Page 7 of Entangled Vows

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“What the fuck?” Mohit leapt to his feet, his voice breaking through the silence.

Mahika grabbed his arm, trying to calm him, but his whole body trembled with fury.

“This has to be a mistake,” he snapped, his fists clenched tight. “I’vealwaysowned fifty percent. How the hell does this clause override that? How doesheget majority control?”

Mr. Rao’s voice remained maddeningly calm. “This is what the new, additional section of the will states. The founders made changes in private. I’m only here to present them.”

Mohit could no longer contain his rage. “This is utter crap! No one discussed this with me. My father’s will was read a year ago. Then why the hell wasn’t this clause mentioned at the time?”

“This clause was specifically designed to take effect only after both founders had passed away,” Mr. Rao explained evenly. “It was intended as a safeguard. No one foresaw this. I knew about this, yes, but naturally, it had to remain confidential.”

“I don’t accept this,” Mohit thundered. “I’ve busted my ass for this company while Vikram sat in his cushy Mumbai office, playing startup with that asshole, Arjun!”

“Watch it,” Vikram cut in, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. “Say one more word about Arjun, and I won’t give a damn how long we’ve been friends.”

Mohit’s eyes blazed with fury. “If friendship means so much to you, then why are you going along with this nonsense when you know it’s unfair?”

“Mohit, it’s complicated,” Mr. Rao said carefully. “Before he died, Mr. Khurana entrusted everything solely to Mr. Uday Jehangir.”

Mahika couldn’t hold back any longer. “But what about Suraj?”

Mr. Rao adjusted his glasses. “He voluntarily relinquished his shares in both the JK Group and Khurana Empire. He currently retains a fifteen percent stake in the automotive division of Khurana Empire, along with access to his personal trust fund.”

What!Mahika’s head was spinning.Suraj gave up his share in the business?

Her hands trembled as she grabbed her phone and called him again. But all she heard was a robotic voice saying the number was switched off.

Damn it.

She checked her messages, but they were still showing undelivered. Her chest tightened as she drew in a shaky breath.What the hell was going on?

Meanwhile, Mr. Rao’s voice droned on, reciting names, numbers, and layers of legal jargon that barely registered.

“I understand your worries, Mohit,” Mr. Rao said gently. “Mr. Jehangir will give you all the details when the time comes. The only change is the percentage. The alliance itself continues as is.”

Mr. Uday Jehangir was the longest-standing shareholder, holding ten percent equity, and her father’s most trusted mentor.

“This changeseverything,”Mohit retorted sharply. “Unfair is still unfair.”

“I’m sorry, but there’s absolutely nothing I can do. And that brings us,” Mr. Rao said, his expression unreadable as his gaze swept across the room, “to the final provision of the clause.”

“Go on,” Vikram said, his voice calm. Too calm.

Mahika turned towards him and froze. There it was. The faintest shift in his expression. It wasn’t surprise, but something else. A calculated anticipation.

He knows. He knows. He knows.

The realisation reverberated in her mind, and her stomach plummeted even before Mr. Rao’s tone turned more serious.

“According to the highly confidential provision in the joint will of Mr. Jaykar and Mr. Khurana, should both founders die before any of their children are married, Mahika Jaykar and the Khurana heir, Vikram Khurana, must marry and remain legally bound for one year. The clause was intended to transform the business partnership into a familial bond, ensuring long-term stability and unity. Furthermore, this stipulation has altered Mahika’s inheritance. The lock-in period for theAustralian beach house has been extended. She will receive it only after she completes one full year of marriage to Vi—.”

“What?” She cut him off before he could finish.

The silence that followed was deafening, hitting her like a tidal wave. No one moved.

The words looped in her head, sounding distorted and unreal, like an alien language.