She was hoping to keep me calm, to be the good Indian husband, and to do what needed to be done for our benefit.But how could I remain cool and collected when all the efforts and preparations that I have been dedicating all these years were on the verge of falling down the drain?Tia didn’t understand. She never would. This was not the power and the money fight for me, it was Varya. and if Kylo found her… if he took her from me again…As usual, the streak of anger swelled in me again, and I distinctly clutched my fists. Absolutely not, I would not let him. I couldn’t.As the days went by, I found myself losing my grip on reality more and more. The walls just seemed to slowly come in and grow darker and even more oppressive.Any sound, even the whisper made me start, and my paranoia went further into my head.Kylo was out there, somewhere, looking for her. He was getting closer I was sensing it. And with each passing day, the threat was mounting, the sense of the potential exposure of
Theo’s POVThe atmosphere within the house was so stifling, thick with both stress and concealed matters. My footsteps reverberated across the palatial corridors but brought no comfort whatsoever. Truth be told, wherever I went, guilt pursued me closely.It had been several weeks since I confined Varya to that underground chamber in the mansion. Only Tia and I knew about its existence. Although she was imprisoned there too, I kept thinking about her which made me insane.I find myself standing in front of the door to that hidden chamber, looking at its steel frame as if the solution to my problems lies within those walls. My palm rests on a cold metal knob and for just one second, I want to open it and get in there just to see her again. Varya. The woman who had consumed me.But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not while my thoughts churned like a violent storm, laced with fear, paranoia, and something darker—something dangerous.Kylo was closing in. I could feel it in my bones. I’d seen the way
“No,” I said firmly. “You are not leaving this place until we find a solution.”Varya’s expression crumpled, and she turned away from me, retreating back into her silence.For a brief moment, I remained there, observing her. Guilt was munching me, but I shoved it deep down, like an elevator going to the basement.I slammed shut the door behind me and set it on lock, the feeling that something vital was slipping through my fingers wouldn’t go away. It was as though every time I tightened my grip on it, it slipped away further and further.---Days passed with nothing but tension and paranoia. Increasingly, I'd found myself spending less time at home; unable to come face-to-face with what I had done. Wherever I went, my concern lay in leaving Varya with Tia.Yes, because Tia's impatience had become hostility, resulting in whispering her name around in hatred. I could see it in the way she looked at me, the way she talked about Varya.She wanted her gone. Permanently. And while I underst
TIA'S POVLying had turned out to be something that I had learned was very easy to do with time. Getting married to Theo was never about love, affection, or even intimacy; it was all about living and domination. I had to become the co-owner of his father’s company and this called for the next part I had to perform.But recently it became tiring. Sitting and observing how Theo becomes a different person before my eyes and slowly descending into a state of the mad was like standing on the edge of a cliff and I did not know how much longer I could stay on.Theo had been once hearty, and spirited, a real man that I wanted to marry. But now? Now he was just a pale shadow of the man she remembered, so absorbed in Varya and the looming threat of Kylo finding out the truth.I was sitting opposite him in his office, drumming my immaculately polished nails against the leather of the chair’s armrest pretending to be the concerned partner.But inside, I was disgusted. His trembling hands, the wil
KYLO'S POVAnd as I got closer to the well-known office block, there was the distant city skyline stalking me. But although it looked tranquil on the surface, I could almost feel my insides tight and throbbing with uneasiness when I walked towards its front door.The atmosphere around me was filled with an air of expectancy like that before a tempest; something was in the offing for sure.When I walked past her, she did not cross my mind at all. My focus was on the man I was about to confront. Theo Anderson. I had been circling this man for weeks, pushing every lead, every thread of suspicion that linked him to Varya’s disappearance. Something didn’t add up.Theo had always been calm, calculating, and careful. But lately, I had sensed cracks in his demeanor. Cracks that I was determined to exploit.I entered his office without knocking, and Theo glanced up from behind his desk, clearly surprised by my unannounced presence. His dark eyes flickered with a moment of shock before his usua
He had something to himself he wanted to keep a secret and this was a big secret indeed. Whatever it was, it seemed to hang its ugly head towards Varya’s disappearance.I came closer to him, my words spiced with hostility. “What did you do, Theo?”For this time, Theo did not utter a single word. He simply glared at me with such hatred in his eyes, but there was something else within them—shame … or was it guilt? Then, finally, he spoke his voice being as low and quiet as a whisper.“What had to be done was done, so whatever you saw me doing was part of the package.”These words left me feeling the same as if the wind had just punched out of me. I could sense the density of them, the facts disguised behind the label.Theo had done something, something that altered everything. And now, the only thing he was attempting to do was to find a rational explanation for what he was doing for himself and me and everyone else.“What does that mean?” I demanded. “What did you do?”Theo shook his h
