Kaya tilted her head, eyes going a little wet, voice softening just enough to sound hurt.
"Veer's father," she said quietly, "could it be… you don't actually want me to marry your son? You only said that so you could kick me out?"
The room shifted.
She didn't raise her voice, but the way her shoulders dipped, the slight tremble at the edge of the words, made it land harder than a shout. People often react more strongly to perceived sadness than anger; the mix of lowered gaze and wounded tone is a classic way to trigger guilt.
For one beautiful second, Veer's father saw red.
Two quick steps forward, hand half‑reaching for her throat. He could shut her up in a heartbeat. One squeeze, no more problem. His fingers flexed in the air.
Veer's glare hit him like a slap.
