Chapter 35
Three weeks later.
London.
Rain drizzled softly against the giant glass windows of Rajput Global Holdings.
The entire city buzzed with one name again.
Riya Rajput.
The lost heiress had returned.
And the world had gone insane.
Every news channel.
Every business article.
Every billionaire forum.
Every stock market analyst.
Only one topic.
"The Rajput Princess is alive."
"Veer Rajput's sister returns after six years."
"The forgotten heiress takes control again."
"Who exactly is Riya Rajput?"
Because for the first time ever,
The world finally saw me.
And honestly?
They weren't prepared.
Inside the top floor boardroom,
Silence filled the massive table.
Twenty men.
All older.
All powerful.
All nervous.
Meanwhile at the head seat,
I sat calmly flipping through a file.
Black pencil skirt.
White silk shirt.
Diamond watch.
Hair tied sleekly back.
Cold expression.
Sharp eyes.
Absolute authority.
The timid sweet girl from Mumbai?
Gone.
Because she existed only in the six years I no longer remembered.
Now?
I was who I had been before the kidnapping.
Riya Rajput.
Raised among billionaires.
Feared in boardrooms since age eighteen.
The woman newspapers once called:
"The Ice Princess of London."
And honestly?
The title suited perfectly.
One executive finally cleared his throat nervously.
"Miss Rajput... regarding the Singapore merger-"
I shut the file calmly.
"No."
The man blinked.
"...No?"
I leaned back slowly.
"Their valuation is inflated."
Silence.
Another older director attempted carefully:
"But their CEO-"
"Is lying."
My voice remained calm.
Deadly calm.
"He moved thirty million through shell accounts last quarter."
The room froze instantly.
The man went pale.
Because I was right.
Of course I was.
I slid another file across the table casually.
"Next."
Nobody argued afterward.
Because this was Riya Rajput before the kidnapping.
Cold.
Brilliant.
Unreachable.
The kind of woman who destroyed male egos before breakfast.
And somewhere in Mumbai,
Dhruv watched all of it unfold through screens.
...
Mumbai.
Malhotra Enterprises.
Dhruv sat inside his office silently while another article played on the television.
"Riya Rajput officially resumes control of Rajput Global Holdings after six-year disappearance..."
The screen showed me stepping out of a black Rolls-Royce in London earlier today.
Flashlights exploding around me.
Reporters screaming questions.
Bodyguards surrounding me.
Meanwhile I walked forward coldly without sparing anyone a glance.
Like royalty.
Like power itself.
Dhruv stared at the screen silently.
Expression blank.
But his fingers tightened around the whiskey glass slowly.
Because the girl on television,
Didn't even resemble the Riya he knew.
This woman looked terrifying.
Untouchable.
Sharp.
Cold enough to cut glass.
Nothing like the bubbly girl who bounced on beds after getting jobs.
Nothing like the girl who gave away food to strangers.
Nothing like the wife who accidentally cuddled him in sleep.
Because that Riya,
Existed only in memories she no longer had.
A knock interrupted the silence.
His assistant entered nervously.
"Sir..."
Dhruv didn't look away from the television.
"What."
The assistant swallowed carefully.
"There are still some media portals asking about your marriage with Miss Rajput."
Miss Rajput.
Not Mrs. Malhotra anymore.
Dhruv's jaw clenched slightly.
"Remove everything."
"Already in process, sir."
No articles remained now.
No wedding pictures.
No interviews.
No records.
Nothing.
Veer and Dhruv together had erased everything related to the marriage from public view.
For her safety.
And maybe,
Because seeing it hurt too much.
Now the world remained confused.
Some people vaguely remembered hearing Dhruv Malhotra got married months ago.
Some thought the bride looked like Riya Rajput.
But suddenly every article vanished.
Every image disappeared.
And nobody powerful enough dared question it publicly.
Meanwhile on television,
A reporter shoved a microphone toward me outside the Rajput headquarters.
"Miss Rajput, after six years away are you planning marriage with Mr. Advik Khanna soon?"
