"Empires don't fall from the outside.
They rot from within."
— Eris
📍 VR Tower — Executive Boardroom
The boardroom was a glass fortress suspended above the city, a place where power was always dressed in suits and sealed behind smiles.
Aarav entered.
Silent. Controlled. Untouchable.
Every board member stood respectfully—until the door closed.
Then the tone changed.
Board Member 1 (False-smooth voice): Mr. Rathore, we received some… troubling media murmurs this morning.
Aarav didn't respond. His silence filled the room heavier than words.
Board Member 2: Our PR analysts report rumors linking your name to an… actress. If this causes a drop in shares—
Aarav looked up slowly.
Aarav (cold and calm): If our stock depends on my romantic life, then we never built an empire. We built a drama show.
Silence.
A few board members exchanged looks.
Board Member 3 (uncomfortable): Sir… with respect. Investors don't like emotional attachments.
Aarav leaned forward slightly, voice low.
Aarav:
Then they shouldn't have invested in a man…
who was never afraid to lose anything—
"except HER."
The board froze.
Half in panic.
Half in horror.
He had just declared — indirectly — that Sara Mehta was NOT a rumor… but HIS intentional choice.
📵 Meanwhile — Outside VR Tower
Sara stepped out of a studio interview.
Everything seemed normal—until she turned…
…and saw 50+ reporters waiting.
Cameras. Mics. Live streams already running.
"Sara, are you dating a billionaire?"
"Did you use your connection to get roles?"
"Is it true he bought your last film's distribution?"
"Did he keep you in a secret penthouse?"
"Are you the reason he hasn't been seen with any other woman?"
Flashes.
Voices.
Chaos.
Ritu, her manager, grabbed her arm. "Don't speak. Get in the car."
And for a moment—
Sara wanted to run.
Trained instincts said: hide, stay silent, survive.
Then…
Her phone buzzed.
Hidden 💬 — A.V.R:
"Don't let them write your script. Speak."
Her heartbeat kicked once.
She turned back around.
🎤 Sara Steps Forward — First Public Words
Sara faced the cameras.
No fear. No shame. Just clarity.
Sara (steady voice):
"If you're asking whether I owe my success to a man…
No.
If you're asking whether a powerful man respects me…
Yes.
And respect is something I earned — *not something that was gifted to me."
Silence.
It lasted 4… maybe 5 seconds.
Then—
LIVE CHAT EXPLODED.
"QUEEN ANSWER!!!"
"SHE DIDN'T DENY BUT SHE DIDN'T LET THEM HUMILIATE HER!"
"She spoke like FIRE."
Twitter hashtags started shifting from #GoldDiggerSara to #SaraMehtaHasSpine.
📲 ERIS WATCHES — LIVE FEED ROOM
Eris sat among screens, watching the boardroom confrontation and the press ambush side by side.
Her followers typed:
"Phase 2 is unstable."
"Eris, do we release the full stairwell video?"
Eris's fingers hovered above the SEND key on that video.
Then she paused.
And typed something else instead—
Eris: "Not yet. I want to see how far lovers can turn into warriors… before I break them."