The Designer Who Designed My Downfall

Chapter-42: Last Breath

Manik’s POV,

The sting on my cheek was still burning.

But it was nothing compared to what was burning inside my chest.

Cabir’s words echoed louder than the slap.

We are not real brothers.

That one sentence kept repeating in my head as if someone had locked it on a loop.

Before I could gather myself, Dad stepped forward abruptly and snatched the papers from Cabir’s clenched hand.

“Enough,” he said sharply.

The rustling of the sheets sounded unnaturally loud in the silent hall.

I watched his eyes scan the first page.

Then the second.

Then the third.

His expression changed.

Not confusion.

Not anger at first.

Disbelief.

He slowly lifted his gaze to me.

“Manik,” he said, his voice dangerously calm, “what is all this?”

My throat felt dry.

“And how come I didn’t know about this?” he continued. “Who gave you the right to do this without my permission?”

Every pair of eyes in the room shifted to me.

I inhaled slowly. “Dad, I was going to tell you first. I had asked them to deliver this to the office. I don’t know how they sent it here.”

Cabir let out a slow clap.

“Wow,” he said, sarcasm dripping from every word. “Look at you. Worried about how these papers got here.”

“Cabir, stop it,” I said firmly.

“Shut up, both of you!” Mom’s voice cut through the air.

We both fell silent.

She stepped forward, her eyes moving between Dad and me. “Tell me what this is. What are these papers?”

Before I could speak, Cabir laughed bitterly.

“I’ll tell you, Mom.”

He walked toward her, pointing toward me without even looking at me.

“Your so-called son,” he said, his voice shaking with rage, “who apparently doesn’t consider you and Dad as parents and me as a brother…”

“Cabir!” Mom snapped.

But he continued.

“…has transferred all of his rights in Malhotra Styles to me.”

The room froze.

“He will continue working as CEO,” Cabir went on, “but only for name’s sake. Until I officially take over. He will handle the work, but the signing authority will be with me.”

He turned toward me now.

“He will have no share. No say. No right in any matter of the company.”

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Mom looked at me slowly.

“Is this true?”

I swallowed.

“Yes, Mom.”

Her face fell.

Dad’s voice hardened. “Why, Manik? Who asked you to do this?”