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At TRENDS Company's Canteen.
"WHAT?!" Serena's spoon clattered onto the tray, the sound echoing through the canteen. Heads turned instantly while the employees glared at them with irritation.
"Keep your voice down," Yunah muttered, her eyes flicking to the annoyed stares.
Serena leaned in towards Yunah, lowering her voice. "So, let me get this straight. Your brother's friend... told Gaurav and Meena that he's your boyfriend? Just to protect your dignity?" Her eyes widened. "And you're telling me this now?"
Yunah exhaled, her shoulders slumping. "I didn't get the chance before, Serena. You know everything that was happening then..." She began to explain while Serene sat—with her arms folded. "....it just slipped my mind. But now, with the wedding coming closer, I can't stop thinking about it. An eighteen-year-old boy claimed he's my boyfriend, and I… I don't know how to deal with this mess. I can't possibly take Noah and introduce him to everyone as my boyfriend. He's the same age as my brother."
Serena picked up her spoon again, eyes narrowing. "Do Gaurav and Meena know about his age?"
"No." Yunah shook her head quickly. "They think he's a college student."
Serena chewed slowly, studying her. "Then let me meet this Noah. I want to see how old he looks."
Yunah frowned. "Why would you need to see him?"
"Obviously to check if he could pass for someone who could stand next to you at the wedding, idiot," Serena said, stabbing her rice with her spoon.
"He's not going with me," Yunah said firmly, her tone leaving no space for argument. "No matter how old he looks, he's still eighteen."
Serena's lips curved into a knowing smirk. "So he does look older for his age. And tell me, Yunah—do you really want to walk into your ex-lover and ex-best friend's wedding alone? Let them see you looking pitiful, like some tragic figure?"
Yunah's voice wavered. "No… but—"
"Then it's settled." Serena cut her off, her tone final. "You'll let me meet this boy, Noah. I'll decide if he's worthy to attend with you or not. Until then—" she pointed at Yunah's untouched plate ".....stop overthinking and eat your lunch."
Yunah fell silent, her spoon heavy in her hand. With her mind tangled in too many worries, she lowered her eyes and quietly obeyed, chewing her food without another word.
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At Serenity Villa.
"Young master, Umesh has regained consciousness," Ashish reported, his tone steady but respectful.
Noah sat slouched in the leather chair, eyes closed, as though lost in thought. At Ashish's words, his eyes opened slowly, cold and sharp. Without replying, he rose, slid on his black gloves with deliberate calm, and walked out.
His footsteps echoed through the hallway, each one heavier than the last. By the time he reached the torture room, the atmosphere itself seemed to suffocate.
Umesh sat shackled, pale and broken—one arm gone, the fingers of the other hand mutilated. Yet the cruelest wound of all was that Noah had kept him alive on purpose, stitching him up just enough to bleed him again. A devil would have shown mercy. Noah did not.
Noah dropped into the chair opposite, crossing one leg over the other. His gaze bored into Umesh like a blade. Slowly, he leaned forward, and the air grew colder. Umesh trembled, unable to meet his eyes.
A thin, unsettling smile spread across Noah's face. "So… did I finally make you fear me, Mr. Umesh?" His voice was a low growl, every syllable steeped in threat as he flexed his gloved fingers.
Umesh spat his words through pain and hatred. "Why don't you just kill me?"
"Killing you would be…no fun." Noah's answer came without hesitation, laced with mockery. He lifted his hand in a silent signal. One of his men stepped forward, carrying a tray lined with knives gleaming under the dim light. Noah plucked the sharpest—its black jade handle glinting in his grip—and twirled it between his fingers like it belonged to him.
"Now," Noah said with chilling composure, "Tell me who's backing your drug trade in my territory. Speak, or this time you lose more than a hand."
"I—I don't know who—"
Noah didn't let him finish. In a blur, he lunged and drove the knife deep into Umesh's arm.
"AHHHHHHH!" The scream tore through the walls, blood pouring down in rivers, soaking the floor. Tears spilled down Umesh's face as he writhed, his voice breaking.
"I'm done with your denials." Noah's tone sharpened, his patience vanishing. He seized Umesh by the chin, squeezing hard enough to bruise. "Time is precious, and mine is running out. Tell me the truth, or the next blade will separate your another arm from your body."
"I swear—I don't know who they are!" Umesh gasped, his voice cracking. "We never met in person. Only phone calls. I was supposed to pick up the shipments at the port and hand them to the dealers. That's all!"
"When's the next deal?" Noah's grip tightened, his voice cutting through like ice.
"Four days later! Monday!" Umesh blurted, desperation dripping from every word.
Noah finally released his jaw, letting his head fall back with a thud. He turned towards Ashish, who had been standing silently at the edge of the room.
"Ashish," Noah ordered, his voice once again composed but no less lethal, "you'll handle this from here. Make him contact the supplier—don't let them suspect a thing. Once you've got the location of the meeting, text me."
"Yes, young master." Ashish bowed slightly, then hesitated. "But… where will you be?"
