Where Love Begins

d and vulnerable in a way he rarely allowed, his arms wrapped around a woman whose dark hair spilled across his chest like silk. The woman in the pictures... the woman

-this ring doesn't make mistakes. She is meant to be part of this family." Teddy helped him to his feet, guiding him toward the door with a hand on his elbow. He was relieved when his father didn't push the issue further-he needed time to think, to process everything that had just happened without someone breathing down his neck. The moment they stepped into the corridor, they nearly ran into Mira. She stood there, hesitant, her fingers nervously twisting together in front of her. The ring still gleamed stubbornly on her left hand-catching the overhead lights, the diamond winking like an accusation. Her dark hair was slightly disheveled, and her eyes were wide with a mix of fear and determination. "I-I came to say-" she began, her voice unsteady as she took a small step back, clearly intimidated by the older man's presence. "The ring... it won't come off-I've tried everything, soap, oil, even ice, but it just... it won't move-" "Find a chance to bring her home," Teddy's father cut in, pointing directly at her with his cane, his eyes bright with approval. "I want to get to know her properly-have her over for dinner next week. We'll discuss the wedding preparations then." Mira's mouth fell open in shock, her face paling even further. The words wedding preparations hung in the air like a noose, and she looked from Teddy's father to Teddy himself, searching his face for some sign that this was a joke. But no words came out. Teddy said nothing. His expression was carefully neutral, his gaze fixed somewhere past her shoulder as if she weren't even there. He simply guided his father past her, his hand firm on the older man's arm, escorting him down the corridor in heavy silence. Only after ensuring his father had left the building-watching as his black sedan pulled away from the curb and disappeared into traffic-did Teddy turn back. His pace was brisk, sharp, his long legs eating up the distance down the corridor. Controlled anger simmered beneath every step, a low burn that started in his chest and spread through his veins like molten metal. He'd been played-by Mira, by whoever had taken those photos, by his own father's obsession with tradition. When he reached his office, Mira was still there-standing stiffly by the door like she didn't know whether to stay and face him or run and risk making things worse. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her, and she kept glancing down at the ring on her finger as if it might disappear if she looked away. "Come in," he said flatly, walking past her without a glance and heading straight for his desk. Mira followed quickly, closing the door behind her with trembling hands. The soft click of the latch seemed to seal her fate, and she stood just inside the room, her back straight despite the fear that radiated from her. The moment she stepped inside- SLAM. Teddy threw the stack of photographs onto the polished wood desk in front of her, the impact sending them scattering across the surface like fallen leaves. The sound echoed in the room like a gunshot, sharp and final. "Explain this." The single sentence was cold, hard, and completely devoid of any warmth he might have felt earlier. Mira flinched, her shoulders jumping at the sudden noise. She looked down at the pictures spread across the desk-at the intimate images of herself and Teddy, at the way their bodies were tangled together in the dim light-and her face drained of color, leaving her looking ghostly pale. "What... what is this?" she whispered, confusion flooding her e