana smiled softly, though her heart still ached from the revelation. "Thank you for that. But, Richard, I want to take over the company."

Richard blinked in surprise. "But... why? You don’t need to work, Khana. I can provide for you and Kharl. Isn’t that enough?"

"It’s not about the money, Richard," Khana explained, her voice firm. "I want to build my own career. I don’t want to be just a mother and a housewife. I want to make a difference, to carry on my father’s legacy, and make the company thrive again."

Richard looked at her for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "If that’s what will make you happy, then I’ll support you, Khana. Whatever you need, I’m here."

He reached up, cupping her face in his hands, and leaned in to kiss her, but before their lips could meet, a loud cry echoed through the house. Khana jumped, immediately recognizing the sound. The baby was awake.

She sighed, pulling away from Richard. "I’ll go check 

on Kharl."

Richard ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. "Of course, he wakes up now," he muttered under his breath. 

As Khana left the room, he called out, "What a brat! Kharl, why do you have to do that?"

 She was at the doorstep of Kharl's room, her thoughts drifted back to the safe. Richard had opened up to her, but there was still one thing he hadn’t revealed—the password. 

What was inside that safe? Even though Richard had explained everything, her instincts told her that there was more to the story, more secrets waiting to be uncovered.