The entire media crowd erupted instantly.
Cameras flashing endlessly.
Meanwhile I paused briefly before entering the building.
Cold eyes lifting toward the cameras.
Then calmly,
"My personal life is not public discussion."
And walked away.
The internet exploded afterward of course.
Because God,
The power in my aura now was insane.
Meanwhile inside his office,
Dhruv finally switched off the television.
Silence filled the room instantly.
His assistant stood there awkwardly.
Because everyone in the company noticed it now.
Dhruv had changed completely.
Colder than before.
More ruthless.
More silent.
Almost dangerous now.
Meetings ended in minutes because nobody dared speak unnecessarily around him anymore.
He barely slept.
Barely ate.
Worked endlessly.
And never once spoke my name aloud.
Still,
Every single night,
He opened the hidden folder in his phone.
The only thing he refused deleting.
Pictures.
Me smiling sleepily in his hoodies.
Me eating roadside pani puri.
Me asleep beside him.
Me laughing.
His wife.
A version of Riya the world would never know existed.
And maybe never would again.
Meanwhile in London,
I stood alone inside my office at night looking over the city lights.
Cold wind brushing softly against the glass.
Behind me,
Advik entered quietly.
He smiled softly walking closer.
"Tough first day back?"
I smirked faintly.
"They survived."
Advik laughed under his breath.
God.
He'd missed this version of me.
The terrifyingly confident woman who challenged entire boardrooms fearlessly.
He walked beside me afterward.
Then softly,
"You seem different."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Different how?"
Advik smiled slightly.
"Stronger."
I looked toward the city calmly.
Maybe.
Or maybe,
The soft girl from Mumbai disappeared with the memories too.
And neither of us knew it yet.
......
London.
Midnight.
Rain tapped softly against the penthouse windows while the entire city glittered below like diamonds scattered in darkness.
Inside my office,
Only one lamp remained on.
Files covered the table.
Kidnapping reports.
Old police investigations.
Private intelligence notes.
Names.
Suspects.
Dead ends.
Six years stolen from my life reduced to paper.
I stood near the windows silently wearing a black satin robe, hair loose now after hours of work.
Cold.
Focused.
Dangerously calm.
Behind me,
The office door opened softly.
I didn't turn.
I already knew who it was.
Advik walked inside loosening his tie slightly before smiling softly seeing me still awake.
"You've been staring at those files for three hours."
I smirked faintly.
"And you've been timing me?"
He came closer slowly.
"Always."
For a moment,
Everything felt normal again.
Safe.
Familiar.
Advik wrapped his arms around me gently from behind.
Warm.
Comforting.
He rested his chin lightly against my shoulder before pressing a soft kiss against my cheek.
"You need sleep."
I leaned back slightly against him but my eyes stayed fixed on the city lights.
Advik smiled softly against my skin.
"Or maybe..."
Another kiss against my temple.
"We should stop wasting time completely."
I finally turned slightly toward him.
"Hm?"
His eyes softened.
"Let's get married."
Silence.
The rain outside grew heavier.
Advik held me tighter gently.
"We already lost six years."
His voice lowered afterward.
"I'm not losing more."
For one second,
Something strange flickered inside my chest.
Not fear.
Not hesitation exactly.
Just,
Weight.
Marriage.
Future.
Forever.
Before the kidnapping once upon a time,
I would've probably said yes instantly.
But now?
There was a darkness inside me that refused peace first.
I slowly pulled away from his arms afterward.
Advik frowned slightly.
"Riya?"
I walked back toward the files calmly.
"No."
His brows furrowed immediately.
"No?"
I looked down at the investigation reports coldly.
"Not yet."
Advik sighed softly walking closer again.
"Why?"
My fingers paused over one photograph.
A blurred CCTV still.
The SUV that changed my entire life.
Then quietly,
"I want to find them first."
The room grew still.
Advik's expression shifted slightly.
"Riya..."
I finally looked at him fully now.
And honestly?
