"Deepak… you? How dare you come here?"
Om glanced at Sanaya in surprise, then quietly gestured to Viraj, asking who this man was and why Sanaya looked ready to kill him.
Viraj muttered through gritted teeth,
"That greedy ex-boyfriend of hers…"
The moment he heard that, Om's eyes narrowed slightly.
Meanwhile, Deepak smirked arrogantly and adjusted his expensive blue suit.
"Oh please, my ex-future brother-in-law… still acting childish, huh? In today's world, if you're not greedy, how exactly do you move forward in life? And by the way, wanting to handle your sister's business wasn't greed. I was trying to give her comfort."
Then he laughed mockingly.
"So calm down, future stars of the Joshi family."
Sanaya's anger exploded instantly.
She stepped closer to him and snapped,
"Get out of here."
For a second, Deepak's expression darkened too, but he quickly controlled himself.
Instead, he turned dramatically toward the people standing beside him and pointed at Sanaya with a fake gentlemanly smile.
"Gentlemen… meet Miss Sanaya Joshi. Granddaughter of the owner of Joshi Industries… and a woman obsessed with freedom."
A few people nearby immediately became interested.
Deepak continued with theatrical sarcasm.
"You know, Miss Sanaya here is my ex-fiancée. And according to her, women are more capable than men. In fact, she believes men should stay home washing dishes while women run businesses."
Laughter erupted around them.
Deepak kept going.
"She thinks women are the best in every field. She doesn't trust men at all. Her ego tells her women can rule the world… and that's exactly why our engagement broke."
More laughter.
Sanaya's face stiffened.
Deepak Dholera was a selfish, manipulative man.
He had trapped Sanaya in fake love only because he wanted control over the Joshi empire. But even after spending years with her, he never understood one thing—
Sanaya wasn't some weak girl dreaming about marriage.
She was ambitious.
A woman who wanted to build her own name in the world with her own strength.
And when Sanaya broke the engagement after discovering his true intentions, Deepak swore to destroy both her and the Joshi family someday.
That hatred still burned inside him even today.
And now, seeing Sanaya standing here with Viraj and Om, he had come only to humiliate them publicly.
Deepak raised his hand, signaling everyone around him to stop laughing.
Then he stared at Sanaya coldly.
"Rejecting me was the biggest mistake of your life, darling."
His voice turned darker.
"Because breaking off that engagement became my good luck. After what happened, no company wanted to hire me. My reputation was destroyed because of you. People called me greedy… a dog… selfish… all kinds of things."
Then suddenly, pride returned to his face.
"But when every company shut their doors on me, I turned my passion into my career. You already know how deeply I researched Jade stones."
He smirked proudly.
"And you also know how many medium-grade Jades I've discovered so far. In fact… recently, I even found a high-class Jade."
People nearby gasped softly.
"That obsession with Jade got me hired as the head of the Jade Department in Mofra Jades… one of the country's leading Jade companies."
Then he leaned slightly closer.
"And I don't think I need to remind you how badly your grandfather's company has been losing against Mofra for the past five years in competitions like these."
Every single word stabbed directly into Sanaya and Viraj's hearts.
Because unfortunately…
It was true.
Deepak had joined hands with Mofra purely out of revenge, and ever since then, the Joshi Company had been losing repeatedly.
Even Sanaya's father and grandfather secretly blamed her for it.
In their eyes, her pride had cost them a brilliant talent… and created a dangerous enemy.
Slowly, Sanaya lowered her eyes toward the ground.
Seeing her like that brought visible satisfaction to Deepak's face.
Clenching his jaw, he spoke again,
"Today, I'll show the Joshi family what real defeat looks like."
His voice echoed confidently through the hall.
"Today, I'll uncover a Jade so incredible that your eyes will turn red from shock and despair. Today, Mofra Company is going to create history."
Then he pointed directly at Sanaya.
"And I swear… after today, I'll make sure the Joshis never even touch the Jade business again."
A cruel smile spread across his face.
"I heard Mr. Indrajeet Joshi himself is attending today's competition. I also heard he spent ninety-five percent of his entire wealth buying rare Jade for this market."
Then he burst into laughter.
"But honestly… after what you did to me six years ago, I won't settle until I destroy your entire family."
His eyes looked almost insane now.
"Today, I'll crush your grandfather… your family… and this stupid pride you have in women's power."
Then his tone suddenly became disgustingly shameless.
"Although…"
He slowly looked Sanaya up and down.
"There is still one way to save the Joshi empire."
Viraj's fists clenched instantly.
Deepak smiled wickedly.
"Just one night."
The entire atmosphere froze.
"Just one night with me, Sanaya… and I'll give your family the map. I promise I'll save your reputation."
Then he leaned closer and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear,
"After everything ends tonight… come to my room. I'll handle the rest."
The moment those words left his mouth, Viraj's blood boiled with rage.
Sanaya looked humiliated beyond words.
But neither of them could respond.
Because Deepak was right about one thing—
The Joshi family had bet almost everything on this competition.
Now Om finally understood why the Joshis had tolerated him and tried so desperately to keep him on their side despite all the tension between them.
Because they were desperate.
If they lost today…
The Joshi empire would collapse overnight.
One of the country's most powerful companies would become bankrupt.
And the entire Joshi family would end up on the streets.
Still…
No matter what the situation was, publicly insulting a respected woman and humiliating a prestigious family like this was unforgivable.
Om had been silent this entire time, listening.
Watching.
Watching Deepak laugh like a monster while enjoying Sanaya's humiliation.
Even the people standing around him were enjoying the show.
Mr. Chauhan stood there helplessly too, silently watching his business partner's family get insulted in front of everyone.
Then suddenly—
A cold voice echoed through the hall.
"Hah… sounds like the one who gave birth to you wasn't a woman… but a man."
The laughter stopped instantly.
Everyone turned toward the speaker in shock.
Viraj froze.
Mr. Chauhan's eyes widened.
Deepak's expression stiffened.
Even the people around him went silent.
Finally, Sanaya slowly lifted her head after recognizing the voice.
And the moment she saw who had spoken…
Her eyes widened completely in disbelief.
Because the person who had just said those words…
Was Om.