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Shaurya slowed his steps, his instincts already on edge. A strange tension curled in his chest as he got closer. He was just a few feet behind now, his heart starting to pound harder than it should have.

Nandini spotted him approaching and waved him over. “Shaurya! Come here. I want you to meet the Principal Partner at Aura Wellness—Mrs. Choudhary.”

The woman turned.

And Shaurya felt the floor beneath him crumble.

It was Rhea.

Even Rhea’s face drained of colour as she turned to him, but she quickly composed herself, her expression slipping back into calm, practiced poise.

Nandini looked between them, confused. Something felt wrong.

“Wait... you two know each other?” she asked slowly, her eyebrows drawing together.

Shaurya didn’t answer. His throat had gone dry, the words trapped beneath a thousand unsaid memories. But just as he opened his mouth, Rhea beat him to it.

“Of course we do,” she said, offering a tight smile. “I’m his ex-wife, Rhea.”

She paused, her eyes flicking to Nandini. “Now Mrs. Rhea Anirudh Choudhary.”

Nandini’s smile vanished.

Her expression faltered, and she froze.

Her mind was reeling, connecting the dots, flashing back to the pieces of Shaurya’s story he had once shared. The woman who had broken him. The one he couldn’t bring himself to destroy, no matter how much she hurt him. The one whose mere name set his nerves on fire. Now, the same woman stood there, in front of them, smiling politely, cool and composed, proudly carrying the surname of the man she had once chosen over her own husband, betraying and shattering him in the process.

And just like that, the ground beneath Nandini’s feet began to shift.

Shaurya saw the confusion clouding Nandini’s face, the tension in her eyes, and instantly, the haze around him cleared. His protective instincts kicked in quickly. He stepped closer to Rhea, still keeping enough distance to be civil, but just close enough to remind her of exactly who he was.

“What is this?” he asked coldly. “This investment proposal… You’re a corporate brand strategist. Since when did you become a venture capitalist, Rhea?”

She lifted an eyebrow, her voice cool and composed.

“Iwasa brand strategist. And now, I’m a partner at Aura Wellness, alongside two others who have backed several ventures in the last two years. Think of it as an expansion of what I’d already built. But clearly, you haven’t been keeping tabs onmylife anymore; otherwise, you would have known this. It is surprising, considering how good you were at doing just that. People evolve, Shaurya. You should try it sometime.”

He stepped closer, his gaze razor sharp.

“You conveniently backing Nandini’s startup?” he pressed on. “That doesn’t feel like evolution to me. That sounds like infiltration.”

There was a flicker of irritation in her eyes. “Believe it or not, the world doesn’t revolve around you.”

“No,” he shot back as he pointed towards Nandini, his gaze still fixed on Rhea. “But mine does. My world revolves around her now. And I won’t letyoudisrupt that.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off.

“If this is some twisted game to sabotage Nandini because she’s with me, or some pathetic attempt to shake me, or worse, to hurt her—don’t. Walk away now. Because I swear, I won’t let your personal vendetta seep into her professional life.”

That struck a nerve, and he saw her jaw tighten. But he continued.

“Nandini is my future. My reason to live. And if you so much as try to poison a single part of her life… I promise you, I will burn every bridge you try to cross. I won’t let you touch her.”

Rhea blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his possessiveness and protectiveness, but quickly recovered. Her gaze dropped to Nandini’s left hand... and there it was. The solitaire ring. Gleaming like a quiet declaration. Telling her everything louder than any words could.

A visible crack flashed across her face, but only for a second before she masked it behind a thin, cold smile.

“I can’t believe it. You… you actually moved on? And she’s the one?” she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. “Funny. You once said no one could replace me,” she laughed bitterly.