The coldness in my eyes would've terrified most people.
"Someone destroyed my life."
My voice remained calm.
Too calm.
"I lost six years."
"I lost memories."
"I lost myself."
The rage underneath those words stayed perfectly controlled.
And somehow,
That made it scarier.
Advik stepped closer carefully.
"But you're alive now."
I laughed softly once.
No humor.
"You think that's enough for me?"
Silence.
My eyes darkened afterward.
"I don't remember what they did to me."
The confession came quieter now.
More dangerous somehow.
"I don't remember where I was."
"Who kept me."
"What happened after the kidnapping."
My jaw tightened slightly.
"Nothing."
And that terrified me most.
Because humans don't forget trauma unless it was unbearable.
Advik gently touched my arm trying calming me.
"We can move on without reopening everything."
I immediately pulled my arm away.
"No."
The word came sharp.
Absolute.
The room went silent instantly.
I walked toward the giant window slowly afterward.
London stretched endlessly below me.
Powerful.
Beautiful.
Cruel.
Just like the world I belonged to.
Then coldly,
"That past destroyed me."
My reflection stared back at me through the glass.
Sharp eyes.
Emotionless face.
A queen rebuilt from ashes.
"I deserve to know who did it."
Thunder echoed outside faintly.
Advik watched me carefully now.
Because this version of me,
The ruthless version,
Always appeared when revenge entered the conversation.
I continued softly:
"And once I find them..."
My lips curved slightly.
Dangerously slightly.
"They're dead."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Not dramatic.
Not emotional.
Just fact.
Because Riya Rajput before the kidnapping had never been merciful to enemies.
And the six missing years only made her darker now.
Advik finally exhaled slowly.
Then quietly,
"Veer said the same thing."
I looked toward him.
Advik shoved his hands into his pockets tiredly.
"He already has teams searching worldwide."
Of course he did.
My brother would've burned the world already if necessary.
Still,
I wasn't satisfied.
Not until I saw the people responsible bleeding at my feet myself.
Then suddenly,
My headache pulsed faintly again.
A strange image flashing briefly through my mind.
Warm hands.
Dark eyes.
Someone holding me carefully.
A deep voice saying softly,
"Take care."
The vision disappeared instantly.
I frowned slightly pressing my fingers against my temple.
Advik noticed immediately.
"What happened?"
The strange ache vanished again.
Nothing remained except confusion.
"...Nothing."
But somewhere very far away,
In Mumbai,
A man with cold dark eyes sat alone in silence still loving the version of me I no longer remembered becoming.
.....
Next day
Rajput Mansion, London.
The mansion looked straight out of royalty itself.
Massive ivory pillars.
Crystal chandeliers cascading from painted ceilings.
Historic portraits lining the walls.
Guards stationed every few meters.
The kind of place that screamed old money and dangerous power.
Morning sunlight poured through the giant dining hall windows while breakfast remained untouched in front of me.
Because honestly?
I wasn't hungry.
I sat at the long table wearing an ivory silk shirt and black trousers, hair tied neatly while scrolling through files on my tablet.
Meanwhile everyone else watched me carefully.
Veer sat at the head seat silently drinking coffee.
Meera beside him looking worried.
My uncle reading newspapers.
My aunt pretending calm.
And Advik sitting beside me watching my face more than his breakfast.
Finally I shut the tablet abruptly.
"I want CCTV footage from the Thames riverside."
Silence.
Every single person looked up instantly.
Veer's brows furrowed slightly.
"The Thames?"
I nodded slowly.
"I remembered something last night."
The room grew quieter immediately.
Because any memory returning now mattered.
A lot.
I pressed my fingers lightly against the table thinking.
"It was raining."
Small flashes hit my brain again.
Dark water.
Cold wind.
Fear.
A black car.
Then nothing.
"I think..."
I frowned harder.
"I was there after the kidnapping."
Meera immediately looked tense.
Meanwhile my aunt sighed softly.
"Riya beta..."
Her tone already carried disagreement.
"Why reopen all this?"
