The insult stung, but what came next was worse, because it came from him. He should’ve stopped. He should’ve bitten back the words.
But he didn’t.
He snapped. “Stop interfering. You are not my mother. You’re just someone my father paid to keep this house in order. You’re here because of duty, not blood. You were hired, and you can leave just the same. You’re free to leave anytime you want. Especially now that the man you loved is dead.”
Silence fell like thunder. It hung there. Heavy. Final.
And he regretted it the moment it left his lips.
He saw it. The subtle shift in her face. The way her breath hitched. Her lips parted, but no words came.
Arnav regretted it the moment the words left his mouth. But pride clamped his throat shut.
She inhaled deeply, blinking hard to hold back what
