No one believed it when the reception desk announced it.
"Mr. Samuel Carter is here… again."
Gasps rippled across the office floor. Employees exchanged wide-eyed looks. This had never happened before. CEOs begged for Carter's attention, camped outside his offices, chased him across countries. But Carter himself? Coming back to meet the same man within twenty-four hours? Impossible.
Yet the impossible was striding down Malhotra Enterprises' hallway, Lily and another tall man trailing after him — Carter's profit manager. Even they looked stunned.
Meera, standing near Rudra's office, raised a brow at Lily as their eyes met. Lily shook her head in disbelief: I don't understand it either.
Inside, Rudra looked up from his desk as the doors opened. His expression didn't shift. "Mr. Carter."
"Malhotra," Carter said, his booming voice strangely subdued. He sat down without waiting to be invited, something no one dared with Rudra, but his posture wasn't arrogance this time. It was… effort.
"I've reviewed the deal again," Carter began, sliding a thinner folder across the desk. "Fifty-fifty. Equal partnership. You and me."
The silence that followed was heavy. Even Lily and the profit manager were holding their breaths — both of them had never seen Samuel Carter lower himself like this.
Rudra leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the man across from him. He didn't touch the file yet. Instead, he asked, "Why the sudden change of heart?"
Carter's smile was tight. "Because I'm not a fool. You're the only man I've met who won't bow to money, power, or politics. Which means you're the only man I can trust to grow this deal without stabbing me in the back."
Still, Rudra didn't answer. He picked up the folder, flipped through its contents with his slow, precise movements. A full minute passed in silence. Every tick of the clock felt like thunder to those in the room.
Finally, Rudra closed it and said, "Accepted."
The single word hit harder than any signature. For Rudra Malhotra, acceptance itself was the crown.
Carter exhaled, almost in relief, and rose to his feet. "Then here's to kings doing business," he said, extending his hand.
Rudra regarded it for a beat, then finally shook it — firm, steady, a gesture that made even Carter straighten as if standing before a throne.
Later, in the back of his sleek black car, Carter sat in silence as the city rolled past. Lily sat stiffly beside him, the profit manager across from them still dazed.
"Sir…" Lily finally asked, "why did you agree to equal? You've never done that before."
The profit manager nodded in disbelief. "We've always had the upper hand. Always."
Carter leaned back, staring out the window. His voice was low, but filled with a strange respect. "Because Rudra Malhotra is the only man I've ever met who makes me believe we won't lose a dime. With him, profit isn't a gamble — it's a certainty."
He let out a small, humorless chuckle. "I've spent my life winning. But today… I didn't win. I shared — because for the first time, I found someone who could sit across the table and make me doubt myself."
Lily's hands tightened around her tablet. "Sir… you mean…?"
Carter's gaze hardened. "He's not just a business partner. He's a force. More than money, more than politics. If I'm smart — I won't think of him as an ally or rival. I'll think of him as what he is."
The profit manager swallowed. "And what is that, sir?"
Carter's lips curved faintly, almost wryly. "A king who doesn't share his throne. He lets you sit beside him — if you're lucky. And today, I was lucky."
The car fell silent. Outside, the city lights blurred past. Inside, all three knew the truth: Rudra Malhotra wasn't just feared in India anymore.
He had just shaken one of the richest men in the world.
🔥 Now Rudra has officially established his dominance in global business, and Sam himself admits it.