Page 316 of Hateful Games

“Why are you both so shocked? She’s my daughter and today, she’s made me so proud.” Mihir grins before revealing, “The day she came with the brilliant proposal to spy on your company, I knew I had raised her right. You both seriously underestimated her. Did you really think I would tolerate joining my family’s name with yours? Creating a bloodline merging our blood? You should’ve known better, Danish.”

“When?” My neutral tone pierces the air. I pin a mute Rosalie with a stare and demand, “When did you decide this?”

She lifts her chin and lets her father answer.

“After the London trip.”

Four words.

And my heart cracks into a million pieces.

For over eight years, she’s been plotting on deceiving me. Her hate ran even deeper and thicker than mine, it seems. I made it so easy and gave her an opportunity at every turn to backstab me. And my God, she took it.

No wonder she didn’t object to becoming my assistant.

She’s the one who’s been leaking information, sabotaging my reputation and my legacy. Why? Because her father told her so? Him hurting and abusing her wasn’t my imagination. The bruises, the tears, the raw fear… it was and felt real.

Nevertheless, she’s standing beside him.

Because of some righteous sense of loyalty.

Yet all I care about knowing is, did she even love me? Or was it all a lie? Why the fuck do I still want to protect her? I search her face, pleading and aching for a tiny glimpse of my sweet Rose existing in there somewhere. That she wouldn’t betray me like this.

She loves me.

She said she loves me.

Today, I realize the depth of her hold and power on me. Weak. She’s made me weak.

“Is it true, Rosalie?” my father questions, his tone turning hard. “You are behind all of this? Fucking answer me!”

Peering straight at me, she obliterates my soul. “Yes.”

“After we trusted you? Treated you like family? Why would you do this?”

She ignores my father’s accusation and turns to Mihir. “Can I leave, Papa? I’m sure you can explain the rest.”

“Of course.” He pats her arm. “You may go.”

As she walks past me, I grab her wrist. A small gasp and our gazes lock. I’ve never let my guard down in front of my enemies, yet I do for her. I give her one last chance.

“Tell the truth, Rose. What does your father have on you? I don’t care what you did all those years ago. What you felt for me then was different. I didn’t deserve your trust then, but I do now. He can’t hurt you as long as I’m alive. Just say it was a mistake.” My harsh tone sounds almost pleading. “Let me protect you. It’s not too late.”

“Protection from whom?” My chest aches, splintering when she shrugs off my grasp as if my touch burned her. “Besides, it wasn’t me who needed it, Nova. It was you and now, you’re paying the price.”

Without a look back, she walks out.

I’m left staring at the spot she left empty.

“I warned you, Nova,” Mihir speaks. “Don’t be fooled by her tears. Look at you, you fell for her anyways. Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“Shut your mouth!” snaps my father. “We aren’t giving in to your demands. I wasn’t taking a bribe from those men. I’ll prove the same in court.”

Numbness spreads through my limbs but I make out my father’s words.

Bribe?

I grab the file he discarded and scan the contents. Two damning pictures in black and white reveal my dad holding envelopes filled with cash. The scenery telling me it’s the street near the port. We heard that the local thugs were extorting protection money from the local businesses and small shops.

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