Armaan's POV

I stroke my sweaty neck with the white tiny towel and open the freezer to fetch a cold water bottle from it's inside. It's been quite a while since I have left for jogging in the early morning. And the refreshing and calm sensation today I get after it, is enough for me to remind that how much I was lacking this thing in my daily routine.

I attach the bottle to my mouth and gulp the frozen, cold water down my throat. I peek above to find Dad entering the kitchen. With the bottle yet in my mouth, I walk past him. I never have a pleasant relationship with him. Even after my Mom's passing away at such a young age, I can't get attached to him. He is more of a businessman than a husband and a father. And nowadays he is giving me more awful vibes since Mr. Khawar has left.

"Listen to me before going."

Now what he wants to tell me? I roll my eyes and stop in my way and face him with a questionable look.

"Meet me in the office during lunchtime. I have to discuss something with you, " he informs with an expressionless face and toneless voice.

It's always difficult to read his mind through his face or attitude. I haven't for once seen him with a smile or frown. He constantly has that relaxed, plain face without any apparent pleasure or pain.

I nod my head in the reply and toss the empty bottle in the sink before leaving. I twist the doorknob smoothly and enter my room when my eyes get locked on the girl standing in front of me. She has that simple yet rich persona. She looks at me startletly. Why she always gets nervous and confused in front of me? But I was happy that she finally is coming out of her bubble by continuing her studies as she has told Dad the last night about her new University. Her dark brown eyes have something unique in them which always makes me doomed. The way her beautiful lips parts first then she promptly closes them makes me eager to feel them, even if it's just for once.

I don't need this. Take it back."

I come out of my thoughts when she speaks in a low, soft voice. Why I was even thinking a while ago? I look at her in confusion when she forwards me the phone I have given her. Has she gone insane? Why she is so stubborn? It's not that deep like she thinks it is.

"Why?" I inquire.

"I just don't want it, " she responds briefly. I look at her in frustration. Why she is making it seems like I have that strong urge to give her something? If she wants to show her so-called ego, then it should be in her way.

Before I could understand anything, I see her foot gets slipped and she is about to fall when without thinking anything, I catch her from her waist. She looks at me with widen eyeballs in astound. The only thing which is in my mind at this moment is how close she is standing to me. Her both hands are pressed against my chest. Her brown eyes which even look striking from afar are now feeling like a whole world has summed up in these flashy and bright orbs. My eyes roam all over her face and with an irregular beat from my heart, they get frozen at her lavender lips. In this close proximity, my heart is rebelling against my brain to touch and feel their softness and smoothness.

The sudden ring tune of my phone brings both of us back to reality. She rushes out without having second glance back at me. I facepalm myself. Why I always feel like that around here? Why my heart goes wild when she is with me? I hate her. She is just an arrogant girl who only thinks for herself.

I look at the constantly ringing phone in annoyance. I attend the call without even looking at who is calling.

"Yes, what's the problem?" I shout in irritation. This girl will make me go crazy with her antics.

"So my calling has now become a problem for you. What a good way to start my day."

"Shit!" I mumble in panic. If only I had seen who is calling me.

"Sorry Zainab, I was tensed due to something. What makes you call me?"

I ask while softening and relaxing myself.

"So these days have come up when I have to call you due to some reason. And it's more like you are always tensed. That's not a new thing, isn't it?"

Arrgghh! Why these girls are such a pain in the ass? I rub my forehead in distress. 

"That's not it. You can absolutely call me whenever you want. I was just asking that was there a special reason?"

"Yes, there is, let us meet after my University today. I have to tell you something."

Now what she wants to tell me?

"Fine," I mumble.

        
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I glance at him disinterestedly who is busy with finding something in the table's drawer in front of him. It's already past ten minutes since I am in his office and he has said nothing this whole time. Now I start having less curiosity in whatever he has to told me. I lay my back on the crown of the chair carelessly while playing with the pen which I have got from his table. He comes up with a blue file after a while. I sit up again and glance at the file and throw the pen back on the table.

