The First Strike

Aryan stared at the large TV screen in his office. His mind stopped working. He felt like someone had hit his head with a heavy stone.

"This is a joke," he said. His voice was shaking. "Turn it off, Rohan. This is a stupid internet prank."

Rohan swallowed hard. He looked very scared. "Sir... it is not a joke. This is live news. Every business channel is showing the same thing. The Rathore family held a press conference ten minutes ago. She is real."

Aryan grabbed his hair. "How? How is this possible?" he shouted. "She was an orphan! She wore cheap clothes. She cooked food in my kitchen for three years! How can she be the billionaire boss of the Rathore family?"

He picked up his phone from the desk with shaking hands. He quickly found Kiara's contact name. It said 'Wife'. He pressed the call button. He needed to hear her voice. He needed to ask her what this nonsense was.

The number you are calling does not exist.

Aryan threw the phone on the soft carpet. He was breathing heavily. The Rathore Empire was the biggest company in the country. They supplied all the raw materials for the Singhania Group. If they really stopped the supply, his company would lose millions of dollars in just one day.

"Sir, what should we do?" Rohan asked softly. "Our factory managers are calling. The Rathore delivery trucks have stopped outside the gates. They are refusing to give us the materials."

Aryan's face became red with anger. He couldn't believe this was happening. Just last night, he threw her out like garbage. And today, she had his neck in her hands.

"Get my car ready," Aryan ordered. He fixed his tie. He tried to look strong. "I am going to the Rathore headquarters. I need to talk to her face to face. She is my wife. She can't do this to me."

"Ex-wife, sir," Rohan whispered. "You signed the divorce papers last night."

Aryan gave him a deadly look. Rohan immediately looked down at the floor.

*** On the other side of the city, the Rathore Tower touched the clouds.

On the top floor, Kiara was standing near a huge glass window. She looked down at the busy city. She was wearing a sharp, black business suit today. Her long hair was tied in a strict ponytail. There was no softness in her eyes anymore.

The door behind her opened. Uncle Vikram walked in. He had a big smile on his old face.

"Princess," Vikram said. "Your first order was executed perfectly. All supply trucks to the Singhania factories have been stopped. Their stock prices are already falling."

Kiara turned around. She walked to her massive wooden desk and sat in the big CEO chair. It felt comfortable. It felt like home.

"Good," Kiara said. Her voice was calm and cold. "But this is just a small warning, Uncle. I don't want to just stop their trucks. I want to break their backbone."

She opened a file on her desk. It had all the details of Aryan's business. For three years, she played the dumb wife. She listened quietly when Aryan talked about his business problems on the phone. She knew all his secrets.

"Uncle Vikram, the Singhania Group took a massive loan of fifty million dollars from the Imperial Bank last month," Kiara said, pointing at a paper.

"Yes, Princess," Vikram nodded. "And the Imperial Bank is secretly owned by our Rathore family."

A dark, dangerous smile appeared on Kiara's face. "Call the bank manager. Tell him to cancel their loan immediately. Demand the full payment back by tomorrow morning. If Aryan Singhania cannot pay, freeze all his company bank accounts."

Vikram bowed his head. "Yes, Boss. It will be done right now." He turned to leave, but then he stopped. "Oh, one more thing. The security downstairs just called. Aryan Singhania is standing in the lobby. He is demanding to see you. He says it is his right as your husband."

Kiara let out a short, cold laugh. Husband? After he threw her out for his ex-girlfriend Rhea?

"Tell the security guards to throw him out on the street," Kiara commanded. "If he tries to fight, let them use force. He is a nobody to me now."

Downstairs in the grand lobby, Aryan was shouting at the tall security guards.

"Do you know who I am? I am the CEO of the Singhania Group! I am her husband! Let me go up right now!" Aryan yelled.

Suddenly, the head of security got a message on his earpiece. He nodded and looked at Aryan with a cold stare.

"The Boss says she doesn't know you," the guard said.

Before Aryan could say another word, two huge guards grabbed him by his expensive suit. They dragged him across the shiny floor and threw him out of the glass doors. Aryan fell hard on the dirty pavement outside. People on the street stopped and started laughing at him.

Aryan looked up at the giant Rathore Tower. His face was red with shame and anger. He rubbed his bruised arm. For the first time in his life, Aryan Singhania felt completely powerless.

And Kiara’s revenge had only just begun.