PAST

AUTHOR POV

Inside the locked store room,

Smriti lay unconscious.

Her cheek was swollen.

Bruises had formed on her arms.

Her body had given up after hours of crying and pain.

She fainted.

Outside in the hall, Riya, Ram, and Shweta sat together.

Shweta had no idea what had happened earlier inside that room.

She only knew one thing—

Money.

“Mom, Dad,” Shweta said impatiently, “why don’t you just take the 30,000 and throw her out of this house?”

Riya looked at her daughter and smirked.

“Shweta, you’re thinking small.”

Ram leaned back in his chair.

“She is our salary account,” Riya continued calmly. “Every month 4000 comes. That’s steady money.”

Shweta frowned.

“But still…”

Riya interrupted her.

Riya leaned forward.

“Think. 30,000 we will get. But after that? Who will cook? Who will clean? Who will manage the house without asking questions?”

Ram smirked slightly.

“And if we need money again, we can always pressure her.”

Shweta nodded slowly.

“But why keep her long term?”

Riya’s eyes sharpened.

“Because she is Shrivastava Arora’s daughter.”

The room went quiet.

“You think Raichands will stay quiet forever?” Riya said thoughtfully. “Especially Dhruv. If one day he clears Shrivastava’s name… everything will legally go to Smriti.”

Ram’s eyes lit up.

“Meaning… property, business, money…”

Riya smiled slowly.

“And if she is under our control… then everything will be ours.”

Shweta gasped. “Ohhh… so she’s an investment.”

“Exactly,” Riya said proudly.

Ram leaned back in his chair.

But his mind was not just calculating money anymore.

It replayed the earlier moment.

Her fear.

Her trembling voice.

Her innocence.

A dark hunger stirred inside him.

Not love.

Not attraction.

Control.

He wanted to break her confidence

He wanted her dependent.

He imagined her scared of him, unable to raise her voice.

His thoughts were filthy, possessive, and dangerous.

A slow smirk formed on his lips.

(😏 But beta… that smirk will vanish the day Vikram Raichand stands in front of you. And he will not forgive. – Author’s voice.)

Riya noticed Ram’s expression and said sharply,

“Control yourself. We need her useful. Not damaged.”

Ram nodded but didn’t respond.

Because in his mind, Smriti was no longer family.

She was vulnerable.

And he liked that.

Inside the store room, Smriti stirred slightly.

Still unconscious.

Still unaware that outside—

Her future was being discussed like a business deal.

Greed.

Lust for control.

Inheritance.

Profit.

They thought they were planning smartly.

They thought they had power.

They didn’t know—

A storm named Raichand was already moving toward their door.

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