The dining hall was the same, down to the golden chandeliers and the long mahogany table set for five. But one seat had been empty for years. Her mother's.
Anaya ran her fingers over the stem of her wine glass, her expression unreadable as she watched Meera and Avni put on their perfect act.
"Seven years is a long time," Meera said smoothly, serving herself a portion of roasted lamb. "Tell us, what have you been doing all these years?"
The question was calculated.
Anaya smiled. "Learning."
Meera raised a perfectly arched brow. "Learning?"
Anaya took a slow sip of wine. "Yes. About business. Power. Betrayal." She set her glass down, meeting Meera's gaze with quiet intensity. "Things that run in the Kapoor family, don't you think?"
A brief silence.
Meera's fingers tightened around her fork, but she let out a soft laugh. "Oh, darling. You've developed quite the sharp tongue. I suppose the world teaches us to grow up fast."
Avni smirked. "Some of us were already born with power. Others have to struggle to get it."
Anaya turned to her stepsister, a slow, knowing smile curving her lips. "And some people pretend to be something they're not."
For the first time, Avni looked rattled.
Meera placed a hand on her daughter's arm. "Enough, girls. We're family. Let's not start a war at the dinner table."
Too late.
The war had already begun.
A Midnight Warning
Later that night, Anaya stood by the window of her old bedroom, staring at the city skyline. She should have felt uneasy being back in this house, but instead, she felt alive.
This was where she was meant to be.
A soft knock on the door broke her thoughts. She turned.
A servant stepped in hesitantly. "Miss Anaya, there's something you should know."
Anaya's eyes sharpened. "What is it?"
The servant swallowed. "Someone doesn't want you here."
Anaya smiled faintly. "I already knew that."
The servant hesitated, then lowered their voice. "No, miss. They want you gone. Permanently."
Before Anaya could respond, a new voice echoed from the doorway.
"That won't be necessary."
A chill ran down Anaya's spine as she turned to face the man standing at the threshold.
Raghav Kapoor, the man who had once been her father, but had become a stranger after her mother's death.
He stepped into the dim light, his presence looming, his sharp eyes carrying the weight of unreadable intentions. The immaculate cut of his suit and the calculated ease of his stance screamed power, dominance—a warning wrapped in silk.
"Welcome home, Anaya. It's been a long time."
Anaya met his gaze, unflinching. "Not long enough."
A slow smirk curled his lips, amusement flickering behind the steel of his expression. "That remains to be seen." He wore the mask of a loving father, but Anaya knew better. She had spent years trying to reconcile the man who had once cradled her in his arms with the cold, calculating figure standing before her now. His affection was a farce, a well crafted illusion to maintain control. Ever since he returned from his overseas business trip before her mother's death, he had changed. The warmth in his eyes had vanished, replaced by an unrelenting coldness. Once her protector, he now regarded her as a mere inconvenience, a rebellious thorn in his carefully cultivated empire. The man who had once carried her on his shoulders, whispered bedtime stories, and held her when she cried had disappeared, leaving behind a ruthless stranger. The air between them crackled with tension old wounds left to fester, new battles waiting to erupt.
Anaya stood her ground, her pulse steady despite the storm raging beneath her skin. She had spent years wondering what had changed Raghav Kapoor, what had turned him from the devoted father of her childhood into the enigma before her. Now, as she faced him in the dimly lit room, she realized she would find no answers in his eyes.
"You don't look happy to see me," Raghav remarked, his tone as smooth as ever.
"Should I be?" Anaya countered, lifting her chin. "The last time I was here, you barely acknowledged my existence."
Raghav chuckled, but there was no warmth in the sound. "Time changes things, Anaya. People grow. Priorities shift. You, of all people, should understand that."
Her fingers curled at her sides. "Yes, I understand. But what I don't understand is how a loving father became a stranger overnight. How a man who once held my hand now stands with those who want me gone."
His expression didn't falter. "You left."
"I was forced to," she shot back. "After everything that happened—after she happened—there was no place for me here. And you made that clear."
A beat of silence stretched between them, heavy with unsaid words. Then, with a slow, measured step, Raghav closed the distance between them.
"The world is far more intricate than you realize, Anaya. There are forces at work beyond your imagination."
Anaya refused to look away. "Then help me understand."
For the briefest moment, something flickered in his eyes—something almost human. But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, buried beneath the layers of control he had perfected over the years.
"You should get some rest," he said instead. "Tomorrow will be a long day."
And just like that, he turned on his heel and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Anaya standing alone in the suffocating silence.
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