In India — Mumbai,

“Shit! I am late again. Can I ever get to work on time?”

“I am gonna get fired on my fucking first day.”

It’s the same never-ending cycle. Once again, I hurried out of my house. I ran to the bus stop as fast as I could. After 5 minutes, I reached it. I waited a few minutes, but the bus didn't come.

Suddenly, I remembered something. “AHHH! How can I forget? Today is the election. I won’t get any bus service.” I said in frustration and ran toward the metro station.

The next metro would arrive in 3 minutes, and I have only 10 minutes left before I’d officially be late.

“Run Mora, run”

After so much struggle, I finally reached the company. I walked inside and went straight to the reception.

“Miss, What can I do for you?”said the receptionist.

“Oh! Well, this is my acceptance letter for the jewelry designer position,” I said, handing her the file.

The receptionist took the letter and glanced at it, ”Miss, you can take the elevator over there on the 6th floor and meet the manager.”

“Hmm”, I nodded and did as she said.

Finally my confirmation was complete. After all that trouble. I was officially in.

I start my first day of work. I sat on my chair and looked around my desk. It was clean, well organized - just perfect. I was really going to love this job. Finally, my good days were here.

…. after sometime….

“GOOD, very good. I just had to jinx it.” I muttered, frustrated.

“Oh my holy mother, for heaven's sake please let me be happy. Don't give me more trouble.”

For the past five years, ever since I came to India. I've changed at least 30-40 jobs. I don't want to change jobs anymore. I’m losing my temper, but I can't afford to lose it. If I do, it’ll become world wide. I know my temper is the worst.

I've held it in for five years—honestly, that's already a miracle. And now he had to come here, threatening to ruin everything I've worked so hard to hide.

“Oh god! How do I get out of this trouble?” I groaned, pulling at my hair.

“What trouble?”

“Ah! Shit!” I fell off my chair in shock. “Who the f— Who are you?! You really scared the shit out of me.”

Looking clueless she replied, “Oh My Mata, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were gonna fall!”

“It's okay, it happens. I should’ve seen you coming.”

“No, no, it’s my fault. I was just curious about who the newcomer is. You're trending today, you know.”

She looked genuinely curious. I could see it in her eyes.

“First of all, who are you? And what do you mean, trending?” I glare at her.

“I am Nitika, second top jewellery designer in this department. Nice to meet you.” she said, smiling brightly— her eyes sparkling along with her words.

“I’m Moranna. A newcomer. Nice to meet you too. So, what’s this trending thing you mentioned?”

“Well, in India, it’s super rare to see someone wearing colorful eye lenses. Everyone’s gossiping about you.”

I blinked. What lenses? No one has ever seen people with natural red eyes, have they?

“Hey, these aren’t lenses. This is my real eye color.”

“Huh? Huh?!” she blinked rapidly.

“Yes.”

“OMG! People really have eyes like that?” She was clearly amused.

“Yes, but people with red eyes are one in a million, ” I added.

“Wait—really? You’re one in a million?”

“Yes”

She leaned closer, suddenly serious.

“Since you told me this, let me tell you something. Don’t tell anyone else. Seriously. If people find out, it could get bad.”

“Why?” I asked,confused.

“Sis, you’re in India. People here are very superstitious. Red eyes are often seen as a sign of evil or demons. If they find out, you might be targeted—or worse, it could endanger your life.”

“What?! Seriously? That’s ridiculous!”

“Well… what about you?” I asked.

“Me?” She grinned. “I don’t believe in that crap. I’m different—I’m unique.”

“You are unique.” I smiled back.

I smiled at Nitika. She really was different—from her attitude to her honesty.

"You're not what I expected," I said quietly.

She laughed. "Most people say that, but I'm not trying to be anything. Just trying to survive like everyone else."

I nodded, understanding that all too well.

Suddenly, she leaned in closer, whispering, "By the way, the manager you're meeting—Mrs. Kapoor—isn't exactly... easy to impress. She's kind of a perfectionist."

"Great," I muttered, sarcasm thick in my voice. "Just perfect, My life really can't go on without problems.”

"You’ll be fine," she said, patting my shoulder. "You’ve got something unique. Own it."

Before I could respond, the office door opened. A Sharp women in a charcoal outfit stepped out, looking around with a clipboard in hand.

