The night after the gala was anything but calm.
Inside the Malhotra mansion, tension hung in the air like a storm waiting to explode.
Aarav stood in his study, staring at the city lights.
But his mind wasn't on business.
It was on one name.
Arjun Mehra.
The man who wasn't supposed to exist anymore.
The man who made Kiara react.
And Aarav didn't like that.
Not one bit.
Suddenly—
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
Aarav picked it up.
"Who is this?"
A calm voice replied,
"Someone who knows your wife better than you do."
Aarav's eyes darkened instantly.
"…Arjun."
A soft chuckle came from the other side.
"Smart."
Aarav's grip tightened around the phone.
"What do you want?"
Arjun's voice was relaxed.
"I just wanted to see how long it would take you to find out the truth."
"What truth?"
"That Kiara Kapoor isn't as innocent as she looks."
Aarav's jaw clenched.
"Careful."
"Or what?" Arjun laughed quietly.
"You'll destroy me?"
A pause.
Then his tone turned darker.
"You already tried once."
Aarav froze.
"What are you talking about?"
But Arjun ignored the question.
Instead, he said something that hit exactly where it hurt—
"Tell me something, Aarav…"
His voice dropped.
"When she looks at you…"
"…does she ever hesitate?"
Silence.
Because Aarav knew exactly what he meant.
Kiara's hesitation.
Her guarded eyes.
Her secrets.
Arjun smirked on the other side.
"Thought so."
Aarav's voice turned cold.
"Stay away from her."
A low laugh followed.
"You really think she belongs to you?"
Aarav didn't answer.
Because legally—
She did.
But emotionally—
That was a different story.
Arjun spoke again.
"She was mine first."
Those words hit harder than they should have.
Aarav's anger rose instantly.
"Not anymore."
Arjun's voice turned dangerously calm.
"We'll see."
The call disconnected.
Aarav stood there, breathing slowly.
Trying to control the anger building inside him.
Because for the first time—
This wasn't just about revenge.
This felt personal.
Very personal.
Meanwhile…
Upstairs.
Kiara stood near the window, her phone still in her hand.
She had heard everything.
Every word.
Her expression was unreadable.
But inside—
Everything was falling apart.
Because the past she buried…
Was coming back.
And this time—
It wasn't just her life at risk.
It was Aarav's too.