The Real Ultimatum
Kavita stepped closer, pulling her robe back over her scarred chest.
“My relatives know I am dying,” she whispered. “They have already legally contested my will, claiming I am mentally unfit to manage my estate. Under Indian succession laws, if I die without a spouse or direct heir, my entire empire reverts to them. But if I am married, you become my legal next of kin. You inherit everything.”
“So you used me?” I asked, a bitter taste rising in my mouth. “To spite your family?”
“I chose you,” she corrected sharply, her eyes flashing with that familiar fire. “Because when we met at that charity event, you were the only person who didn’t look at my name or my wallet. You looked at me. The condition, Arjun, is not physical. The condition is that you must endure the hatred of the world, the scorn of your family, and the ruthless legal warfare my relatives will unleash on you the moment I pass. You cannot run. You must take my wealth and use it to finish the charity work we started. You must become the shield for my legacy.”
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