The grand ballroom of JH Merlin Hotel was alive with conversation. Chandeliers bathed the room in golden light, soft music played in the background, and the air buzzed with the excitement of business elites mingling.
At one particular table, Raja Sekaran leaned back in his chair, savoring the luxury of the night.
Navin adjusted his sleek black suit, scanning the crowd with an air of self-importance.
Anjana sipped her wine, her diamond earrings catching the light, while chatting lightly with her mother, Leela.
Everything was perfect.
Raghavan Manoharan was expected to make an appearance, and with him, the chance to secure insider details on the AD Tech project tender.
The night couldn't get any better.
Or so they thought.
A figure approached their table.
Navin, spotting him first, grinned instantly.
Muru, a well-built man with sharp eyes, walked over with the relaxed confidence of someone who knew exactly where he stood in life.
"Ah, Navin, my brother!" Muru greeted, slapping Navin's shoulder. "I saw you from across the room. Thought I should come and say hello."
Navin smirked. "Of course, bro! What a surprise."
Muru poured himself a drink, taking his time before glancing at Raja Sekaran.
"Sekaran sir, nice to see you too. I trust everything is going well?"
Raja Sekaran nodded, completely at ease. "Everything is great."
Muru chuckled, swirling his drink lazily. "That's good to hear. Oh, by the way… how was the help I arranged for you?"
Navin raised an eyebrow. "Help?"
Muru leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering—just enough to sound discreet, but not enough to go unheard.
"You know… the car demolition. Was it satisfying?"
Navin's grin widened instantly. "Oh, it was more than satisfying. That bastard deserved it."
Anjana, feeling pleased with herself, laughed lightly. "Honestly, it was perfect. We all had a good laugh about it."
Muru smiled, nodding, and took another sip of his drink.
Everything still felt normal.
Nothing about this felt like a setup.
Yet.
As Muru walked away, another man approached the table.
A slightly overweight man in his late 40s, dressed in an expensive suit, walked up with a wide grin on his face.
"Sekaran! Long time no see!"
Raja Sekaran's brows furrowed slightly, but then recognition clicked.
Mohan.
A broker in the university finance department. The same man who ensured Dhiviya's "scholarship" remained a secret while conveniently pocketing stolen education funds.
Raja Sekaran smirked, motioning for him to sit. "Mohan! What a surprise. It's been a while."
Mohan didn't sit. Instead, he leaned against the table, fingers tapping rhythmically on the polished surface.
"I just wanted to come and say thank you, Sekaran."
Raja Sekaran chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Thank me? What for?"
Mohan smirked, swirling his drink lazily.
"For Dhiviya's scholarship… for Guna's papers… and, of course, for all the money I made because of you."
Navin, who had been watching closely, perked up with interest.
"Appa, is this the guy who helped with Dhiviya's fake scholarship and Guna failing his papers?"
Raja Sekaran nodded.
Navin grinned. "What you did was a masterpiece. I wish we could discuss more in the future."
Mohan cursed internally. "Yes, we all will be very close soon… maybe in prison."
There was a flicker of something sharp in Mohan's gaze.
Just for a second.
Raja Sekaran noticed it.
His smile faltered.
Something felt wrong.
His instincts screamed at him.
Why is he here?
Why now?
He tightened his grip on his glass.
No. Don't overthink it. It's just small talk.
Right?
The Third Visitor: The Insurance Agent – The Unraveling
Before Raja Sekaran could shake off the feeling—
A third man approached.
And this time…
He immediately knew something was wrong.
Because the man should NOT have been here.
The insurance agent.
The same man who had helped him set up life insurance policies on Vasanthan.
Raja Sekaran froze.
The agent sat down without invitation, leaning in slightly.
"Sekaran. I was just about to call you."
Raja Sekaran forced a tight smile, his body unnaturally stiff. "Oh? What about?"
The agent smirked. "When do I get my cut?"
Raja Sekaran stare at him with a threatening look. "what are you talking about?"
"You told me your brother's bypass surgery is soon. That's when we make the big move. This is our biggest project, Sekaran. Don't back out now. It's a RW10 million policy." Replied the agent with a you knowing smile.
BOOM.
Raja Sekaran snapped.
His chair scraped back violently as he stood.
His hands trembled as he grabbed the agent's collar.
His eyes darted around the room.
He was being recorded.
He just knew it.
"Who the hell is behind this?! Who is trying to make me confess?!"
He frantically patted down the agent's suit, his breath coming in short, rapid bursts.
Had someone been watching him all along?
Was this live?!
His gaze darted around the ballroom.
Where was Poobathy?!
Was he betrayed?
A cold, authoritative voice sliced through the chaos.
"Why so angry, Mr. Raja Sekaran?"
Silence.
The entire ballroom went dead still for half a second.
Raja Sekaran turned—
And froze.
The Private Dining Room – The Truth Unfolds
Silence.
A cold, heavy, suffocating silence.
It took one full second for the words to sink in.
Then— Vasanthan inhaled sharply.
His chair shuddered slightly as his entire body locked up.
His fingers, which had been gently resting on the table, suddenly clenched into fists.
He couldn't breathe.
His was his brother.
His trusted step brother.
Had been waiting for his surgery… to kill him.
"No…" The word left his lips in a breathless whisper.
Beside him, Archana trembled violently.
Her vision blurred with tears, her mind unable to process the depth of this betrayal.
She covered her mouth, her body losing strength.
Dhiviya's eyes widened in horror.
Guna, usually quick to fire back sarcastic remarks, sat frozen, his hands gripping the table so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Maapillai…" His voice cracked. "What is going on?"
His hands, resting on the table, shook slightly.
Athavan leaned back, his voice calm and unwavering.
"Seventeen cases."
Vasanthan turned to him, his voice hoarse. "What?"
Athavan's gaze remained cold.
"Seventeen cases have been filed against Raja Sekaran. Including attempted murder, scholarship fraud, insurance scams, trade secret violations, money laundering, bribery… and more."
The words crashed over Vasanthan like a tidal wave.
Beside him, Archana silently wept, her fingers gripping the edge of her saree.
She didn't sob loudly.
She didn't scream.
But her shoulders trembled, and the tears fell freely down her cheeks.
Vasanthan's throat tightened as he looked at Athavan.
His entire life—everything he had believed—was a lie.
And the truth had never felt heavier.
The End.