Ch47A Shadow of Someone Else #5
"Mr. Adyant Malhotra, I am fully aware that people don't forget a man like me easily. However, I had absolutely no idea that you were still this profoundly obsessed with me. By the way, I wish you all the best for today."
Adyant let out a soft chuckle. He was a veteran of the court, and breaking his calm or provoking his temper was next to impossible.
But as his professional gaze casually drifted over to the woman standing proudly by Rudraksh's side, his eyes suddenly froze.
His analytical expression vanished, replaced by an intense, lingering stare as he looked at Rivanya's face.
There was a haunting, striking familiarity in her features a ghostly resemblance to someone from his past that violently ripped open old, deeply buried wounds in his heart, making them bleed all over again.
Noting the sudden, intense way Adyant was staring at his wife, Rudraksh immediately stepped forward slightly, drawing the boundary line as he spoke in a cold, authoritative baritone.
"Meet my lawyer, Mr. Malhotra. This is Advocate Rivanya Rudraksh Vardhan."
Adyant Malhotra blinked, tearing his mind out of his past as he processed the name. "Rivanya Rudraksh Vardhan? Meaning... your wife?"
"Yes, my wife," Rudraksh answered, his dark eyes locking onto his opponent with a dangerous, challenging glint. "And she is your official legal opponent for this case. You better watch your step very carefully this time, Mr. Malhotra."
Adyant's curiosity was deeply piqued. He extended his right hand toward Rivanya, his eyes still searching her face for answers. "Mrs. Rivanya... I have honestly never heard your name in any of the prominent legal circuits before. Is this perhaps the very first case of your career?"
Rivanya didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second. Radiating absolute grace and professional confidence, she raised her hand and firmly shook his, her grip steady and unwavering. "Yes, Mr. Malhotra. This is indeed the very first case of my life. It is an absolute honor to meet you."
The physical touch and the sheer aura radiating off Rivanya felt incredibly familiar and close to Adyant's soul, sending a strange shiver through him.
Yet, exercising his lifetime of emotional discipline, he kept his features perfectly masked and didn't let a single internal emotion reflect on his face.
He pulled his hand back and let out a dry, amused sound. "I must truly admire your immense courage, Mrs. Vardhan. Walking into a courtroom to clash directly against me for your very first case is a massive gamble. Either you are incredibly overconfident, or you simply do not understand who I am."
Rivanya met his scanning eyes with a sharp, brilliant smile, her voice carrying absolute authority.
"There is hardly anyone practicing in the entire legal sector who doesn't know exactly who you are, Mr. Malhotra. In fact, you have been my ultimate idol; I have extensively studied and read many of your corporate law books during my college years. And as for being overconfident?
The absolute truth can never be hidden, no matter how hard someone tries to bury it. What the absolute truth is behind this accident you and I both know it perfectly well. Since I am not standing on the side of falsehood or injustice, I have absolutely no reason to fear any force in this world."
Hearing her incredibly sharp, unshakeable, and blunt counter-argument, the legendary Adyant Malhotra was momentarily rendered completely silent. He stared at the rookie lawyer in a brand-new light, a slow, highly intrigued smile spreading across his face.
Acknowledging the silent truce, Rivanya and Rudraksh turned around and walked past him, heading straight inside the grand doors of the courtroom.
But Rivanya had left a catastrophic impact on Adyant's mind.
No matter how hard he tried to focus on his briefs, her face kept flashing before his eyes, relentlessly reminding him of a past he couldn't escape.
Desperate to clear his severe doubts and verify his growing suspicions, he immediately turned to his personal assistant standing nearby.
"Find out everything there is to know about this girl, Rivanya," Adyant whispered in a heavy, urgent tone. "Track her background, her lineage, and her family history immediately. I want the files on my desk before the day ends."
The assistant nodded swiftly and rushed down the hall, while Adyant Malhotra took a deep breath, straightened his legal collar, and walked into the courtroom to face the most unpredictable battle of his career.