Justice For Me

“Careful, Miss. That little thing could hurt someone.”

His voice was maddeningly calm almost serene, as though the steel at his throat was nothing more than an inconvenience. It slithered into her ears like a whisper of smoke, unhurried, insolent, and entirely out of place given the tension suffocating the room. The man in the leather chair didn’t even flinch, though she could see the faint red bead beginning to form where the edge of the folding knife touched his skin.

“Do I look like I’m joking to you?” she snapped, the edge in her voice sharper than the blade she wielded.

She pressed the knife closer, just enough to make sure he could feel it not only on his skin, but in his bones. Her voice didn’t tremble. It was clear, cold, and merciless. She had nothing left to lose, and that made her dangerous.

“Listen to me, Sir Arnav,” she hissed. “I didn’t come here to exchange pleasantries or ask politely. Your brother committed a betrayal so vile it gutted me. I want consequences. I want retribution for what he’s done. And if I have to start with you, I will.”

Arnav’s brow barely moved. The blade at his throat didn’t seem to disturb him nearly as much as her words did. But even then, his expression remained unreadable, forged in the same steel his expensive office was made of.

She had studied every photo of him she could find before storming this office. But seeing him in person was worse. The arrogance she’d expected in his features was not only present it was weaponized.

Still, he didn’t move. His shoulders stayed relaxed, posture loose, like he was indulging a tantrum rather than facing someone holding a knife to his throat.

Then, in one swift motion, she pushed the blade forward just enough to break skin. A thin line of red appeared along his throat, slow and deliberate, like the start of a signature written in blood. And still he didn’t even blink.

“Justice, you say?” he finally murmured, voice smooth as silk. His lips curled into something too cold to be a smile. “Then put down the knife and sit. Let’s see what exactly you’re demanding.”

He gestured casually toward the chair across from his desk, like a host inviting a guest to tea. The detachment in his voice was unbearable.

Raellyn hesitated. Her fingers tightened instinctively around the knife. Her knees buckled slightly, not out of fear, but exhaustion the weight of everything she’d buried inside now pressing down with merciless force.

This was reckless. She knew it. Barging into the office of a high-profile director and threatening him could end her life or worse. But desperation had pushed her past the edge of reason. Her world had already collapsed. What difference did it make now if she fell a little further?

Slowly, with the reluctant grace of a woman still walking a tightrope, she lowered the blade but didn’t let go. She moved stiffly around the desk, her spine taut like a bowstring, and sat at the edge of the high-backed chair. Her grip on the knife remained firm. This wasn’t surrender.

This was war by another name.

Arnav didn’t acknowledge her caution. He merely leaned forward, folding his fingers beneath his chin. The posture of a man used to being listened to.

“So tell me,” he said, voice deceptively pleasant, “what exactly has my brother done that turned you into such a feral little thing and barging into my office like a deranged lunatic?”

The condescension hit her like a slap.

Without a word, Raellyn reached into her coat and pulled out a folded newspaper. She slapped it down on the desk with force, the paper sliding toward him across the polished oak.

“The headline,” she said through gritted teeth, “read it. That’s why I’m here.”

Arnav cast a languid glance at the front page. The bold letters screamed the betrayal louder than any voice could:

"Director’s Brother, Arsene, Engaged to Sylvia."

Sylvia. The name alone made bile rise in Raellyn’s throat. That woman’s face haunted her dreams smiling, triumphant, draped around Arsene like she had earned him. Like he was a trophy.

Raellyn clenched her fists so tightly that her nails bit into her palms.

“And this disturbs you… why?” he asked, leaning back, voice a picture of indifference.

“Because your brother was my lover,” Raellyn snapped. “For over a year. He courted me, loved me promised me forever. A week before that article, he asked me to marry him.” Her voice cracked, but only for a moment. “Then he vanished. Not a word. No explanation. And now I find him plastered on every goddamn newspaper, engaged to someone else like I was never even real.”

The chair screeched as she stood abruptly, pacing the floor like a caged animal. Her fury filled the room now, heavy and burning. Her boots thudded softly against the marble, marking her rage like footsteps toward the edge of ruin. She reached into her pocket again and withdrew a small velvet pouch. From it, she pulled out a delicate silver pendant, glinting faintly under the office lights. She placed it on the desk.

“He gave me that,” she said. “Said it was a symbol of our bond. Of everything we were supposed to become.”

The pendant lay between them like a broken promise.

Arnav stared at it. His fingers moved slowly, brushing the chain, lifting it delicately like it might dissolve in his grip.

“He gave you this?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied, her voice stronger now. “He called it a vow. And then he erased me.”

She could feel her heart thudding against her ribs like it wanted to break free. The knife was still in her hand, though she had forgotten it was there. Her weapon wasn’t the blade anymore it was the truth. The raw, terrible truth of a woman discarded.

“So tell me, Director Arnav,” she said, her tone now trembling with quiet fury, “what is your brother, if not a liar? And what does that make you, defending him in your glass tower?”

Arnav took a long breath and leaned back in his chair. “You expect sympathy from me?” he said coolly. “After threatening me with a knife?”

“I expect decency,” she snapped. “Something your family seems to lack.”

He chuckled. The sound was soft, almost pitying.

“And this is what the desperate do?” he murmured. “Wave blades and broken hearts like weapons? Is this how you think you’ll win something respect, perhaps? Or a payout?”

Her jaw clenched. Tears burned in the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She would not let him see her bleed.

“Oh, I see,” she said bitterly. “This is about class now. Poor little Raellyn, chasing a rich man’s brother for attention? Is that what you believe? That people like me don’t deserve justice unless we come wrapped in diamonds?”

The room pulsed with silence. Her breath hitched. The air between them felt like a string stretched to its breaking point.

“Tell me,” he said, his eyes locked on hers, “are you pregnant with my brother’s child?”