My stomach twisted. I knew what she was about to say.
"...he tried to force himself on you?" I finished, my tone sharper than I intended.
She nodded, her tears spilling freely.
And suddenly, a storm of anger rose inside me. I glanced at Abhiraj Sisodiya, wanting to murder him then and there.
Ignoring irritation I kept my expression neutral and said, "And you think I believe you?"
Her eyes widened, hurt flashing across her face. But I couldn’t hold back. The anger, the exhaustion it all poured out all at once.
"You're making up the same story again? How many times are you going to repeat this nonsense? Do you really think he’sstupid enough to believe you? Or is that what you're counting on? What do you want from him? His money too? Are you trying to trap him now?"
The music stopped and silence fell like a heavy curtain. I felt the weight of dozens of eyes on us, the crowd frozen, watching. Abhiraj appeared beside us, his presence only fueling my fury.
Kavya looked at me as if I were a stranger. Her hand slipped from mine, and I felt the sting of that loss instantly.
"He tried..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "He tried to take advantage of me."
But all I could see was her walking with him earlier, her choice to go. Why the fuck she went with him in the first place.
"But I saw you were the one who went with him, didn’t you?" I stepped closer, my anger burning through me.
I shoved my hand in my pocket so that no one noticed how much I was shaking with fury.
"Dad is leaving for home. He’ll be in the parking lot. Just go with him," I said, my voice hard, trying to end this before it spiraled further.
"But he..." she tried again.
"Just go home, Kavya!" I shouted, my voice echoing, harsher than I meant.
She flinched, and guilt stabbed me instantly, but I didn’t take the words back.
She turned and ran, her figure blurring through the crowd. People whispered, phones lifted, recording everything. My chest tightened as I watched her flee, but I stood frozen, unable to move, unable to undo what I had just said.
My nose flared with rage. Without a second thought, I grabbed Sisodiya by the collar and slammed him against the bar counter.
“Now I’m asking you a few questions and you’re going to answer honestly.” I pressed him harder into the wood. “Did you touch my wife?”
“Yes…” He smirked.
I hate his shitty smirk.
I drove my fist into his face, the crack of his nose breaking echoing through the room.
“Did you assault her?”
“Yes…”
Another punch. My fury burned hotter, consuming me. I couldn’t stop myself as I struck again, each blow more brutal than the last.
I hauled him down with me as he crashed to the floor, the impact echoing through the stunned silence of the ballroom. Glass shattered, people shouted, but all I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears.
He tried to crawl back, his palm slipping on the polished floor, but I grabbed the collar of his coat again and dragged him up just enough to slam my fist into his face.
Once.
Twice.