Noah slid his knife back onto the tray, wiping the blood on Umesh's torn shirt as though it were nothing. His tone was flat, almost bored. "I'm moving into my new apartment today. I'll be there from now on. Don't come unless I call for you. If anything happens—text me."
"Yes, young master," Ashish replied, bowing deeper.
Without another glance at Umesh, Noah strode past Ashish, his presence lingering in the room even after he was gone. Umesh sagged against the restraints, trembling, his fear far from over.
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At TRENDS Company.
Yunah's phone buzzed just as she stepped out of the TRENDS Company building. Pulling it from her sling bag, she glanced at the caller ID and it was her aunt Rashmi.
She answered without hesitation, expecting the usual warm check-in. "Hello, Auntie," she greeted brightly, her lips curving into a sweet smile.
But the voice on the other end shattered it.
"Yunah—come quickly!" Rashmi's words tumbled out in a panicked, sobbing rush. "Your father—he's beating your mother again. I tried to stop him, but he won't listen. He locked the door—he locked them both inside!"
The smile drained from Yunah's face, replaced with stone-cold dread. Her steps faltered. "I'll be there right away," she said, voice clipped and urgent. She flagged down a taxi, her hands trembling as she climbed inside.
"Aunt, until I get there, try to calm him—warn him that if he doesn't stop, you'll call the police."
"I'll try, child, but I don't think he'll listen…" Rashmi's voice cracked into sobs. "Just hurry."
"I'm on my way." Yunah's patience snapped, her voice rising as she leaned towards the driver. "Please, drive faster!" She clutched the phone tighter. "Aunt—I'll hang up now. I need to call Yogesh. But don't tell him what's happening. I don't want him to worry. I'll say I'm staying with Serena tonight."
"Alright," Rashmi whispered shakily.
Yunah ended the call, inhaled a shaky breath, and quickly dialed her younger brother. After several long rings, Yogesh finally answered, his voice lazy and uninterested.
"What now? You're already on your way home—why are you calling?"
"I'm not coming tonight." Yunah forced calm into her tone, even though her chest was heaving. "I'll be staying at Serena's place. So cook something for yourself—or do you want me to order food for you?"
"No need. I'll cook." His voice sharpened, suspicion seeping through. "But why all of a sudden?"
"You know how Serena is," Yunah replied with a strained chuckle, masking the tightness in her throat. "She's in the mood to party again. We'll probably just drink at her place."
A pause. Then Yogesh sighed. "Fine. Have fun. I'm hanging up—I've got my show."
"Hm." Yunah managed a hum before the line went dead.
She lowered the phone, staring blankly out of the window. The city blurred past, streetlights flickering to life as dusk deepened into night. Her chest tightened, the weight of dread pressing down harder with every passing second.
Her mother's face flashed in her mind—bloodied, helpless, broken. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, spilling before she could stop them. She wiped them away quickly, trying to steady her breathing, but her throat ached, choking on the fear she refused to let out.
Her heart pounded, wild and merciless, as her fists clenched against her pants. "Stay strong. Don't fall apart now. " She bit down on her lip until it hurt, fighting to cage the storm raging inside her.
But no matter how hard she tried, her mind wouldn't stop replaying the worst possible outcome.
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A few hours later, around 9 p.m., Noah finally stood at the door of their apartment. His chest tightened with anticipation—after four long days away, he was finally going to see Yunah. The excitement in his eyes was impossible to hide, sparkling like a child waiting for a long-promised gift.
He took a steadying breath, then pressed the doorbell. The keycard in his pocket felt heavy, but he ignored it. Tonight, on his first day moving in, he wanted Yunah to be the one to open the door.
The lock clicked, the door swung open—Noah's lips curved into a bright smile… only for it to vanish the instant he saw who stood there.
It wasn't Yunah.
Yogesh blinked at him, catching the flicker of disappointment. His brows furrowed. "Why do I feel like you were expecting Di instead of me? Don't tell me you're disappointed that it's me." His voice carried a hint of annoyance.
"No," Noah denied quickly, brushing past him with a dismissive shrug of the shoulder. Dropping onto the couch, he asked, "Where's Di?"
"She went to Serena-di's apartment today," Yogesh replied flatly, as though it was nothing worth explaining.
"What?" Noah snapped his head toward him, eyes narrowing. "Why?" His voice was sharp, laced with both surprise and displeasure.
"I don't know," Yogesh said carelessly, reaching for his phone as it buzzed on the table.
"Hello?" The moment he answered, his expression shifted—color drained from his face, his hand trembled, and his voice cracked. He listened, then his eyes widened in horror. "What? What happened to Di?!"
Noah shot to his feet instantly, alarm flooding his veins. "What is it?!"
On the other end, Aunt Rashmi's broken sobs filled the line. "Yunah....your Di....she's in the hospital. She's in the operating room right now!"
Yogesh's knees nearly buckled. He turned to Noah, frozen in shock, tears brimming in his eyes.
Noah grabbed his arms tightly, panic etched across his face. His usually calm voice cracked, heavy with desperation. "W-What happened to Di?!" His heart thundered violently, every beat threatening to split his chest. The not knowing—the helplessness was already driving him insane.