"Moranna?" She called.

I stood up quickly. "Yes, ma'am."

She looked me over with a slightly raised brow—her eyes briefly pausing at mine. I saw the flicker of hesitation there.

Don’t say it. Please don’t say anything about my eyes.

“Follow me,” she said, voice cool and professional.

I glanced once at Nitika. She gave me a thumbs-up behind his back.

As I followed him down the hallway, I took a deep breath.

This was it.

New job. New people.

Same old secrets to keep.

But something told me this time wouldn’t be like the others.

Something has already changed.

...****************...

Somewhere in London,

I jumped out of the window and ran out of the house. I looked around to see if anyone was nearby. Luckily, no one was there, so I slipped away without any problem.

A few minutes later, a maid came into my room— but I was already gone. I had run away.

My whole family went into a panic. They tried everything they could to find me, but I wasn’t going to get caught.

Finally, I’m free—and I won’t have to marry him. Woo! Yeah!

I just hope she doesn’t get caught up in this mess.

Whatever. At least I’m safe from that marriage.

___

NEXT DAY

I woke up in my private mansion which no one knew about.

I started my daily routine: running, then working out. After that, I freshened up and made myself breakfast.

I turned on the TV to check how much chaos my family was in. As I took a sip of my coffee and flipped to the news channel, I nearly choked. I spit the coffee out, and the cup fell to the floor.

[cough] [cough]

“What the fuck? What an idiot she is! How could she do that?”

I quickly threw on a black outfit—baggy jeans, a crop top, a black jacket, a cap, and a face mask. I grabbed my ATM card, phone, and car key, put on my shoes, and rushed out.

Once in the car, I called her.

She picked up.

“SEREN IREZ, What The Fuck Did You Do? Are You Okay? Did That Bastard Do Anything To You? Where Are You Now? For God's Sake,Seren, Says Something!” I shouted, my voice trembling—scared, yet commanding.

“Relax, Pearl. Relax,” she said softly, trying to calm me down. “Nothing happened to me. He didn’t do anything. I’m at his house. I couldn’t say anything earlier—you didn’t even give me a chance to speak.”

I was so worried more than that I was scared something….. something might happen to her.

Still anxious, I snapped, “Seren, send me your location. Now.”

That wasn’t a request. It was an order.

I couldn’t calm down until I saw her with my own eyes—safe and unharmed.

“Okay, I’m sending it now,” she replied, and ended the call.

As soon as I received her location, I drove like a maniac.

When I finally reached the mansion, I slammed the brakes and jumped out of the car. Without hesitation, I ran up to the gate and said to the butler, “Tell Seren Irez , Pearl labyrinth is here.”

He gave me a quick nod and disappeared inside. Minutes felt like hours. I paced back and forth, getting more and more restless.

Eventually, he returned and bowed. “Miss Pearl, please come in,” he said, gesturing for me to follow.

The moment I stepped inside, I saw her.

Seren.

Relief washed over me.

I ran straight to her—and slapped her.

I knew it hurt her.

But it hurt me more.

“Take me to your room,” I said sharply.

She just nodded. “Hmm.”

The maids and the butler were shocked. One of them snapped, “Hey! How can you slap our lady?!”

They began stepping toward me, but Seren raised her hand and stopped them.

Without saying anything, she turned and led me upstairs. Once we entered her room, I closed the door and locked it.

Then I turned to her.

She was standing there, head lowered, not saying a word.

I walked over, made her sit on the edge of the bed, and knelt down in front of her. I gently took her hands in mine.

“Seren,” I said coldly, “start explaining.”

She took a long breath and looked at me.

“Pearl… when you ran away, your family was heartbroken. Your mom started crying, and your dad kept saying their reputation would be ruined. So… I told them I’d marry in your place.”

I got so angry hearing that.

“Seren, you married in my place for this? Really? Listen—even if I refused to marry or rejected ten, eleven families on the actual wedding day, they couldn’t have done anything to us! I could’ve restored their so-called ‘reputation’ in a blink. You know how much power I have. Mom cries over everything. It’s literally her daily routine.

You shouldn’t have married.”

“ I didn't marry because of that, Pearl. I am not an idiot.” Seren replied quietly.

