Kiara's gaze hardened, fire in her eyes. She stood straighter, refusing to be cowed by Mohana's imposing presence.
"Neither do I consider that evil Daakini Kalashree my mother-in-law," she said steadily, her voice echoing in the grand hall. "Nor do I consider you my aunt-in-law."
Mohana's lips curved into a low, amused chuckle that carried an unsettling undertone.
"Well," she said, her voice smooth as silk yet sharp as a dagger, "I did not come here for your approval. I came for something far more important."
Yuvaan tightened his hold around Kiara protectively, his eyes narrowing. "Then tell us," he demanded, "why have you come here?"
Mohana's eyes flicked toward Kiara's belly. She raised a single, deliberate finger, pointing at the small swell of life beneath Kiara's hands.
"For the child," Mohana said slowly, savoring the moment, "the child of Jishwa and the Warlock King… or perhaps I should say, the child of Jishwa and Daavansh Raj."
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap.
Everyone froze. The family's joy, the laughter, the celebrations—everything seemed to vanish in an instant. Shock rippled across their faces.
Yuvaan's grip on Kiara tightened, his jaw clenched, eyes flashing with protective fury. Kiara's hands instinctively went to her stomach, as if shielding the child within her.
The hall fell deathly silent, every heartbeat amplified, as Mohana's smirk deepened and her gaze swept over them all. The dark truth of her presence had finally revealed itself—she was here for the child, and nothing else mattered.
Mohana's eyes glinted with a dangerous mix of hunger and amusement as she leaned back slightly, her fingers tapping the arm of the couch almost lazily, as if the threat she posed was already guaranteed.
"That child," she said, her voice like a low chant that resonated through the hall, "holds the key to ultimate power. A unique hybrid of light and darkness… a being unlike any other. And I want that child."
A shiver ran through the room. The air seemed heavier, charged with a dark energy that made every family member instinctively step closer to Yuvaan and Kiara, forming a protective wall.
Yuvaan's eyes blazed, and he took a step forward, placing himself firmly in front of Kiara, his hand covering hers on her stomach. His voice was steady but carried the weight of an unbreakable promise.
"You will never get my child," he said, each word slicing through Mohana's smug aura. "Never."
Kiara's eyes shone with fierce determination, her lips trembling as she spoke, her voice carrying the power of both her love and her defiance.
"Not as long as we breathe," she added, standing taller, radiating strength even in her vulnerability. Her fingers tightened instinctively over her stomach, as if the small life within her could feel her resolve and mirror it.
Mohana's smirk faltered for the briefest of moments. She had underestimated the fire burning in these two hearts. But her eyes quickly narrowed, the darkness in them deepening.
"You are bold," Mohana said, her tone silky, dangerous. "But boldness will not save you when the forces I command descend upon you."
The room fell tense, every soul holding their breath. Outside, shadows seemed to gather, the edges of the mansion flickering with unseen malice. The battle for the child—the key to ultimate power—was about to begin.
Mohana's smile widened, cold and predatory, as she leaned forward, the shadows of the room dancing across her face.
"And how, exactly, do you think you can stop me?" she asked, her voice a silken blade. "Yuvaan… you seem to have forgotten something. To save your love, you willingly sacrificed your dark powers. You are now a mere human, vulnerable and… powerless. And you, Jishwa… you fell right into my trap. You lost your powers, just as I knew you would."
The words hit the room like a thunderclap. The family stiffened, shocked, unable to fully grasp the weight of Mohana's statement.
Kiara's eyes flashed, disbelief and fury mingling. "My… my trap? What are you saying?"
Mohana chuckled, the sound echoing like a sinister lullaby. "It was I who sent Dev into your lives. I made him believe he was stronger than you. I planted the thought that by marrying you, he would grow more powerful. And I knew… oh yes, I knew… that in your hearts, you would kill him to protect your loved ones and your family.
"And in that process," she continued, her eyes narrowing with satisfaction, "you, Jishwa, would be forced to relinquish your powers. Every ounce of your divine strength—given up willingly, unknowingly, for a day like this."
Her gaze flicked down toward Kiara's stomach, glowing faintly, and she whispered as if savoring the moment, "A day when the child of Jishwa and the Warlock King is conceived… the child who holds the key to ultimate power.
"You see? Every step, every sacrifice, every choice you thought was yours… led right here, into my hands."
The revelation stunned everyone. Whispers of shock and disbelief passed through the room. Yuvaan's jaw tightened; Kiara's hands clenched into fists at her sides, heart pounding, her mind reeling.
Even Dev, who had thought himself a master manipulator, paled slightly as the enormity of Mohana's orchestration became clear.
Mohana leaned back, her eyes glinting like dark jewels. "And now… the time has come to claim what I have orchestrated for lifetimes."