Aria's POV:
I slammed the door of my room shut the moment I entered.
The sound echoed through the silence, sharp and angry, just like the storm raging inside me.
And then I broke.
Tears spilled uncontrollably down my cheeks as every emotion crashed into me at once. Rage. Humiliation. Exhaustion. The suffocating ache in my chest that refused to leave.
I threw my bag aside carelessly and sat on the edge of my bed before finally collapsing against the mattress.
The ceiling above me blurred through my tears.
Everything felt too loud inside my head.
Neer's voice.
Avin's punches.
The fear in everyone's eyes.
The disappointment in my own heart.
I pressed my palms against my face, breathing shakily.
My father had never liked Neer.
Not even once.
Back then, I thought he was simply being overprotective. A controlling father trying to interfere in his daughter's love life.
But now…
Now I could finally see what he had been trying to warn me about.
Neer had always wanted control.
Control over my choices. My time. My emotions.
And worst of all…
Control over my future.
The Menezes name.
The Menezes company.
That was what had attracted him.
Not me.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
"Aria? Are you there?"
Dad.
I quickly wiped my tears, though it was useless. My eyes were swollen already.
I walked toward the door and opened it slowly.
The moment he saw my face, his expression changed completely.
"What happened to my girl?" he asked softly, cupping my face with both hands.
And that was enough to destroy whatever control I had left.
I hugged him instantly.
"Dad…" my voice cracked. "I met Neer."
His arms wrapped around me immediately.
No questions. No judgment.
Just warmth.
And suddenly, everything poured out.
I told him everything.
About the breakup.
About how Neer had betrayed me.
About June Valare.
About the project.
About Avin Kashyap.
About the lies.
About the way I had been trying so desperately to prove myself to everyone.
Every word came out messier than the last, tangled between tears and frustration.
Dad stayed silent the entire time.
He simply listened.
And honestly?
That scared me more than shouting would have.
I waited for disappointment.
For anger.
For him to tell me I was immature. Reckless. Unworthy of handling Menezes Group.
But instead…
He sighed softly and patted my head.
"Aria" he said quietly, "my child…"
I looked up at him, confused.
"You don't need to spend your whole life proving yourself to the world" he continued. "Your worth does not decrease because someone failed to see it."
His thumb gently brushed away the tears from my cheeks.
"Neer's opinion doesn't define you. Neither does Avin's. You are already capable. Independent. Strong."
His own eyes had started turning red now.
"I think…" he paused, guilt flashing across his face, "I made a mistake while raising you."
"Dad…"
"No, let me speak" he said softly. "After your mother died, I was terrified of losing you too. So I kept you close. Too close. I handled everything for you because I thought protecting you meant loving you."
His voice cracked slightly.
"But maybe… I accidentally taught you that being controlled is normal."
The room fell silent.
My chest tightened painfully.
"That's not true" I whispered.
"It is" he said with a sad smile. "And I'm sorry."
A tear slipped from his eye before he quickly wiped it away.
"I never wanted you to feel weak, Aria."
I hugged him again immediately.
"Dad…"
He laughed quietly despite the emotion in his voice.
"And if you want" he added suddenly, "I can remove problems like Neer from your life permanently."
I pulled back instantly. "Dad!"
"What? I'm just saying" he shrugged dramatically.
Despite everything, I laughed weakly.
Then I hesitated.
"Well… today, when Neer approached me…" I started slowly, "Avin thought he was hurting me."
Dad frowned slightly. "And?"
"So he fought with him."
"Fought?" Dad repeated, visibly shocked.
I nodded awkwardly.
For a second, silence filled the room again.
Then unexpectedly, Dad laughed under his breath.
"Wow."
"Dad!"
"What?" he chuckled. "Someone punched your toxic ex for you. Cinema-level treatment."
I stared at him in disbelief.
Then his expression softened again.
"Do you want me to reveal your identity publicly?" he asked carefully. "As Aria Menezes?"