“You are an idiot—for marrying!” I snapped, my voice cracking. A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it.

She looked at me with those calm, soft eyes and said, “I got married because you can’t keep running from everything, Pearl. You go here and there making a mess, and someone has to clean it up. Someone has to take responsibility.

And I did it. Not just as your friend… but as your sister. Even if we’re not related by blood, I’m still older than you. I know you’ve always treated me like a little sister, spoiled me, protected me—but that doesn’t change the fact:

I’m the older one.”

“Seren…. you big dummy” I pulled her into a hug.

She hugged me back, just as tightly.

We cried for a while, holding on to each other in silence.

Then suddenly, a thought struck me.

“Seren, now onto a serious matter. Who is this husband of yours you got married to? Name, age, work—everything about him?” I demanded.

She blinked at me in disbelief. “Are you serious right now? You were about to get married and didn’t even know who he was—not even his name!”

Seren sighed heavily.

“Well…” she finally said, looking up at me with eyes like a guilty little bunny. “His name is Aiden Arsenios. That’s the only thing I know about him.”

“At least you know his name,” I replied, crossing my arms. “I didn’t even get that far. Whatever.” I smirked and stood up. “Let’s go downstairs. And call your husband. I need to test if he’s worthy of being my Seren’s husband. If he doesn’t pass—divorce him.”

I started laughing, and she couldn’t help but laugh too.

“Okay,” she said with a small smile.

...****************...

My bride got switched at the last moment.

The only thing I knew about her was her name: Seren Irez.

Now it’s Seren Aiden Arsenios.

When I saw her yesterday, she looked so beautiful that I couldn’t take my eyes off her—even though her face was hidden behind a veil. We took our vows, and then came the moment for the kiss. I lifted the veil and saw her face.

She closed her eyes as I leaned in.

I kissed her forehead.

We talked a little on the way home. She wasn’t arrogant, nor was she pretending to be overly sweet. I liked that about her.

That night, we slept in the same bed.

Well… nothing happened.

This morning, I woke up and saw she was already up. She had freshened up and was heading to the kitchen to make breakfast.

I got out of bed and went for a shower. But when I came out, I saw something… unexpected.

Seren was in the room—with another woman.

Before I could say anything, the woman locked the door and started walking toward my wife.

For a moment, I thought—

> Is this… a lesbian scene?

Wait.

That’s my wife.

Oh god.

Noooo, that's not happening, is it?

Am I getting cheated on the first day of marriage?

And with a woman?!

The woman made Seren sit on the bed and then knelt down in front of her.

Seren looked sad. And completely silent.

Then the woman said in a low, serious voice,

“Seren, start explaining.”.

To my absolute shock, Seren actually started explaining. What in the actual hell is happening here?

After a few minutes of listening in stunned silence, I figured it out.

That woman is her sister. Not blood-related—but still, her sister.

Also… she’s my ex-fiancée.Or rather—my original bride.

And to top it all off?

If I don’t pass her test, I’m getting divorced.

On the first day.

Nope. Nope nope. I’m not letting that happen.

If I get divorced now, those two will never let me live it down. They’ll tease me to death. And honestly? I think I’m already half-dead from shock.

I got dressed as I was standing there, listening to them—only a towel wrapped around my waist. The morning sunlight spilled through the curtains, hitting the mirror, and for a second I looked at myself.

Tall—6'2 to be exact—broad shoulders, toned muscles, perfectly sculpted eight-pack, tousled dark hair falling slightly over my forehead, piercing grey eyes, and a sharp jawline that could probably cut glass. I had that whole brooding rich CEO look going for me, even on lazy days.

Today, I chose a fitted black shirt, sleeves slightly rolled up to show my forearms, tucked neatly into ash-grey trousers. A classic black leather belt and matching loafers completed the look. I sprayed my usual smoky-woody cologne—clean, commanding, and faintly addictive. Just enough to leave a trace in every room I entered.

With one final glance in the mirror, I headed downstairs.

They were at the dining table, laughing. Together. My wife and her sister—looking like best friends on a brunch date while I was losing sleep upstairs over what was even happening in my marriage.

“Good morning, wifey,” I said with a warm smile.

“Good morning, Aiden,” she replied.

She just called me by my name. It was the first time she’d said it with such softness. It hit differently—like a sip of warm tea on a freezing day.

