Married in Vengeance (Dynasty Rebels #4)

Chapter 45

Forty-Five

RAM

The old man they’d had arrested looked strangely diminished as he sat in the chair, his gaze firmly fixed on the table in front of him.

“Prasad Garu,” Aarush began.

The other man’s head shot up, a sneer twisting his lips. “Don’t bother with the respect.”

“Alright.” Aarush put his hands on the table. “Let’s dispense with that. Why did you do it?”

“You know,” Prasad mused. “I used to take you to school, attend your PTM meetings when your parents were otherwise busy. I saw your report cards. You’re a smart boy.” His eyes flashed with hatred. “So, don’t ask dumb questions.”

“You resented the fact that my father put Aadhya in charge.”

“And you.” Prasad shook a finger at him. “Both of you, little brats, just grew up and took what was mine.”

“How was it yours?”

“I earned it. I built that empire with your father.” He jabbed a thumb at his chest. “Me. While the two of you were still in dirty diapers.”

“Not true,” Aadhya drawled, drawing his attention. “Our diapers were never dirty.”

Ram stifled a grin at the other man’s outraged expression.

“You think this is funny,” Prasad snarled. “My life is ruined.”

“You ruined it,” she shot back. “Along with mine.”

A small smile sliced through Prasad’s anger. “Oh no, Aadhya Reddy, Chief Architect of Laxmi Builders. You ruined yourself.”

She stepped forward, her face a mask of control and composure. “Don’t blame me for your insecurities and failures. I didn’t bring us to this position. You did.”

“Yes, I did.” He smiled, all vestiges of pretense disappearing. “I was Laxmi Builders’ backbone. And I was the one who broke its back too. I did it. Neither of you children would have been able to do either.”

Mayank shifted on his feet. “The moment’s up guys. This isn’t going anywhere. Let’s go.”

“Why the video?” Aadhya blurted out, her words tripping over each other. “How did you get the video and why did you send it to Ram?”

Prasad’s sneer slipped, disgust seeping through his expression. “Your father will kill himself when he finds out what a cheap little whore you are.”

A growl escaped Ram and he took a step toward the other man. Mayank wrapped a hand around his arm and held him back. “Not part of the deal, my friend,” he murmured.

“Don’t get worked up, Ram,” Aadhya drawled. “It’s not an insult when it comes from a lying, thieving, blackmailing scumbag.”

She met the other man’s gaze, her eyes fierce and furious. “Tell me why.”

“You never deserved him.” He jerked his head towards Ram. “I’ve known that boy for years. He was destined for greatness. He was destined for the Supreme Court. You touched him and he was ruined. You took your seat at the company and the company is now crumbling. You are nothing but a plague on everyone and everything you come in contact with. The black stain that just keeps spreading.”

“He was supposed to dump you but he married you instead. I kept sending more emails thinking maybe he will finally see reason. But no, he just kept staying with you, defending you, even getting ready to go on live television with you. He ruined himself to be with you.”

Aadhya paled, for the first time since they entered the room, she looked unsure of herself. Ram ached to go to her, to hold her, to put his arms around her but he’d lost the right to all that a long time ago.

Aarush got to his feet, dragging Aadhya to hers as well. “You’re going to rot in jail for a very long time. I feel sorry for your family but not for you. You deserve everything that’s coming your way.”

Prasad smiled. “And so do the two of you. You’ll never rebuild Laxmi Builders to what it was. You took my life’s work from me. I took your inheritance.”

They walked out with Prasad’s laughter following them. Mayank signaled for the door to be locked tight and the sound cut off.

Aadhya stared at the shut door, her face a blank mask.

“The video, and all copies of it, have been destroyed.” Aarush wrapped an arm around Aadhya and drew her close. “That chapter in your life is done.”

“How did he get it in the first place?” she asked.

“His nephew helped him,” Ram answered, wishing he could shove Aarush aside and be the one to comfort her. “That was taken the night we were together at Raashi’s wedding reception.” A dull flush stained his cheeks as he continued, “We weren’t careful about locking the door and Prasad managed to take the video. His nephew cleaned it up and altered it to make it more visually incriminating. But it’s done now. Virat’s embedded a worm in the nephew’s systems, corrupting everything. He tracked all outgoing emails before he did that. The only people it was sent to were that one news agency and me.”

Mayank cleared his throat. “We’ve got everything we need for now. If there is anything more, we’ll reach out.”

Accepting the polite dismissal, they thanked him and exited into the bright sunlight. Ram pulled his glasses off and stuck it in the collar of his shirt, rubbing his eyes with one hand.

“Aarush,” he said, halting his friend’s brisk march. “Could I speak to Aadhya for a second?”

Aarush looked at Aadhya and when she nodded in agreement, he shot Ram a hard, warning look before walking towards the car parked a little distance away near the pavement.

“What do you want?” she asked, her tone curt and abrupt.

“You asked me a question earlier. I’d like to answer.”

She stared into the distance, not bothering to look at him. But she didn’t walk away and he took that to mean that she was listening.

“I made a mistake. A horrible mistake. One I will regret for the rest of my life. One that I would sell my soul to be able to go back in time and change. But I can’t. I can’t fix this. I don’t know how to. The only justice I have to offer you is your freedom from this marriage. I’ll give you whatever you want. Sign the papers. Leave me and live your life, the life you’ve always wanted.”

She didn’t respond. She still didn’t look at him. She didn’t even acknowledge his presence or his explanation.

Ram finally lost the daily battle he fought and reached for her, his hands cupping her cheeks and turning her face to his. Her tear drenched eyes, quivering lips and pale cheeks had his heart turning over in his chest. He dropped his forehead to hers, his eyes closing with pain.

“You are not a black stain, Aadhya. You are the brightest part of the sun. You are the light that makes life possible for me. You are everything. You have always been everything.”

He saw Aarush approach them from the other side of the road and dropped his hands and stepped back.

“You don’t have to believe anything else I say but please believe this. Just this. You’re the sun, Aadhya, Bright, fierce, and lifegiving. Don’t let anyone, not even me, take that from you.”