Wildest Dreams.

25] Deceived.

Chapter Twenty Five: Deceived.

The realization dawned upon Vaidehi, a tumult of conflicting emotions churned within her. Shock, disbelief, and betrayal waged war within her as she stared up at Shubman, now revealed to be the mastermind behind it all.

Shubman's gaze bore into hers, his expression unreadable as he watched the turmoil play out on her features. The silence between them stretched taut, broken only by the distant echoes of their breaths mingling in the stale air of the dungeon.

"You..." Vaidehi's voice wavered, her words faltering as she struggled to make sense of the unthinkable truth before her. "You're the boss?"

Shubman's lips curved into a smug smile, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of triumph and something darker. "Surprised?" he taunted, his tone laced with a hint of mockery. "You thought you were so clever, infiltrating Oceanic Innovations. But you never suspected that the one pulling the strings would be someone so close to you."

A surge of anger flared within Vaidehi, her fists clenching at her sides as she fought to contain the whirlwind of emotions raging within her. "How could you?" she seethed, her voice tinged with a mixture of hurt and indignation. "All this time... it was you?"

Shubman's smile widened, a predatory glint in his eyes as he leaned in closer, his breath hot against her ear. "You underestimated me, Vaidehi," he whispered, his voice dripping with malice. "But now, you're exactly where I want you."

Vaidehi's heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing as she grappled with the betrayal before her. She had trusted him, loved him with every fiber of her being, only to be deceived in the cruelest of ways.

With a devilish smirk, Shubman's command sent Vikram and the guards scurrying out of the dungeon, leaving him alone with Vaidehi in the dimly lit chamber. The heavy silence hung between them, fraught with tension as Vaidehi's gaze remained fixed on Shubman, her eyes ablaze with a mixture of anger and disbelief.

"Shubman, how could you?" Vaidehi's voice trembled with barely contained emotion, her fists clenched at her sides as she struggled to maintain her composure in the face of his betrayal.

Shubman's smirk only widened, his eyes glittering with an unsettling mix of amusement and malice. "Why, my dear Vaidehi," he purred, his voice dripping with honeyed sarcasm, "I did it for us."

"For us?" Vaidehi's incredulity rang clear in her voice, her brows furrowing in disbelief. "This is your idea of looking out for us? Deceiving me, manipulating me?"

Shubman's expression hardened, his gaze darkening as he took a step closer to her, the air crackling with tension between them. "You don't understand, Vaidehi," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I did what needed to be done to ensure our future, our success."

"Our success?" Vaidehi scoffed, her disbelief giving way to a simmering anger. "You mean your success. You used me, Shubman. You played with my trust, my feelings, all for your own gain."