"I have been thinking about it for a while now and I have finally come to the conclusion to inherit my property to you; my only son, " he states with his both hands tangle together place on the table.

I nod my head slightly in approval. He forwards me the same blue file.

"Do your signature on the papers, " he orders.

I look at the papers with scrutiny. My eyes wander at every line, his every property has now shifted to me with the appropriate part belongs to Soniya. My stare gets static at the rows on the far upper left corner of the page. Only my father's name has written in front of the inheritor column. My eyes get narrowed in confusion when I realize that property doesn't belong to him. That land and the property is not something that my father has ever owned. I look up at him while raising a brow.

"Whose property is this?" I ask while my finger pointed at the particular row.

"Mine and soon to be yours," he replies with a smile. His lips have curled up in a grin after a long time but why this smile doesn't seem genuine?

"I am sure these things are not your belongings," I retort with a stern tone. A smug cross his face and he stands up from where he is seating.

"I thought you won't be able to decipher it but now you have done it so..." He pauses for a while and sits again.

"That's the revenge for someone who has ruined my life and I have aimed to ruin his and his loved one lives from the beginning, " he replies in a low yet harsh tone.

"What do you mean?" I ask completely not understanding what he has just said.

"Yes, that's not my own belongings. It's Khawar Baig's. I have taken my revenge by taking what he has taken mine. "

I look at him dumbfoundedly. He is smirking at his victory. I can't believe he can do this.

"Dad! How can you do this to your best friend?" I shout.

"Best enemy not friend," he replies in a soft tow completely ignoring my harsh one.

I am perplexed now. My own father can be this low to ditch someone who thinks of him as his best friend. But why he was so keen on getting Zara married to me?

"Then why you forced me to marry his daughter?" I inquire.

"First, to have revenge from Khawar on the behalf of his daughter and second, that girl is hella rich but unlucky. You could get all of her wealth by this marriage as you have already done now, " he replies with a smirk.

I look at him in alarm. He can be this cunning, I didn't know. But what he meant by unlucky?

"Unlucky?"

"Yes unlucky, she has not much time left as she is suffering from a lethal heart condition. Moreover, I have lied to you that she likes you and wants to marry you. She didn't even know you. "

I stand up with a jerk. I glance at him with widen eyes in shock. Because of him, I have acted worst with her. I thought she has a plan in this marriage but she is the innocent one here.

"You even used me in your so-called revenge?" How can you be so low?" I yell angrily.

"Mind your language, son!" He spats still in a calm tone.

"Don't call me your son. I am ashamed to even think that you are my father, " I shout.

He doesn't reply instead just glare at me constantly. I take a deep breath to calm myself down.

"Now, get rid of her from your life," he speaks after a while.

"What?"

"Divorce her."

"Okay, I'll do it, " I reply, my breath still hitched.

He smiles at my answer and gestures me to sit back. Instead of sitting, I bend over on the table and look at him with a smirk.

"First, give her back all of her wealth which you have unlawfully acquired."

Now it's his turn to be in shock.

"Are you rebelling against me?" He asks with panic.

I just shrug my shoulders in answer.

"Armaan, just divorce her. You even don't like her. I'll even let you marry that girl whom you love. I'll myself go and ask for her hand in marriage for you," He says after a while.

"I won't divorce her. And that's my last decision," I reply and turn around to walk away.

"Don't tell me you have fallen for her."

I stop when his voice comes into my hearing. I look back at him with an amusing look on my face.

"I haven't fallen for her but I don't want to fall from humanity just like someone has already done, " I say with a smirk on my face and strides away without looking back at him.

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AssalamoAlaikum! How are you guys? What do you think of this chapter? This chapter gets a little longer so I decided to separate it into two parts.

And thank you so much for 5 K reads. It truly meant a lot. I love y'all.❤