005

Fate Has a Cruel Sense of Humor

~ANAYA’S POV~

The woman in the mirror looked ready to play the perfect wife one last time.

Rohan had demanded the perfect, dutiful wife, and I had given him exactly that.

I was covered in a saree of champagne-gold silk, the fabric heavy and stiff, pinned so tightly I could barely draw a full breath.

The diamonds he’d bought me last Diwali—the ones that felt more like a label of ownership than a gift—hung heavy around my neck.

I had spent twenty minutes hiding the dark circles under my eyes with heavy foundation. I had forced my hands to stop trembling long enough to paint my lips a soft, neutral pink.

I looked like a Malhotra-Kapoor.

I looked like a woman who was cherished.

I looked like a lie.

"Anaya! They’re here!" Rohan’s voice boomed from the hall, filled with a desperate, greedy energy.

The doorbell rang.

It wasn't a loud sound, but in the sudden quiet of my heart, it sounded like a heavy blade falling.

I walked down the big marble staircase, feeling like each step was leading me to my doom. Rohan was already at the door, straightening his cuffs, his face split in a wide, fawning grin.

He looked like a man about to win the lottery.

"Smile, Anaya," he hissed over his shoulder as he reached for the handle. "This deal is worth billions. Don't ruin this for me."

He swung the door open.

The afternoon sun spilled into the entrance, blindingly bright. For a moment, all I saw were three shadows—tall, broad-shouldered, and imposing.

Then, the world stopped spinning.

Standing on our doorstep…

Lucien de Valois.

Théo Beaumont.

Raphaël Moreau.

They were dressed in suits that looked like they were made from shadows and power. They didn't just stand there; they owned the space around them.

No one spoke.

The air in the entrance suddenly felt charged, deep with the tension that comes before a lightning strike.

Rohan, totally unaware of the quiet battle happening in his doorway, stepped forward with his hand reaching out.

"Messieurs! Welcome, welcome," Rohan chirped, his voice sounded weak and high-pitched against the deep silence of the three men. "It is an absolute honor to host you. Please, come in."

He stepped back, ushering them into the house.

Lucien was the first to cross the threshold. His piercing gray eyes locked onto mine the second he stepped inside. He looked as if all the air had been kicked out of his lungs.

The cool, organized CEO I had seen on the business card was gone, replaced by a man who looked like he was staring at a miracle he didn't believe in.

Théo followed, his gaze sweeping over the tiled floors and the crystal chandeliers before landing on me. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his lips—a wolf recognizing a scent.

Raphaël was the last.

He looked stunned. His jaw was set so tight I could see a muscle ticking in his cheek. He looked as if he wanted to burn the entire house down just for standing in it.

"You know," Rohan said,unaware, turning to me with a smug grin. "You’re in the presence of three of the most influential investors in Europe. The Valois, the Beaumonts, the Moreaus—their companies are worth billions. Together, they are the most powerful investment trio in the world."

I couldn't breathe. My lungs felt like they were filled with lead. My gaze dropped to the floor, my heart beating so hard I was sure they could see it shaking against the silk of my saree.

Then, I felt it.

Rohan stepped toward me and placed his hand on my shoulder. His hand settled on my shoulder like a claim.

He squeezed slightly—a silent command to perform.

"Gentlemen," Rohan said, his voice dripping with pride. "Allow me to introduce the heart of this home. This is my wife, Anaya Kapoor."

The room went dead silent.

The kind of silence that happens right before a bomb blows up.

I felt Lucien’s gaze drop to the hand on my shoulder, then to my face. Théo’s smile didn't falter, but his eyes turned cold—ice-blue and murderous.

"Your wife?" Théo said softly.

The way he said the word wife didn't sound like a question. It sounded like an insult. It sounded like a threat.

Even Rohan stopped smiling. "Yes. My Anaya. We’ve been married for three years now. A perfect union of two business families."

Rohan looked between them, finally sensing the strange vibration in the room. "Why? Have you four met before? You all look... surprised."

My pulse pounded in my ears, a deafening roar. I looked up, my eyes pleading with Lucien. ‘Please. Don't tell him. Don't let him know who I was to you.’

Lucien’s eyes lowered. He looked at my left hand, where I had been forced to slide the wedding ring back onto my finger.

He stared at the diamond as if it were a wound.

Raphaël’s expression darkened even further, his hands fisting at his sides. I could see the rage radiating off him in waves. He looked like he was one word away from lunging at Rohan’s throat.

I waited for the floor to fall out from under me. I waited for Théo to laugh and tell Rohan exactly where they had found his wife last night.

I waited for Lucien to reclaim the "Little Rose" he had caught in the bar.

But then, Théo did the last thing I ever expected.

"No," he said.

The lie was so smooth, so effortless, that even I almost believed it.

He stepped closer, his shadow falling over both Rohan and me. He held out a hand toward me, his eyes never leaving mine.

"We’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Kapoor," Théo said, his voice dropping to a low, pleasant purr.

Rohan smiled, gesturing for me to take his hand. I reached out, my fingers trembling as they touched Théo’s palm. His skin was hot—searingly so—and his grip was firm.

He didn't just shake my hand; he held it, his thumb grazing the edge of my wedding ring in a way that felt like a challenge.

A pause stretched out, long and agonizing.

"But," Théo added, his gaze flicking to Rohan and then back to me with a flash of something wicked. "I think we're about to become very well acquainted."

Rohan laughed, clapping his hands together. "Excellent! That’s exactly what I like to hear. Business is always better among friends. Please, the dining room is this way."

As Rohan led them toward the back of the house, Théo stayed for a split second. He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear as he passed.

"Nice ring, Anaya," he whispered, so low only I could hear. "It’s a shame it has to come off."

Then he walked away, leaving me standing alone in the entrance, shaking so hard I had to grab the banister to keep from collapsing.