— Sometimes, life plays tricks on us. Why? Who knows. It will forever remain a mystery. —

"Why?"

Hearing the familiar voice coming from one of the rooms, Rihaan’s steps faltered. He stood there for a moment, making sure he wasn’t mistaken.

"Come on. It doesn’t matter."

That voice definitely sounded like Arav’s. But who was he talking to—and which room was he in?

Turning on his heel, Rihaan opened the door to the room on his left. His gaze darted across the space.

No one.

He then headed toward the room on his right. The voices grew louder—more familiar.

Swallowing hard, he slowly opened the door, peeking through the narrow gap, even though he knew it went against every rule of etiquette and propriety. When it came to Arav, his mind rarely worked the way it should.

Inside, the man he loved stood with his arms wrapped around his younger brother—Prince Vihaan—looking at him with a passion Rihaan recognized all too well. It was the same passion Arav had shown him all these years.

Rihaan’s heart shuddered. His breath caught in his throat.

What had he just seen?

I should have just ignored it. I should have walked away. I shouldn’t have looked—

He told himself again and again, as if this were somehow his fault. Yet deep down, he knew exactly who was in the wrong. Still, he shook his head.

Maybe it was all just a misunderstanding.

Maybe Arav was only helping Vihaan with something.

It wasn’t impossible—

Rihaan’s fingers curled tightly around the edge of the door. For a moment, his body refused to move, as though his legs no longer belonged to him, as if they had been possessed by someone else.

The world seemed to tilt and his vision blurred.

An insane thought crossed his mind. He shook his head quickly, dismissing its very possibility.

No—this couldn’t be real.

His chest ached, a sharp pain spreading with every shallow breath he took. He pressed a hand over his mouth, afraid that if he didn’t, something broken would spill out—his sobs, his screams, the truth he wasn’t ready to face.

Don’t jump to conclusions.

Don’t make a scene.

Don’t destroy everything over a misunderstanding.

Not when things aren’t even properly settled.

He told himself desperately.

But the image refused to fade. Arav’s arms. The way he held Vihaan. The look in his eyes—soft, and intimate.

Rihaan staggered back a step, his shoulder brushing the wall. His knees nearly gave way. He hadn’t realized he was trembling until he noticed his shaky hands around the doorknob.

He loved him.

He had trusted him.

He left everything for him.

His decision couldn’t possibly be wrong.

Tears burned his eyes, slipping past his lashes before he could stop them. He wiped them away harshly, anger flaring beneath the grief.

I need to ask.

He told himself. He hesitated only for a moment.

Just one step forward, and everything could shatter.

Just one word, and there may be no going back.

Rihaan closed his eyes, counting his breaths—one, two—trying to steady the storm raging and turmoil of pain inside his chest. His heart pounded so loudly he was almost sure they could hear it from the other side of the door.

Then he pushed it open.

The sound echoed far louder than it should have.

Arav turned first. His expression shifted instantly—from surprise to something Rihaan couldn’t bear to name.

Vihaan stiffened in his arms, as if caught doing something he shouldn’t have.

Rihaan stood there, frozen, his eyes locked on them. His voice failed him at first. His mouth parted, but no sound came out.

When he finally spoke, it came out hoarse, barely more than a whisper.

"Arav..."

Neither of the two men spoke. They remained rooted in place, as though awaiting execution.

Rihaan tightened his jaw, his nails biting into his palms as he forced the words out, one by one.

"What. Is. This?"

"Oh," Arav said. He didn’t look surprised. If anything, he appeared pleased, a wide grin spreading across his face. "It’s a good thing you saw this. You see, your brother and I—" He grabbed Vihaan’s hands, his smile widening. "We began dating during your absence."

Rihaan stepped backward, staggering.

"W-What?" he stammered. The shock was so overwhelming that he couldn’t think clearly. How could his brother date his... lover?

"Brother!" Vihaan swatted the omega’s hand away and rushed toward Rihaan. "I swear there is no such thing. He is making all of this up!"

Arav gasped dramatically, raising a hand to his mouth.

"Hooo! How can you lie this well? Please, do teach me."

Vihaan frowned, glaring at the omega.

Rihaan’s head spun, the entire scene tilting violently around him. He lifted a trembling hand, pressing it to his chest as if that could steady the pain ripping through him.

"Arav," he said, his voice strained, barely holding together. He tried his best not to let it crack. "Is this true?"

Arav tilted his head, watching him with unsettling calm. The smile never left his lips.

"Does it matter?" he replied lightly. "You saw it with your own eyes, didn’t you?"

Vihaan shook his head frantically.

"No! Brother, please don’t listen to him. He is lying! I swear on my life, nothing like that ever happened!" he cried.

Arav laughed, low and mocking.

"Swearing on your life now? How noble."

Rihaan took another step back, his legs weak. His gaze flickered between them, searching—pleading—for the men he knew.

But neither of them resembled his younger brother or his lover anymore. They both felt like strangers.

"You... held him," Rihaan whispered. "The way you looked at him just now..."

For the first time, Arav’s expression shifted—not guilt, not regret, but irritation. It was an expression Rihaan had never thought would be directed at him.

"So what if I did?" the omega snapped. "You weren’t here all this time. If it hadn’t been for you stupidly cancelling your engagement, you wouldn’t have returned to begin with. And—you aren’t even the Crown Prince anymore."

The words struck harder than any blow.

Vihaan turned on Arav, fury flashing in his eyes.

"Enough! Don’t you dare put this on him! And I never—never—said I would be with you! Sluts like you will never be the Crown Princess. Either I am the Crown Prince, or my brother is!"

"Answer me," Rihaan said, his voice shaking but loud enough now. "Did you betray me?"

Silence fell.

Arav stared at him, unblinking.

Then he smiled again.

"And what if I did?"

At Arav’s words, Rihaan couldn’t breathe.

How could the man he had loved for so long be so... disgusting and shameless?