Kylo’s POVThe rain kept on falling hard against the glass, a chill menagerie of the gloom beyond this side. Conversely, my inner turmoil was far in excess of that being experienced by the tempest outside.Only my desk lamp illuminated the room, throwing spooky shapes about on piles of papers lying everywhere. Varya was missing, and the silence in her absence gnawed at me. There were too many pieces, and for too long, none of them fit. Until now.Dora.I hadn’t thought of her initially. After I kicked her out of my life for the way she treated Varya, I’d assumed she’d retreated back into the shadows, bitter but harmless. I should’ve known better. Her bitterness wasn’t harmless—it was venomous.Dora had never forgiven me for marrying Varya. I could see that clearly now. It wasn’t just jealousy; it was hatred. And her plan wasn’t merely to punish Varya for taking her place—it was much worse.I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples as I tried to piece together the information Ameli
Kylo’s POVWith each new revelation, a darker truth emerged. The pieces of the puzzle that had eluded me for so long were finally coming together, but that came with a bigger weight. Nor was it a simple matter of jealous ex-lover; it was not a coincidence either.It was something much more sinister. The person who orchestrated manners was someone I could have never guessed would be Jasmin, Varya’s so-called best friend.I stood by the window in my office looking out on the city. My mind raced as I watched the lights below become blurred. Every part of me burned with anger as I thought of Jasmin's betrayal.She had been someone Varya trusted, someone who was supposed to look out for her, and yet, for a fistful of money, she had sold her out to Dora — the woman who had been obsessed with taking Varya’s place in my life. I never imagined Jasmin could sink so low.The betrayal felt personal. Not just because it had led to Varya’s kidnapping, but because it shattered the fragile trust I ha
On getting there people moved faster than usual; nurses ushered me into one room after another helping me put on a hospital gown a long way.Kylo stood still near where people were turned upside down due to the speed of what was happening around them offering some comfort unlike any other distraction I might find outside pain was too much but still stuck onto this thought that everything would soon pay off.Soon, we would meet our baby.Hours passed in a haze of contractions and medical jargon, the world narrowing down to just me, Kylo, and the baby.The pain was intense, like nothing I had ever experienced before, but I refused to give in to fear. This was what I had been preparing for, what we had been waiting for.The baby was coming, and I was going to bring them into the world.Kylo never left my side, his voice a constant source of encouragement, his hand a lifeline as I struggled through each contraction.He wiped my forehead with a cool cloth and whispered words of love and re
This confidence he had in us, in our capacity to manage a new phase boosted my morale erasing my fear places.I remember it very vividly, we were watching a movie one afternoon while lying on the couch in the living room and suddenly I felt a vigorous kick. I choked on my words, putting the palm of my hand on my swollen belly.“What happened?” Kylo asked, sitting up at once.“Everything is okay,” I replied cheerfully. "The baby just kicked really hard. Here, feel."I guided his hand to the spot, and we both waited. A moment later, another kick came, this time even stronger.Kylo's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow... they're strong.""I know," I laughed. "I think we're going to have a little soccer player on our hands."He grinned, leaning down to press a kiss to my belly. "I can't wait to meet you, little one. But take it easy on your mom, okay?"I watched him, my heart swelling with love. Seeing Kylo so involved, and so excited about becoming a father, made everything feel even more s
It was rather reassuring to be back home after the whirlwind which is our honeymoon, yet at the same time it was also rather daunting.The Island was once a beautiful place where all I cared for was our presence, Kylo and I had no other distractions.But it was time for us to step back and face our day-to-day lives, my pregnancy, and everything that came with it.By then I was several months pregnant and some of the symptoms were clearly visible to the naked eye. My tummy protruded out significantly and with that some effect of carrying a child.While the honeymoon had provided respite from pregnancy, the moment we were home, pregnancy was as real as reality could get.When about the house I felt both at ease with being home though nervous about the changes happening to me and around me.It pleased me that Kylo stayed close at my side; his fingers lightly brushing over my lower back.He got more caring and thoughtful than ever; I could easily see how much he cared for me and how much
