Kiara sat at her father’s desk, the soft hum of the estate's chandelier barely registering. Documents lay scattered across the table, red-marked files detailing the data leak, names, access logs—none pointing clearly to a suspect.
But one pattern stood out: the breach had come from Sehgal Corp’s internal servers.
And only two people had unrestricted access.
Her.
And Aaryan.
A knot twisted in her stomach. Every logical fiber in her brain told her to confront him, demand the truth, draw lines. But another part of her—the one that remembered how he looked at her during the pitch, how his voice softened when he spoke of mistakes—hesitated.
Could she really believe he was capable of betrayal?
She wasn’t sure.
—
The next morning, at Sehgal Corp’s innovation lab, Aaryan reviewed prototype updates when the doors opened. Kiara walked in, sharp as ever in a navy blazer, her expression unreadable.
“Morning,” he said, offering a brief smile.
“We need to talk,” she replied curtly.
Aaryan set down the tablet. “What happened?”
She closed the glass doors behind her. “There’s been a data breach. Malhotra files. Exclusive designs. Leaked.”
His jaw tensed. “When?”
“Three nights ago. Someone accessed the files from a Sehgal Corp server.”
A pause. A muscle ticked in his jaw.
“You think it was me.”
“I think I don’t know what to believe,” she admitted. “You’ve been taking calls from someone named Ishita. You refuse to explain. And now this.”
Aaryan stepped closer. “You want the truth? Ishita Kapoor is my ex-fiancée.”
Kiara blinked.
“She was part of Sehgal Corp’s legal team five years ago. We were engaged. She betrayed the company—leaked early prototype designs to a competitor. We buried the scandal quietly. I ended it and erased her from every system.”
Kiara searched his face. “So why is she calling you now?”
“Because she wants to come back. She thinks I’ll forgive her. She’s wrong.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she asked quietly.
Aaryan exhaled, his voice low. “Because I didn’t want you to see me as someone who could be so easily fooled.”
The vulnerability in his voice shook her more than she expected. He wasn’t just a cold CEO behind glass walls. He was a man who had been burned. Deeply.
“She still had a backdoor login,” he continued. “We just found it last night. I locked her out this morning.”
Kiara’s heartbeat slowed. Relief mixed with guilt.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He stepped closer. “I’d never hurt your family, Kiara. Not for business. Not for revenge. Not for anything.”
She nodded, her voice tight. “I believe you.”
Their eyes locked.
Silence pulsed between them, louder than any apology.
Then, unexpectedly, Kiara reached for his hand. It was a simple gesture—but in it, she offered something unspoken. Trust. Forgiveness. Something more.
He didn’t let go.
—
Later that evening, Kiara returned home to find her father reading a security report.
“It wasn’t Sehgal,” she said.
Rajan looked up. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure,” she replied firmly. “Someone was trying to make it look like it was him. Someone who knows our partnership could shift the entire market.”
Rajan nodded slowly. “I trust your instincts. But be careful, Kiara. When business and hearts mix, the fall is never small.”
Kiara smiled faintly. “Maybe. But sometimes… it’s worth the risk.”
—
At the same time, Ishita Kapoor sat in a dimly lit café, her phone pressed to her ear.
“He didn’t fall for it,” she whispered.
A voice crackled on the other end. “Then we push harder. Sehgal and Malhotra together? That alliance can’t happen.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Then we’ll tear it apart.”
She ended the call and smiled coldly.
The game was far from over.
---
End of Episode 5.
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