The night pressed down like a living thing, its streets slick with rain, neon reflecting off puddles like shards of glass. Rudransh Singh Thakur drove his Black Range Rover through it all, engine growling, hands clenched on the wheel.

In his other hand: the custody papers of Aryaman, declaring his son was being taken from him to his mother, Nainika.Rage coiled inside him loud and chaotic.

By the gates of the Mishra mansion, Vrinda Mishra waited. Thirty-three, Nainika's sister, a politician as ruthless as she was beautiful. Six years ago, she had orchestrated the alliance that bound Rudransh to Nainika.

Tonight, she stood poised, a new scheme of hers unfolding another dirty play that could not be ignored ,her bold red lips curling into a smile that dared him to challenge her.

"Nainika is away," Vrinda said without the preamble, folding her hands, her eyes smirking in the dim light. "Paris. Enjoying the trip."

Rudransh's eyes darkened. "Not my concern" shadows flickering across his sharp features. He then raised the custody papers, letting them hover between them like a challenge. " why now?" His voice was low, controlled, a blade honed to cut.

Her smile widened, dangerous and deliberate. "Ah... I wondered if you'd ask what I want in return, Mr. Thakur. But don't trouble yourself. I'm not interested in your baggage."

He leaned slightly forward, the faintest movement radiating threat. "Careful, Vrinda."

She laughed, soft but chilling, stepping closer. "Careful? Oh, Rudransh... that's rich, coming from a man who thinks he owns everything. But I do have a small interest... a piece of land. Near the National Highway. Hand it over, and maybe we can talk custody. Maybe."

Rudransh's jaw tightened, a sneer playing at the corner of his lips. "No doubt you planted baits in my party, too," he said, voice low, almost amused.

The morning's meeting flashed in his mind the airport project, the construction would turn his ancestral hundred-acre land into a fortune worth a thousand crores. Greed, betrayal, and politics all intertwined.

Vrinda's gaze did not waver. "Oh, you know me too well. But unlike you, I play my hand openly."

Rudransh's response was minimal. "You'll get the land. You have my word."

Her silk night dress whispered against marble as she glided closer, eyes glinting with triumph.

She reached for the custody papers, tearing them from his hands with a deliberate flick. "Well, good night then... unless you plan to spend it with me," she said with a wink, her voice a sultry dagger.

He did not answer but the fury in his eyes can't be ignored. He simply turned, storming past the gates of the Mishra mansion.

Back at his residence, Rudransh called his personal assistant, voice controlled, and cold. "Get the land papers ready. Tonight, settle everything."

By dawn, his assistant returned. Rudransh's father's old will lay on the desk, clear and unyielding.

His father ruthless, a man who never hesitated to trade family for political gain.

Now ,the land belonged to Ishani, daughter of his father's old friend. The terms were simple. To claim it, Rudransh would have to marry her.

Rudransh's jaw clenched. Well, what can I expect from a failed father?.

He didn't hesitate. "Draft the contract," he commanded, voice cold, eyes burning with an unyielding fire. "One year. Nameless marriage. No exceptions. And set the meeting with sharma in an hour."

Nothing else existed for him in that moment. Not pride, not power, not fear. Only the fragile thread that tethered his world his son. He would give his life, spill blood, or burn the world to ashes if it meant keeping that anchor close.

Papers in hand, he stormed out. The chessboard was set. Every player cornered. Every move dictated. And the next one... would belong to him.

Hey guyss ,

This is just the intro of how dirty the game gonna turn on from here.

Do engage 😉.