His Secret Empire

Chapter 3

Rohan trembled in the dark, heart racing. He could give his life, but the thought of losing Anjali was unbearable.

Then his eyes snapped open. He was back in their bed, the room quiet except for Anjali’s soft breathing beside him. Relief flooded through him. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her like she might disappear if he let go. He knew he had to protect her at any cost. What he didn’t know was that his nightmare was about to bleed into reality—and the hardest choice of his life was coming.

The next morning, the dream lingered like a bad taste. Rohan tried to shake it off, telling himself it was just stress. Downstairs at breakfast, the Sharma family had gathered, and the air felt thick with unspoken tension.

Anjali’s aunt, Janki Sharma, never missed an opportunity to stir trouble. She leaned in with a sly smile. “Anjali, I heard the Rajput heir is after you? What’s really going on?”

Anjali glanced at Rohan, who gave her a subtle nod to stay calm. “Auntie, it’s nothing. Just rumors.”

“Rumors?” Janki raised an eyebrow. “I heard he’s already showering you with expensive gifts.” Her tone dripped with mockery.

Rohan stepped in smoothly. “Mrs. Sharma, you’ve misunderstood. Anjali and I are happy. That’s all that matters.”

Janki ignored him completely and turned back to Anjali. “Think about it, beta. With the Rajput heir, you could live like a real princess. Luxury, power, everything.”

Anjali’s patience snapped. “Auntie, I’m happy with my life. I don’t need a prince.”

“Your choice,” Janki said with a victorious little smirk. “But don’t come crying later.”

The Sharma family, always sniffing for advantage, latched onto the rumors about the Rajput heir pursuing Anjali. They twisted it into their own scheme—one that exploded into a full-blown confrontation at the Nationalia Golf & Country Club.

Janki invited Anjali to what she called a “special party,” promising to introduce her to someone “very important.” Anjali was suspicious but went anyway, not wanting to cause more family drama.

When she arrived, she realized it was at the elite Nationalia club. Golf had never interested her, but she played along for her aunt’s sake.

Janki pulled her aside. “Anjali, I want you to meet someone very special. He’s rich, powerful, and he’s dying to meet you.”

“Who is it?” Anjali asked warily.

“Surprise,” Janki said with a grin. “You’ll see.”

Before Anjali could protest, Janki pushed her toward a man practicing his swing on the green. The man turned—and Anjali froze.

It was Rohan.

He’d disguised himself with a fake beard, a wig, and casual golf attire. He smiled warmly. “Surprise, love. I wanted to make your day special.”

Anjali’s shock turned to fury. “What the hell is this, Rohan? Why are you here?”

Rohan’s smile faded. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I found out your family was trying to set you up with some rich guy. I couldn’t let that happen.”

“So you followed me? Disguised yourself?” Anjali’s voice rose. “Do you not trust me at all?”

“It’s not about trust,” Rohan said quietly. “It’s about keeping you safe. I care too much to stand by and do nothing.”

“I don’t need your protection, Rohan. I need honesty.”

Just then Janki appeared, furious. “Anjali! What are you doing talking to this man? You’re supposed to meet the wealthy gentleman I arranged!”

Anjali turned on her aunt. “Auntie, I don’t want to meet anyone else. I’m happy with my husband.”

Janki’s face twisted with rage. “You ungrateful girl! I’ll ruin you for this!”

She lunged forward, hand raised—but Rohan stepped between them in an instant. He caught Janki’s wrist gently but firmly, pushing her back and shielding Anjali behind him.

“No one touches my wife,” he said, voice low and deadly. “Not ever.”

Janki stumbled, eyes wide with sudden fear. She muttered an apology, but Rohan wasn’t finished.

“From today onward,” he declared, loud enough for the nearby club members to hear, “no member of the Sharma family will be allowed in this club again.”

Security arrived within seconds. Janki and her entourage were escorted out in humiliation.

Word spread like wildfire. Social media exploded with rumors: the Rajput heir was obsessively pursuing a married woman. The speculation painted Anjali in the worst light, and the online hate hit her hard.

Back home, she exploded at Rohan. “What was all that? Why do you keep following me everywhere? Don’t you trust me?”

Rohan stayed calm, though pain flickered in his eyes. “Anjali, I never meant to hurt you. I was only trying to protect you from your own family’s schemes.”

“I don’t need protecting from them—or from anyone. I just need the truth.”

Rohan exhaled slowly. “Okay. No more secrets. I’ll tell you everything.”

He sat her down and laid it all bare—his real identity as the Rajput heir, the enemies circling the family empire, the threats that had already started, the reason he’d hidden for so long. He told her about the Five Princes, the quiet moves he was making to reclaim control, and the danger that now followed them both.

Anjali listened in stunned silence. When he finished, tears filled her eyes—not just from shock, but from seeing how heavy his burden had been.

“I had no idea you were carrying all this alone,” she whispered. “It’s too much.”

“I know,” Rohan said softly. “Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”

Anjali stepped forward and hugged him tightly. “I love you, Rohan. And I’m staying—no matter what comes.”

But even as she held him, a cold dread settled in her chest. Something terrible was coming. She could feel it.

The next day, Rohan quietly launched a discreet internal audit into financial irregularities within the Rajput Group—suspecting sabotage from within.

Meanwhile, Anjali’s cousin Jay Sharma launched a vicious smear campaign against Rohan. He spread lies across the city: Rohan was a fraud, a liar, a dangerous man who’d tricked Anjali into marriage.

The rumors reached Anjali quickly. They hurt, but she refused to believe them. “I know who Rohan is,” she told herself. “He’s good. He’s mine.”

Still, Jay kept pushing—turning friends, relatives, even colleagues against Rohan.

Overwhelmed, Anjali went to Rohan and told him everything.

He pulled her close. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle Jay.”

With Rajat’s media pull and Alok’s ruthless efficiency, they dismantled the campaign in hours. Jay and his father Farooq Sharma were publicly humiliated, then arrested on charges of defamation and attempted extortion.

Anjali felt a wave of relief—but she knew it was temporary. Jay and Farooq were in jail now, but they’d come for revenge eventually.

“We have to stay careful,” Rohan told her. “Our enemies won’t stop.”

Anjali nodded, but fear gnawed at her. Life would never be simple again. Loving Rohan meant living with danger.

Yet she loved him fiercely. She was strong. She could face anything.

Or so she thought.

Fate had other plans—and soon, Anjali would be forced to make the most impossible decision of her life.