Collision of Truths

Lina’s POV

The morning after the brunch, I woke up to an unusual quietness in the mansion. Normally, the house hummed with activity—staff bustling, my mother dictating her endless to-do lists, and Zara’s clipped voice somewhere in the mix. But today, it felt… off.

I grabbed a hoodie and made my way downstairs, curiosity pulling me toward the source of the silence. It didn’t take long to find it. Zara was in the dining room, pacing like a caged tiger while her mother and mine sat at the long table, their expressions grim.

“Am I interrupting something?” I asked, leaning against the doorway.

Zara stopped mid-step, her eyes narrowing. “You always seem to have perfect timing.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, ignoring her sarcasm.

My mother sighed, gesturing for me to sit. “We’ve had… a development.”

“Sounds ominous,” I muttered, taking a seat across from Zara.

“It’s the Ahmed deal,” Zara’s mother explained. “They’ve pulled out of the merger.”

“What?” Zara and I said in unison.

Apparently, the Ahmeds had decided that the risk of merging with the Elahis wasn’t worth it. Something about market instability, but it felt like a thin excuse.

“Without the Ahmeds, the Elahi-Chaudhry alliance won’t hold as much weight,” my mother said, her tone laced with frustration. “We need a new strategy.”

Zara’s jaw tightened. “And let me guess—the strategy is us.”

Her mother didn’t deny it.

I frowned. “You’re saying that even though the Ahmeds are out, we still have to go through with this wedding?”

“It’s not just about the Ahmeds,” my mother said. “It’s about solidifying our families’ power and showing the world that we’re united, no matter what.”

Zara laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Of course. Because appearances are all that matter.”

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Zara’s POV

After the meeting, I stormed out of the dining room, my mind racing. Lina caught up with me in the hallway, her footsteps echoing behind me.

“Zara, wait.”

I stopped but didn’t turn around. “What?”

“This isn’t fair,” she said, stepping in front of me. “They can’t just use us like pawns.”

“Newsflash, Lina—they already have,” I snapped. “That’s the whole point of this ridiculous arrangement.”

Her expression softened. “You’re really angry about this, aren’t you?”

“Of course, I’m angry!” I said, throwing up my hands. “I’ve spent my entire life doing what they want, being who they want. And now, I’m supposed to just… smile and play along while they use me to fix their problems?”

Lina studied me for a moment, her gaze steady. “You don’t have to do this alone, you know.”

Her words caught me off guard. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that maybe we can figure out a way to survive this together,” she said. “As a team.”

I scoffed. “You want to team up with me? You can’t even stand me.”

She smirked. “True. But I hate them more.”

Despite myself, I smiled. “Fine. But if we’re doing this, we do it my way.”

“Deal,” she said, holding out her hand.

I hesitated for a moment before shaking it, the contact sending an unexpected jolt through me.

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Later That Evening

We decided to start our “alliance” by figuring out how to handle the fallout from the Ahmeds pulling out. My parents had invited yet another potential investor for dinner—a middle-aged billionaire named Mr. Malhotra, whose ego was as big as his bank account.

“You want us to what?” Lina asked, staring at me like I’d lost my mind.

“Charm him,” I said, adjusting my earrings in the mirror. “Play nice, laugh at his jokes, make him think we’re the perfect couple. It’s not that hard.”

She crossed her arms. “You realize I have zero interest in stroking some old man’s ego, right?”

I sighed, turning to face her. “Look, I don’t like this any more than you do. But if we don’t, our parents will never let us hear the end of it.”

She groaned but reluctantly nodded. “Fine. But if he says one creepy thing, I’m out.”

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Lina’s POV

Dinner with Mr. Malhotra was as awful as I’d expected. He spent most of the evening bragging about his wealth and subtly insulting everyone else at the table. Zara played her part perfectly, nodding politely and occasionally laughing at his terrible jokes.

I, on the other hand, was struggling to keep my composure. By the time dessert was served, I was ready to snap.

“So, Lina,” Mr. Malhotra said, turning his attention to me. “Tell me, how does it feel to be marrying into such a prestigious family?”

I forced a smile. “Well, it’s certainly… an experience.”

He chuckled, clearly oblivious to my sarcasm. “I’m sure Zara will keep you in line. She’s always been the responsible one.”

Beside me, I felt Zara tense.

“Actually,” I said, my tone sharper than I intended, “I think Zara and I balance each other out quite well. Don’t you agree, darling?”

Zara blinked, caught off guard, but quickly recovered. “Absolutely,” she said, slipping her hand into mine. “Lina keeps me on my toes.”

The warmth of her hand in mine was unexpected, and for a moment, I forgot where we were.

“Well, I must say, you two make a lovely couple,” Mr. Malhotra said, raising his glass.

As we clinked glasses, Zara leaned closer to me, her lips brushing against my ear. “Not bad, Lina. Maybe we do make a good team.”

For once, I didn’t have a snarky comeback.

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After Dinner

When the guests finally left, Zara and I collapsed onto the living room couch, exhausted.

“Well, that was horrible,” I said, kicking off my heels.

Zara laughed—a genuine, warm laugh that caught me off guard.

“You weren’t so bad,” she said, surprising me. “You actually held your own.”

“Don’t get used to it,” I muttered, but I couldn’t help smiling.

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, the tension from earlier fading. For the first time, I felt like maybe—just maybe—we could survive this together.

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