I turned toward the other woman. “Who is she?”

“My sister,” Seren answered.

I smiled politely and nodded. “Oh! Hello, Sister-in-law.”

I don’t even know why I said that in such a sweet voice. I don’t speak that politely to my own parents.

“No need to call me that. I haven’t accepted you as my brother-in-law yet,” she snapped back without missing a beat.

Uhhh… okay then. That was cold.

“You,” she pointed her fork at me. “Come to the living room after breakfast.”

Then she stood up and walked away with my wife—who, by the way, didn’t say a single thing to defend me.

Poor me.

.

.

.

After breakfast, I headed to the living room. Seren and her terrifying sister were sitting on the sofa like two queens waiting for a jester to entertain them.

“Mr. Aiden Arsenios,” she addressed me like she was taking attendance in court.

My wife, where did you even find this demon?

“Yes?” I replied, keeping my expression neutral.

“Walk,” she ordered.

“…What?”

“Walk. I want to see if you can walk properly.”

“Okay…” I took a few steps back, then walked forward like I was on a runway. This was getting bizarre. Didn’t she see me walk earlier?

She squinted and inspected me from head to toe, then nodded in approval.

“Okay, not bad. You have good looks and a decent sense of style,” she muttered to herself.

I sat down on a sofa, trying to preserve what was left of my dignity.

She leaned forward like she was about to conduct a job interview.

“Mr. Aiden, can you cook?”

“Yes.”

“Can you do house chores?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent. What work do you do?”

“I’m the CEO of AN Company.”

“What does AN stand for?”

“Aiden. ‘A’ from my name, and ‘N’ from the last letter.”

“How much do you earn?”

“Enough to feed three generations and still make my wife happy.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Do you have any girlfriends or one-night stands?”

“No. I haven’t even touched a woman inappropriately my entire life.”

“Are you gay?”

“No. Just because I avoid women doesn’t mean I like men.”

“Do you go to the gym or something?”

“Yes. It’s part of my daily routine.”

Her eyes lit up like a kid in a candy shop.

“Do you have abs?”

“Yes. Eight-pack.”

She clapped her hands once and grinned like she won the lottery.

“Just excellent. You’ll satisfy my sister.”

I was tired.

It seriously felt like I’d just gone through a full corporate job interview—with a bonus physical test included. Still, I kept my posture clear and steady, trying not to let the exhaustion show on my face.

Then finally, the words I’d been waiting for dropped like music to my ears.

“I finally accept you as my brother-in-law. I’ll call you Brother Aiden from now on,” she said excitedly, her previous coldness gone like it had never existed.

Thank. God.

“Thank you, Sister-in-law,” I replied with as much gratitude as I could muster. I honestly meant it. That approval? Hard-won.

Then I heard laughter—light, warm, and all too beautiful.

My wife. Seren.

“Aiden,” she said between giggles, “you’re lucky my other sister isn’t here. If she found out you married me, you’d probably have a gun to your head and be on your knees begging for mercy.”

Sister-in-law snorted, half-laughing, half-sighing. “Yeah, if she were here…”

But then her tone dropped. The light in her eyes dimmed. “Well, whatever. I’m going for now.” She stood up, fixing her jacket. “Aiden, take care of Seren. Protect her with your life.”

There was no teasing in her voice this time. Just a quiet sincerity.

“I will, Sister-in-law,” I promised without hesitation.

She gave us a small smile and left the room.

I turned to Seren, concern creeping into my voice. “What happened to her just now? She looked... sad when you mentioned your other sister.”

Seren’s playful smile vanished. A shadow passed over her expression.

“She’s not here anymore,” she said quietly. “She’s missing.”

I froze. “Missing?”

“If you ever come across a woman with red, marble-like eyes, take a photo immediately and send it to us. But—” she looked at me sharply, seriously—“don’t ever ask anyone about her. And don’t talk about her to anyone.”

Her warning sent a shiver down my spine.

I nodded slowly. “I understand…”

But one more question burned in the back of my mind. “Well... why did your sister run away from the wedding?”

Seren’s lips curled slightly, a bittersweet smile playing on them.

“She swore to my other sister that she would only marry when she will. And since... she’s missing… she planned to stay unmarried forever.”

...****************...