I shook my head immediately.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because…" I looked down at my hands. "For the first time, people like me for me. Not because of Menezes. Not because of money."
A small smile formed on my lips unconsciously.
"I made friends."
Dad watched me quietly for a long moment.
Then he sighed.
"It's still a dumb decision" he muttered lovingly. "But fine."
He kissed my forehead gently before walking toward the door.
"Just remember one thing" he said before leaving. "You never have to fight alone."
And then he left.
The room felt quieter after that.
But somehow…
Less lonely.
Avin's POV:
"Why the hell did you do that, bro?" Ishaan asked for the hundredth time.
I dropped onto the sofa with a groan, rubbing both hands over my face.
"I don't know."
And that was the truth.
I genuinely didn't know what had happened to me back there.
One second I was watching Neer touch her.
The next second I was throwing punches like a maniac.
"If Uncle finds out about this" Ishaan continued dramatically, "he'll personally remove Kashyap from your name."
"Stop terrifying me" I muttered.
But honestly?
He wasn't wrong.
Dad cared about reputation more than anything.
And tonight's little street fight disaster definitely wasn't helping mine.
"Avin."
My entire body froze.
Dad.
Both Ishaan and I straightened instantly like guilty schoolboys.
Dad stepped into the living room calmly, adjusting the sleeves of his coat.
"Relax" he said casually, patting my shoulder. "We just need to talk."
That sentence had never relaxed anyone in human history.
Ever.
I followed him nervously.
"So…" he began, sitting down comfortably, "you didn't tell me you were working with Menezes Group."
I blinked.
"…What?"
Dad smiled proudly.
"I spoke with Samuel today. Apparently Andrew Menezes's daughter is involved in some project with you."
My brain stopped functioning for a second.
Aria Menezes?
Wait.
No… impossible.
"You're doing impressive work lately" Dad continued proudly. "First June Valare. Now Menezes."
I forced a smile onto my face.
"Yeah…"
"If this continues, you'll surpass me soon" he laughed.
Please don't say things like that right after I nearly committed assault in public.
Before he could continue questioning me, I quickly excused myself and escaped to my room.
The moment the door shut behind me, I exhaled deeply.
Then one thought returned immediately.
Aria Menezes.
Why did that name feel familiar?
I grabbed my phone quickly and searched her name online.
Dozens of articles appeared instantly.
Philanthropy work. NGO management. Business heir. Charity events.
But not a single proper photo.
Interesting.
I leaned back against the headboard thoughtfully.
Andrew Menezes.
One of the biggest businessmen in the country.
No wonder Dad looked ready to adopt me proudly.
But if there had been some misunderstanding between Dad and Samuel… then I needed to clear things up before this turned into another disaster.
I opened Instagram and searched for her account.
There were hundreds.
But eventually, I found one followed by Andrew Menezes himself.
Private account.
Of course.
I stared at the screen for a moment before finally sending the request.
And somehow…
I actually hoped she'd accept it.
I locked my phone and lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
But instead of sleep…
All I could think about was June.
And the way she had looked at me before driving away.
Like I had become the very thing she hated.
Bonus:
Aria's POV:
I lay on my bed, absentmindedly scrolling through Instagram while soft music played in the background.
My mind still felt messy.
Heavy.
Then suddenly-
Ding.
A notification popped onto the screen.
"Avin Kashyap sent you a friend request."
My entire body froze.
What?
I immediately locked my phone and stared blankly at the dark screen.
No.
No way.
How?
Why my real account?
Did he find out?
A thousand thoughts attacked my brain at once.
Slowly, I unlocked the phone again.
The notification was still there.
Avin Kashyap.
Friend request.
I stared at it for so long that even my brain got tired of panicking.
Aria.
June.
Two identities.
Two different worlds.
But no matter how much I kept running from the truth…
Someday, they were bound to collide.
And maybe…
That day had finally started coming closer.
My thumb hovered over the screen.
Then finally.
I accepted his request.