Inside the study, the tension was palpable, a heavy weight hanging in the air. Rajveer's voice was sharp, like a knife cutting through the silence.

"You can't say that! How could letting her get kidnapped be necessary?" Rajveer’s anger was unmistakable, his fists clenched as he paced before Advait. "I agreed to help you, but what you did—let her be kidnapped—was never part of the plan! That was never the reason I let you marry her, after what you did a year ago."

Advait stood still, the calm in his demeanor a stark contrast to Rajveer’s fury. His voice was measured, controlled, as he replied, "It was. To know who wanted to use her as leverage to get to me."

Rajveer’s face twisted with disbelief, his voice rising again. "And did you find out?"

"Yes… and no," Advait answered cryptically.

Rajveer shot him a look of confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

Advait’s gaze darkened as he replied, "My doubts are now confirmed. Someone from my family is involved in this. And that person—"

Rajveer’s words cut him off. "And that person is the one who murdered your father and my best friend, right?"

Advait nodded slowly, the weight of the revelation sinking in. Rajveer's face grew grim. He had always known this was a dangerous game, but this confirmation added a whole new level of complexity.

"I agreed to help you," Rajveer said, his voice softer but laced with authority. "But that doesn’t mean you have the right to put Samaira in danger. She is my daughter, and now she’s your wife. You could have protected her without involving her in all of this."

Advait’s eyes narrowed as he replied, his tone unyielding, "I married her to protect her. She’s not just your daughter anymore, She’s my wife."

Rajveer’s face softened with understanding, but his tone remained firm. "I know that. And I know no one could protect her better than you. But you need to understand—she will take time to comprehend this. It’s not easy to forget how you left her at the altar. You left me no choice but to help you, even though it broke my heart to see her like that."

Advait’s voice turned colder, as if the air itself froze with his words. "I did what I had to do. The mission I was on didn’t guarantee I’d make it back. I knew Samaira. If anything happened to me, she would never have been able to move on. I had no choice but to leave her the way I did so she could hate me. So she could move on."

Rajveer’s eyes softened, his expression pained. "I understand why you did it. But you know as well as I do, that day—seeing her in that state, it ripped me apart. It hurt me just as much as it hurt her."

Advait looked away, the weight of his decisions bearing down on him. "I couldn’t let her marry someone else, especially someone like Aarav. I didn’t do this only because I love her. After my enemies found out I was alive, they would have come after her, seeing her as a target. And I couldn’t let that happen. I had to protect her, uncle. You know that."

Rajveer nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of Advait’s words. "I know. I’m in this with you. But speaking of Samaira... did you tell her before you left?"

Advait’s fingers tightened around his phone as he spoke, his voice tinged with urgency. "No. She was sleeping when I left. I told the servant to inform her that I had gone to a meeting. Let me just check if she’s up."

Advait quickly dialed the servant, his mind racing. After a moment, the servant confirmed that Samaira had left the house to meet her parents, which surprised him. His guards, who were supposed to follow her, hadn’t reported anything. Advait’s heart skipped a beat. He needed to know where she was.

"Uncle," Advait said, his voice now taut with tension, "Call the house. Find out if she’s really there."

Rajveer nodded and immediately called Samaira’s mother. When the phone was picked up, he heard her voice, anxious yet cheerful. "She was supposed to be with you. Has she not arrived yet?"

The words felt like a cold rush of air through Advait’s chest. Samaira wasn’t at home. His pulse quickened as his thoughts raced. "She left to meet her family. How could she have gotten out without my men noticing?"

Rajveer stood up, his eyes narrowing with concern. Advait’s mind was already working, piecing together the missing puzzle pieces. He slowly got up from the desk, his expression darkening. "I need to see this for myself."

As Advait opened the door to leave, he froze. There, standing at the threshold, was Samaira. Her presence hit him like a sudden storm, the shock of it slicing through the tension in the room.

Her eyes were wide, filled with a maelstrom of emotions—betrayal, confusion, anger. Advait’s heart sank, but he kept his face neutral, masking his inner turmoil.

Samaira stood in the doorway, her hands trembling, her breath shallow as she stared at him.

"You…" she whispered, the single word laden with a thousand unspoken questions.

"Samaira..." Advait began, but his voice faltered under the weight of her gaze. There was no denying it—she knew. She knew the truth.

Rajveer, sensing the gravity of the moment, stepped back, his gaze flicking between Advait and his daughter. He knew this was the moment that would change everything.

Samaira, still reeling from the shock, took a deep breath, her voice steady but cold. "So this is the game you’ve been playing all along?"

Advait couldn’t answer. The truth was out there, but how could he explain a year’s worth of decisions to her in a single moment?

Rajveer stood back, knowing this confrontation was necessary. It was time for the truth to be laid bare, no matter the cost.