Mihir’s hand tightened around Tara’s for a moment, then relaxed as he watched the confusion and hesitant hope cross her face. He looked steady — not the distant businessman the household feared, but a man who had been carrying a weight for too long.

“I will tell you everything,” he said, voice low and urgent. “But not here.” Without waiting for more, he began to walk, guiding her along with a firmness that brooked no argument.