You are nothing but a destitute orphan who received my son’s pity. Kneel and gather every shard—learn some gratitude toward this family!”
The lavish engagement party at the Kapadia estate in Mumbai was aglow with lights, yet the atmosphere was quickly stifled by scorn. Mrs. Sumitra, the formidable matriarch of the Kapadia clan, casually knocked a crystal glass onto the marble floor. It shattered into a thousand shards right at my feet.
She curled her lip and announced in a voice loud enough for the entire hall to hear: “Pick it up, Meera! You are nothing but a destitute orphan who received my son’s pity. Kneel and gather every shard—learn some gratitude toward this family!”
Rohan, my fiancé, stood nearby, merely sipping his drink with cold indifference; he didn’t utter a word of protest.
I looked Mrs. Sumitra straight in the eye, shedding not a single tear. Silently, I removed the rough jade bracelet—the only keepsake my mother had left behind—placed it gently on the silver tray beside me, and turned to walk away.
Just then, a fleet of sleek black cars pulled into the courtyard. Mr. Yashvardhan Singhania—India’s most notorious financial tycoon, a man the Kapadias had spent years trying to woo into a partnership—stepped into the hall. The entire Kapadia family hurriedly bowed in greeting.
But Mr. Yashvardhan ignored them all. His gaze was riveted to the jade bracelet resting on the tray. The billionaire’s expression shifted violently, transforming from icy detachment to sheer shock.
“LOCK DOWN THE ENTIRE ESTATE! NOT EVEN A FLY IS TO ESCAPE!” His roar made the whole hall shudder. Security guards immediately sealed off every exit. Mrs. Sumitra rushed over in a panic: “Mr. Singhania, what is the matter? If that lowly, wretched girl has offended your eyes, I will…”
“SHUT UP!” Mr. Yashvardhan cut her off with a stinging slap that sent her sprawling. Trembling, he approached the tray, lifted the jade bracelet as if it were a sacred treasure, and turned to glare at the Kapadia family with eyes burning red with rage:
“Who gave you the right to force the true owner of this entire fortune to kneel? Who gave you the right to humiliate the Young Lady of the Singhania clan?”
The entire hall fell into stunned silence. Mr. Yashvardhan continued, his voice trembling with emotion over the microphone:
“This jade bracelet bears the seal of the Udaipur Royal Family; it is the sole token of the betrothal pact between the Singhania clan and the Royals. Twenty years ago, my sister was kidnapped along with her infant daughter. This bracelet is the only key that unlocks the royal treasury and grants control over the entire Singhania Group!”
He turned to me, clasping his trembling hands before his chest: “Young Lady Meera… I have been searching for you for twenty years. This entire conglomerate—and the Singhania clan itself—belongs to you from this day forward.”
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Sumitra fainted on the spot. Rohan, his face drained of all color, rushed over and fell to his knees at my feet, pleading: “Meera, my mother forced me into it; I truly love you…”
I swept past him like a breeze, gently retrieved the jade bracelet from my uncle’s hands, and smiled: “Uncle, cancel all partnerships with them. As for this mansion… I want to see it put up for auction tomorrow morning.”
