Singhania Palace – Morning
The scent of masala chai, fresh parathas, and buttered toast floated through the sunlit dining hall.
Trisha, dressed in a fitted navy-blue suit, hair tied back in a sleek bun, walked in with her laptop bag slung over her shoulder.
She had exactly ten minutes before heading to the office — just enough time for two bites of food and one sarcastic comment from Monty.
But instead...
Ranveer (laughing, holding up the newspaper): "Trixie, beta... look at this."
Monty (grinning): "You need to."
Raghav (raising his coffee mug): "It's front page worthy."
Trisha (rolling her eyes): "What now?"
Ranveer passed the Business Daily to her. The headline screamed in bold, elegant typeface:
"When Empires Collide: A New Venture or A Royal Romance? Inside the Power Pact of Trisha Singhania and Reeva Khanna"
Below it — a perfectly-timed, too-intimate photo of Trisha and Reeva from the press conference. Hands clasped mid-handshake, laughing, staring directly into each other's eyes like the rest of the world had vanished.
Trisha (groaning): "Oh for god's sake. These paparazzi are such vultures. I hate them."
Nandini (smirking): "Oh, come on. Both of you look hot together. We don't mind if it's more than business."
Swadamini (frowning): "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"
Monty (passing the paper): "Here, Dadi. Visuals speak louder than gossip."
Swadamini (adjusting her glasses): "Hmm..."
(a moment passes)
"Well... Nandini is right. You both do look good together. Ask her out, na beta. Make her our bahu!"
Trisha (choking on her tea): "DADIIIII?!"
Monty (teasing): "Imagine both of you ruling Udaipur together — CEO wives, royal empire, Sunday brunches with paparazzi."
Trisha: "I'm going to the office. You're all insufferable."
She grabbed her phone, shot one look at the paper again, then stormed out — cheeks flushed, lips twitching into a smile she wouldn't admit to.
Khanna Mahal – Same Morning
The Khannas' breakfast table was a picture of grace and gossip — croissants, smoothie bowls, and the unmistakable sound of Saanvi's laughter echoing through the marble-clad room.
Reeva, dressed in a sharp dove-grey blouse and tailored trousers, walked in — polished, unreadable, and clearly not prepared for what came next.
Saanvi (grinning): "Good morning, Queendom Queen. Look what today's paper gave us."
She slid the paper across.
Reeva stopped mid-step, eyebrows arching. The moment her eyes landed on the headline and photo, she read it aloud in disbelief.
"When Empires Collide: A New Venture or A Royal Romance? Inside the Power Pact of Trisha Singhania and Reeva Khanna"
Reeva: "Oh. My. God. These paparazzi are intolerable."
Rajeev (adjusting his watch, smiling): "Yes, but... the photo does show a certain... spark."
Reeva (groaning): "Dad. Seriously?"
Swarna (grinning): "You should start considering more though."
Reeva (blinking): "What??"
Rajeev: "Trisha checks all the boxes. Royal blood. Famous. Powerful. Rich. Elegant. And... very attractive, no?"
Saanvi (devilishly): "Also... flirts like butter on a hot tandoori roti. I saw you two yesterday, after the signing. The eye contact? The way she poured your drink?"
Reeva (grabbing her bag): "I am not having this conversation. I'm leaving. Also, Saanvi — come to the office today. Since I'll be shifting to Udaipur for Toast of Royals, you need to start handling The Khanna Court. I'll walk you through everything."
Saanvi (smirking): "Ohhh. You mean you'll be spending more time with her."
Reeva (walking away): "God. Goodbye."
Swarna (to Rajeev, sipping tea): "I like this Trisha girl. We should keep a close watch."
Rajeev: "Royal alliances run deeper than contracts."
Saanvi: "Or deeper than business, at least."