The silence didn't last.
It never does.
By noon, the hospital hallway outside Arjun's room was buzzing with controlled chaos—security guards at every corner, hushed voices, phones vibrating nonstop.
Riyan's phone hadn't stopped ringing for hours.
Board members.
Lawyers.
Numbers he hadn't spoken to in years.
He ignored them all.
Until one call finally made him still.
He glanced at the screen, then at me.
"The press," he said quietly. "They got the documents."
My heart skipped. "All of them?"
He nodded once. "Medical transfers. Audio recordings. Internal orders. My mother's resignation."
Arjun let out a slow breath from the bed.
"So… it's out."
"Yes," Riyan said. "There's no putting it back now."
As if on cue, the television mounted on the wall flickered to life.
A news anchor stared straight into the camera, expression sharp and serious.
> "Breaking News: Malhotra Group Scandal Unfolds.
Heir Riyan Malhotra confirms elder brother Arjun Malhotra is alive after years of alleged cover-up. Sources confirm internal misuse of power, forced medical relocation, and falsified death records…"
My chest tightened.
This was real now.
No shadows.
No secret rooms.
No whispers behind closed doors.
The truth was public.
Riyan muted the TV.
For a moment, none of us spoke.
Then Arjun laughed quietly.
"Guess I picked a dramatic way to come back from the dead."
I smiled weakly. "You always did."
Riyan walked closer to the bed.
"They're going to ask you everything," he said. "Interviews. Statements. Testimony."
Arjun's smile faded.
"I'll talk," he said calmly. "All of it. Because if I don't, they'll twist it again."
Riyan nodded. "I'll stand with you."
Arjun glanced at me.
"And you?" he asked gently. "They won't be kind."
I thought of the years of blame.
The whispers.
The looks.
The word homewrecker burned into my name.
"I've already survived their worst version of me," I said quietly. "I'm not afraid of the truth."
Riyan's gaze softened.
Before he could say anything, his phone buzzed again.
This time, he answered.
"Yes," he said calmly. "I'll release a statement in one hour."
A pause.
"No," he added. "Not without her."
He hung up and looked at me.
"They want a joint appearance," he said. "Me. You. And Arjun."
My heart pounded.
"That's not easy," I whispered.
"I know," he said. "That's why it matters."
Arjun shifted, wincing slightly.
"Looks like the three of us are officially a headline now."
I exhaled slowly.
A few months ago, I would've hidden.
Lowered my head.
Let the storm pass over me.
But I was tired of storms.
"Alright," I said. "Let them see us."
Riyan studied my face carefully.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," I said. "Because for once, the story won't be written about me. I'll be standing inside it."
Something unreadable passed through his eyes.
Pride.
Regret.
Respect.
He reached for my hand.
Not because he needed support.
Because he was offering it.
Outside, cameras were already gathering.
Inside, Arjun closed his eyes, breathing steadily.
"This is where it really starts," he murmured.
I looked at the two brothers—one returned from the dead, the other reborn from guilt—and felt a strange, steady calm settle in my chest.
The lie had ruled our lives for years.
But now—
The truth was louder.
And it was finally our turn to speak.