Three months into the project, Kian met with Seya to present his progress. The design for her boutique was taking elegant shape, blending modern lines with subtle, fashion-inspired motifs. They met in her father's lavish home office to review the drafts spread across a vast mahogany desk.
As Seya enthusiastically pointed out details she loved, Kian's gaze drifted across the desk. His breath caught in his throat. There, positioned prominently beside a crystal paperweight, was a framed, vintage photograph. It showed a younger, smiling man he recognized all too well from Uncle James's description"Jagdish Jadeja"with his arms around two younger brothers. 👨👨👦👦
One of those brothers was the man whose name was etched on a platinum nameplate on the desk: Mr. J. Jadeja. Seya's father.
The air left Kian's lungs. The man who had destroyed his family, driven his father to murder, and orphaned him was this man's brother. The wealth that now funded this project, that paid his salary, was likely built on the foundation of his own father's ruin.
"Is everything alright, Kian?" Seya asked, noticing his stillness.
He forced a calm smile, the mask settling perfectly. "Yes, of course. Just considering the light fixture placement." He continued the meeting with professional composure, but a storm raged inside. He now carried a devastating secret, one that connected his painful past directly to his promising future.🙌