Married in Vengeance (Dynasty Rebels #4)

Chapter 29

Twenty-Nine

RAM

The door to his office slammed open making Karthik jump in his seat. His partner looked up, wide-eyed, as Aarush stormed into the cabin, his furious gaze pinned on Ram.

Bracing himself for the punch he knew was headed his way, Ram stood to face his brother-in-law.

“You fucking bastard.” Aarush grabbed the front of Ram’s shirt and hauled him forward.

Ram said nothing. He couldn’t blame Aarush for his rage. If Ram had been in his position, he wouldn’t have wasted a second before pummeling him into the ground.

“Easy,” Virat’s calm voice came from behind Aarush, his hand wrapping around Aarush’s clenched one and forcing him to let go of Ram’s shirt.

“Easy my ass.” Aarush dropped his hand, but his eyes still shot flames. “How dare you fuck around with my sister’s life like that?”

Ram opened his mouth to defend himself, but nothing came out.

“What the hell is going on?” Karthik asked from where he’d backed up against the wall.

“Ask your friend,” Aarush snarled, spinning away from Ram and running his hands through his hair struggling for control.

“Ram?” Karthik was looking at all of them like they were the opening act in a three-ring circus. Ram honestly couldn’t blame him.

“I thought it was the right thing to do.”

Aarush dropped his chin to his chest, shaking his head and scoffing. “The right thing to do? You are unbelievable.”

Ram took a deep breath. “Can we sit?” he asked. “Please?”

Aarush was his friend. Had been his friend, he amended as he saw the venomous look his ‘friend’ shot him.

“Or stand,” he said when no one moved.

“Do you know what I thought when my father told me that you’d offered for Aadhya’s hand in marriage?” Aarush said conversationally, his eyes still filleting Ram with his glare.

Nobody answered.

“I thought, wonderful. There is no better man in this world for her. Because no matter what, Ram will do right by her. He always does right.”

Ram closed his eyes, the words shattering the last remnants of his self-respect.

“When Agastya deceived Veda into marrying him, how did you feel dickhead?” Aarush asked softly. “How did it feel to know that the man you disliked and distrusted had married your sister? How did it feel to know that he was going to break her heart and there was fuck all you could do about it?”

Ram swallowed hard, each word cutting him off at his knees.

“Now think for one minute about how it feels when a man you consider a friend does the same thing.”

A deafening silence fell around them as Ram stared into his friend’s betrayed eyes.

“Why Ram?”

When Ram didn’t immediately move to respond, Aarush stepped away from him, turning towards the door. “I’m done with this shit,” he muttered.

“Aarush.” Virat’s calm voice stopped him. “You need to stay so we can figure this out.”

“I’ll stay if he tells me why he did it.”

“She was blackmailing me.” The words were hoarse, but he forced them out. He owed Aarush that much. “I don’t know why or what she wanted yet, but I know she did. I married her because it was the easiest way to get to the truth. And because-“

“Don’t stop now,” Aarush said mockingly. “And because?”

“And because I thought that by tying her fate to mine, I made it impossible for her to take me down without going down herself.”

Aarush swore under his breath. “Fuck you, Ram.”

Yeah. Fuck him. Fuck his life. Fuck everything. Exhausted, Ram dropped into his chair, covering his face with his hands.

“I don’t know who sent you those emails, but it wasn’t my sister.”

“Every string I’ve tugged at, every lead I’ve followed has ended back at her,” Virat said. Before Aarush could turn on him, Virat added, “But my gut agrees with you. None of what I’ve learned adds up to the Aadhya I’ve come to know.”

“You still took your information to this asshole.”

“I did,” Virat agreed. “My job is information. Facts. I took the facts I had to my client.”

“She didn’t do it.” Aarush swiped a hand over his face, his head hanging low. “Aadhya didn’t do it.”

“I-“

“Don’t talk.” Aarush didn’t let Ram finish that sentence. “She has someone gunning for her at work and now, I find out she has her own husband gunning for her too.”

“You’re being sued.” Ram stood, one hand braced on the table. “Aadhya and your company.”

Aarush laughed, a harsh sound. “Yes, Mr. Obvious. I know. Are you offering to represent us?”

“I can’t.”

“You mean you won’t,” Aarush snapped at him. “You’re supposed to be the best lawyer in town but –“

“Karthik will.”

Aarush stared at him.

“Karthik will what?” Karthik asked from where he still stood, looking shell shocked.

Ram didn’t look anywhere but at Aarush. “Karthik will represent Aadhya and the company. But I will fight the case every step of the way.”

“Why does he have to front?” Aarush shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at him. “Why can’t you?”

“It’s a conflict of interest.”

Aarush just watched him steadily. “Try again.”

“Do you think she’d want me to fight her case once everything comes out?” When Aarush didn’t reply, the truth of his unspoken answer weighed on the room.

“Why are you helping us? Helping Aadhya? After what you’ve pulled, why would you? How do I know you’re not the one behind all her work shit too? Aren’t you the one trying to ruin her?”

“You really think I’m running around forging signatures and vanishing vital papers from your files?”

“What I think is that I don’t know you at all.”

Ram didn’t flinch though the words sliced through him.

“Even before you called to hire Virat, I’d already done the same and for the same reasons. I was the one who asked him to tell you everything.”

“Why?”

“Because when I heard about what was happening at her work, I knew there was a connection. And Virat is going to find it for us. Karthik will front but you have me, Aarush. Aadhya has me. You will get the best legal counsel this country has to offer. We’ll get the bastard who is trying to bring her down and then we’ll bury him six feet under.”

“I ask again, why?” Aarush wasn’t willing to give an inch, and Ram respected the shit out of him for it.

“Your sister asked me to choose. I’m choosing her.”

“When she finds out why you married her, it’s going to destroy her,” Aarush bit out.

Ram nodded, the words carving themselves into his heart. “Let’s work towards saving her before that happens,” he said.