I looked toward her calmly.
"Because someone kidnapped me."
My uncle finally spoke too now.
"But that was six years ago."
He folded the newspaper slowly.
"You survived."
"You're home now."
"Safe."
Then gently:
"Why destroy your peace chasing darkness again?"
Advik nodded instantly beside me.
"Exactly."
He reached for my hand naturally.
"What's the point now?"
I slowly looked at him.
And something about his expression felt strange today.
Too eager.
Too insistent.
Like he desperately wanted this topic buried forever.
Still,
I answered calmly.
"It's not about the past."
Everyone fell silent again.
I leaned back slowly afterward.
"What if they attack again?"
My words lingered heavily across the table.
Because honestly?
That possibility terrified me more than remembered trauma.
If someone wanted me once,
Why wouldn't they again?
Advik immediately shook his head.
"No one will."
Too fast.
Too certain.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"...How do you know?"
For one tiny second,
Something unreadable crossed his face.
Then gone instantly.
Advik smiled softly afterward.
"Because I've doubled your security."
He squeezed my hand gently.
"Nothing will happen to you again."
Still,
The certainty in his voice bothered me strangely.
Not comforted.
Bothered.
Veer noticed too.
His eyes briefly shifted toward Advik thoughtfully.
Then away.
Meanwhile my aunt spoke again.
"Beta enough now."
She smiled softly.
"You've suffered enough."
My uncle nodded immediately.
"Focus on your future now."
"And your marriage."
Marriage.
The word instantly shifted the atmosphere.
Advik's expression softened immediately hearing it.
Meanwhile I sighed quietly already knowing where this conversation was heading.
My aunt smiled warmly now.
"You and Advik loved each other before all this happened."
"And now destiny brought you back together."
Advik looked at me carefully.
Then softly,
"We already lost six years, Riya."
There it was again.
That pressure.
Gentle.
But persistent.
He continued quietly:
"I don't want to waste more time."
The room suddenly felt suffocating.
Everyone watching me expectantly.
Marriage.
Future.
Move on.
Forget the darkness.
Forget the kidnapping.
Forget the missing years.
But how?
How was everyone acting like six years disappearing from my life meant nothing?
I slowly removed my hand from Advik's grip.
The movement was polite.
But noticeable.
Then calmly,
"I said not yet."
The atmosphere cooled instantly.
My aunt sighed disappointedly.
"Riya-"
"No."
My voice sharpened slightly now.
The table went silent immediately.
Because when Riya Rajput used that tone,
People listened.
I stood from the chair slowly afterward.
"You all want me to forget."
I looked between them one by one.
"But none of you lived those missing years."
Silence.
"I woke up with parts of my life erased."
My jaw tightened slightly.
"I don't know who touched me."
"Who hurt me."
"Where I was."
"What happened."
My voice remained calm.
Too calm.
And somehow,
That made everyone uncomfortable.
Even Advik.
Then colder,
"And everyone here wants me to just smile, get married and pretend nothing happened?"
Nobody answered.
Because nobody actually had an answer for that.
Finally Veer spoke quietly for the first time in several minutes.
"Princess."
My eyes shifted toward him instantly.
Always softer for him.
Always.
Veer leaned back in his chair watching me carefully.
"If you want the CCTV footage..."
His voice turned colder now.
"I'll get it."
Advik immediately looked toward him sharply.
"Veer."
The warning in his tone didn't go unnoticed.
Neither did the way Veer's eyes hardened instantly afterward.
"I said I'll get it."
Tension flickered briefly across the room.
Small.
Subtle.
But there.
Meanwhile I watched both of them silently.
Something felt off.
Not obvious.
Not enough to accuse.
Just,
Wrong.
Advik relaxed back afterward forcing a smile.
"I'm just saying she should rest."
His eyes returned to me gently.
"You're overthinking this."
Overthinking.
The word irritated me instantly.
Because instincts rarely lied.
And mine screamed that somewhere inside those six missing years,
Something horrifying waited buried.