Chapter 74

A Quiet Goodbye, A Softer Beginning

A Few Days Later – Manik's House, Mumbai

Manik sat alone in his study, the room dimly lit, stacks of newspapers and police reports spread around him.

He hadn't slept in days.

Every lead had gone cold.

Until that morning.

A letter had arrived.

Folded in a plain envelope, no return address, written in Rhea's familiar, delicate handwriting.

> "Manik,

I know you're looking for me.

Please stop.

I'm safe. I'm well. The decision I've made… it was mine.

You helped me when I was broken. I'll always be grateful for that.

But some wounds can only be healed by truth. And the truth… is with him.

Take care of yourself. Let me go.

—Rhea"

His hands shook as he read it again, and again.

The ache in his chest wasn't anger. It was grief. Quiet and sharp.

He had loved her gently, patiently. But her heart had chosen someone else.

And now… she was gone.

---

Same Night – Farmhouse, Udaipur

The sky was clear. Stars scattered like diamonds across the velvet black.

Rhea stood by the window again, the soft wind brushing her hair back. The loose kurta fluttered around her, her belly gently round now beneath the fabric.

Lex came up behind her slowly. No words were exchanged.

He simply stood there with her, both of them soaking in the silence and the freshness of the night air.

Then, without thinking, without planning, Lex leaned in—pressing a soft, lingering kiss on her neck.

Rhea closed her eyes but didn't stop him.

He moved gently, with care, brushing his lips against her shoulder, her jawline, and then her mouth. This time, it wasn't wild or desperate—it was slow, deep, filled with unspoken emotion.

Rhea responded, her hand sliding to the back of his neck, her breath mingling with his.

There was no pain in the moment.

No past.

Just the now.

A few minutes later, their kiss faded into a long, quiet breath.

She rested her forehead against his.

"I feel sleepy," she whispered.

Lex smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "Then go to bed."

She gave him a soft look—half wary, half something warmer—and walked to the bedroom, her steps slow and calm.

Lex stood at the window a little longer, looking up at the stars.

Then he followed her in.

That night, for the first time in a long time, he fell asleep smiling.

Not because he had won.

But because maybe… she had stayed.