Chapter 1: The Fall of a Queen
The conference room of Malhotra Global Corp was filled with flashing cameras and curious eyes. Reporters jostled for the best angles, their pens poised, their microphones extended.
At the center of it all stood Aanya Malhotra — the youngest CEO in Asia, once hailed as a prodigy, a woman who had turned her family's empire into a global powerhouse worth billions.
But today, her name wasn't being praised.
It was being dragged through the mud.
"Ms. Malhotra," a reporter shouted, his voice sharp. "How do you respond to allegations that you orchestrated the death of your parents to seize control of the Malhotra empire?"
Aanya's breath caught. The question stabbed like a dagger. She forced herself to keep her shoulders squared, her face calm, though her heart pounded so hard it threatened to burst from her chest.
"My parents were everything to me," she said, her voice steady. "I would never—"
"Liar!" another voice shouted. It came not from the crowd, but from the board of directors seated behind her.
She turned sharply, her eyes meeting the cold, calculating gaze of her uncle, Rajiv Malhotra.
Rajiv leaned back in his chair, lips curling into a cruel smile. "Don't bother denying it, Aanya. We have evidence. Phone records, financial transfers… even witness testimony. The police will decide."
The room buzzed with murmurs. Flashes went off like tiny explosions.
Aanya's world tilted. "Uncle… you— you set me up?"
Rajiv stood, adjusting the cuff of his suit with casual arrogance. "Set you up? No, my dear niece. I simply uncovered the truth."
The betrayal hit harder than any blow. This was the man she trusted most after her parents. The man who had promised to protect her.
And he had just sentenced her to hell.
Two days later, Aanya Malhotra — once the queen of the business world — stood before the court.
Her own cousins testified against her.
Fake documents piled against her.
And when the verdict came, the gavel fell like thunder.
"Guilty of orchestrating the murder of your parents. Sentenced: Five years imprisonment."
The courtroom erupted. Aanya's knees nearly gave out. She tried to scream, to fight, but the world blurred. All she could see was her uncle's smirk from the front row.
Her empire was gone.
Her reputation destroyed.
Her parents' killers still free.
And her prison sentence had just begun.
Five Years Later
The heavy gates of Byculla Women's Prison creaked open. The scorching Mumbai sun hit Aanya's pale skin, making her squint.
She stepped out slowly, clutching the small bag of belongings she had left. A cheap salwar kameez hung loosely on her thinner frame. The once radiant, confident CEO now looked like a shadow of her former self.
Her chestnut hair had lost its shine, her skin pale from years without freedom. The once indomitable spark in her eyes had dimmed.
She had dreamed, countless times, that someone would come for her.
Her uncle. Her cousins. Old friends. Even loyal employees.
But no one had.
Five years in hell had taught her one brutal truth: she had no one left.
She walked aimlessly, the world around her loud yet distant. The skyscrapers of Mumbai mocked her. Once, she had ruled from the top floors of one. Now, she didn't even have a rupee in her pocket.
Her lips trembled. "Why… why did I ever trust them?"
A car screeched to a halt beside her. Before she could react, two men in black suits stepped out.
"Miss Malhotra," one of them sneered. "Your uncle has been waiting for you."
Her eyes widened. "Rajiv?"
A cloth pressed over her mouth before she could scream. Darkness swallowed her.
When she awoke, pain seared through her body.
She was lying on a cold concrete floor, hands tied, blood dripping from her split lip. Her uncle Rajiv stood before her, flanked by two of his men.
"Aanya, Aanya," he said, shaking his head with mock pity. "You should have stayed in prison. At least there, you were safe."
Her voice cracked, weak from years of silence. "Why… why are you doing this? Haven't you taken enough?"
Rajiv crouched down, his eyes gleaming with greed. "Your parents' empire was mine to begin with. You were just a lucky little brat. But you were too stubborn, too ambitious. Even after prison, I couldn't risk you crawling back. So…"
He raised his hand. One of his men slammed a fist into her stomach.
Aanya gasped, blood spilling from her mouth. She fell sideways, her body screaming in pain.
Rajiv leaned closer, whispering, "Don't worry. You'll be with your parents soon. And the world will forget you ever existed."
The men dragged her, half-conscious, to the dock. The salty sea breeze stung her cuts. She heard the waves crashing, cruel and merciless.
Her vision blurred. She could barely lift her head.
With one final shove, they tossed her broken body into the sea.
Cold water engulfed her. The taste of salt and blood filled her mouth. She sank, her body too weak to fight.
So this is it… I'll die like this… forgotten.
Her lungs burned. The darkness closed in.
And then—
[Ding!]
System Booting…
Welcome, Host.
You have been selected for the Goddess Wifey System.
Do you wish to live?
Aanya's fading consciousness jolted. What… what is this?
Answer: Yes or No.
Tears mingled with the seawater. Her lips moved, barely audible.
"Yes…"
[Ding!]
Acknowledged.
Beginning Emergency Revival Protocol.
Host Vitality: Restoring…
Task Generated: Survive. Rise. Take back what was stolen.
Penalty for Failure: Permanent Death.
A sharp warmth spread through her chest, forcing her heart to beat again. The suffocating darkness receded. Her eyes flew open underwater, glowing faintly with golden light.
Her fingers twitched, untangling from the ropes as if invisible hands guided her.
For the first time in five years, Aanya felt hope.
She kicked upward, breaking through the surface with a desperate gasp.
The world had tried to drown her.
But she was alive.
And this time…
she wasn't alone.