Episode 2: The Ruthless Tycoon
777 Words
Nisha stood in front of the mirror, staring at her 22-year-old self. Her long black hair, her unblemished skin—she was no longer the broken woman who had been pushed off a roof. She was alive. But more importantly, she knew exactly what chess moves her enemies were going to make.
"Nisha! Are you still not dressed? Arnav's family is already downstairs!" her aunt’s voice echoed from outside the door.
"I'm coming, Aunty," Nisha replied, her voice eerily calm.
She chose a stunning, fierce crimson lehenga instead of the soft pastel dress her sister Riya had picked out for her in her past life. Red was the color of danger. Today, she wasn’t a bride; she was an executioner.
When Nisha stepped down the grand staircase of the Mansoori mansion, the guests gasped in admiration. Standing near the stage was Arnav, looking sharp in a black sherwani, flanked by a smiling Riya. Seeing them together made Nisha’s blood boil, but she forced a sweet, innocent smile onto her face.
"Nisha, you look beautiful," Arnav purred, stepping forward to take her hand.
Nisha effortlessly stepped past him, avoiding his touch. "Thank you, Arnav. But before we exchange rings, there is someone very important I need to meet first. A matter of business."
Arnav frowned, confused. "Business? Today?"
"Yes. A 500-crore deal, to be exact," Nisha whispered, watching Arnav’s eyes widen with sudden greed. Before he could question her further, she slipped through the crowd and walked straight out of her own engagement party.
She had exactly forty-five minutes.
In the VIP lounge of the most luxurious seven-star hotel in the city, the air was thick with tension.
Sitting on a leather couch was **Reyansh Malhotra**. At 27, he was the undisputed king of the corporate world—cold, calculating, and dangerously powerful. His sharp jawline and piercing dark eyes radiated an aura that made even seasoned politicians sweat.
"Sir, the security team has cleared the floor, but there is a young woman outside demanding to see you," his assistant, Aman, reported nervously. "She says she has a proposal you cannot refuse."
Reyansh didn't even look up from his tablet. "Throw her out. I don't have time for gold-diggers."
"She said... it's about the Malhotra Group's secret shipping blueprint that is going to be leaked tomorrow by your rivals," Aman stuttered.
Reyansh’s hand froze. His eyes narrowed into slits. That blueprint was a state secret. How could an outsider know about it?
"Bring her in," Reyansh commanded, his voice dripping with ice. "And if she is lying, make sure she regrets drawing breath."
The heavy oak doors opened, and Nisha stepped into the room. Her red lehenga rustled against the marble floor. Despite the suffocating aura of power radiating from Reyansh, her gaze didn't waver. She looked straight into the eyes of the devil himself.
Reyansh leaned back, crossing his legs. "You have exactly two minutes to explain how you know about my blueprint, or this hotel room becomes your graveyard."
Nisha took a step closer, a fearless smile playing on her lips. "I know a lot of things, Mr. Malhotra. I know your rivals are planning to ruin you tomorrow. And I also know that your grandfather's last will states you must marry within the next month, or you lose 30% of your shares to your stepbrother."
Reyansh stood up slowly, towering over her. The temperature in the room seemed to drop to sub-zero. He grabbed her wrist, his grip like iron. "Who sent you? Are you a spy?"
Nisha didn't flinch, despite the pain. She looked up at him, her eyes burning with a strange, dark intensity.
"No, Mr. Malhotra. I am your solution. You need a wife to secure your empire, and I need a weapon to destroy my enemies. Sign a one-year marriage contract with me. I will save your blueprint today, and you will give me the power to crush the people who want me dead."
Reyansh stared at the fierce, beautiful woman standing before him. She didn't look like a socialite; she looked like a queen demanding an alliance.
"And why should I trust a girl who walks out of her own engagement just to strike a deal with a monster?" Reyansh asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Nisha’s smile widened, sharp and lethal. "Because, Mr. Malhotra... monsters are the only ones who know how to truly tear human beings apart. So, do we have a deal?"
### ## What happens next?
Will Reyansh accept the contract, or will he test Nisha's loyalty first? And what happens when Arnav realizes his wealthy fiancé has run away with the city's most dangerous billionaire?
- Writer