I trusted him with everything that I had: heart, future, and life. Two days later we were in a private jet, by the influence I guess Kylo had, I had no idea where we were going. Kylo was not on specifics up to that time, but I did not give it much thought. There is nothing like suspense or perhaps relying on the unknown on the person. With that, I reclined in the chair and then looked at the shrinking landscape outside the plane’s small window. Kylo leaned forward, picked up my hand in his, and I looked at him and smiled. “You’re really not going to give me any hints?” I said as calmly as I could, though my voice was visibly laden with curiosity. Kylo chuckled, shaking his head. “Nope. You’ll find out soon enough.” I pouted playfully, but I knew better than to press him. Kylo loved his surprises and I must say, I enjoyed them as well. There’s something good about not knowing what’s next, about just going with the flow and chilling. The flight went by in no time, with Ky
Those days after the wedding were as if I was on honeymoon, loved being in that state, and did not want to wake up. I might as well describe it like this; the tranquility that came over me was one I never felt before. It was as though a weight I had no idea was lifted off my back, allowing me to breathe freely once more. There was a warmth that filled my whole body in place of the constricted knots in my stomach. It is worth noting that in the beginning of the story our marriage can be described as a purely business-like arrangement, a very practical marriage of convenience. But instead with time, it had become something concrete, something lovely. The relationship that Kylo and I had was a product of the most unlikely circumstances and the complacency that I felt as I stared at the house we had constructed together could only be described as profound. It was morning, the sun was shining and the rays of sunlight started entering the room through the windows. I was now pl
Kylo went first, his voice steady as he began to speak.“So Varya,” he began glancing at my eyes all the time,“when we got married for the first time, it was a business deal between us; something that was advantageous to both of us but lacked emotional warmth typical of true marriage. I was unapproachable and even icy; I never gave you the love or respect that you deserved. But as time passed everything changed. I changed.”His grip on my hand tightened more and I could see how sincere he was from his facial expression which told me that he meant every word in every line on his face.“I fell in love with you Varya; it started off slowly before all these sudden feelings hit me. You taught me what it means to be there for someone else genuinely because one wants to change oneself for them.”“And I have caused you pain earlier but today I am making a promise as follows: To be the man whom you deserve; to love you wholly and to build a happy joyful life together based on faithfulness and
The morning of the wedding was as well fine with no clouds in the sky to disturb the blue of the day. Now I found myself back in front of the mirror in my childhood room strapped and ready for this like a kid on Christmas Eve.The dress I bought for my wedding was an off-white, beautiful lace and silk gown that fitted me to perfection. It was plain and elegant and made me feel like flowers were blooming on my dress and the garden we would be getting married in was nearby.My mother was frequently touching my face, fixing my veil in position enrollment arrangement She caught my eye in the mirror and smiled, her expression soft with love and pride.“You look stunning, Varya,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Kylo is a lucky man.”“Thank you, Mom,” I replied, my voice trembling slightly. “I just… I want today to be perfect.”“It will be,” she assured me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Today is about you and Kylo, about the love you share. That’s all that matters.
VARYA’S POVThe day after Kylo's proposal felt like waking up in a dream. When dawn parted the curtains and let in the golden rays, it was hard to imagine that only a few hours ago Kylo had proposed to me for real.My hand went to the ring I now wore on my finger and the diamond again shone brightly against the sun, creating rainbows around the room.The moments were somewhat dreamlike and yet whenever I touched the ring on my finger I did not need anyone to tell me that this was all real. Kylo loved me.I stood up from the bed and walked towards the window and I looked outside at the city that was an unspoken character in our story, the one filled with both sorrow and happiness. This led my mind to the wedding which was now even in front of us.They were not an extension of a prior commitment, or repetition of a promise; it was the start of something fresh, of reality. And so the preparations could only be special as well.I could feel the buzz once I made my way downstairs in the ho
He had planned this event to be an entertainment for families, as well as business counterparts. The atmosphere in the room was filled with laughter, echoes of glasses touching, and music.This was ideally the environment that I wanted when I had planned the entire thing, but the feeling that swelled in my chest was almost tangible.I thought I was standing by one of the tall windows of the building looking down on the city below. The twinkling bulbs were of a high intensity and I observed it was dark like the sky at night and this made me take my eyes off it for a while.Yet, there I was thinking about Varya most of the time. It was her that made me develop nerves today and became the reason for this nervous energy in the night.She stood across the room dressed in burgundy dress which enhanced the curves of her body.She was gorgeous and although I was quite far I could notice the look of despair she was masking so well.It was a sadness that I realized that I had provoked and this