I woke up to the sharp buzz of my phone slicing through the quiet of the room like a blade.
My body tensed immediately.
Beside me, Shreya stirred, her soft fingers clutching at my shirt as if she were holding on to me even in her dreams.
For one fleeting second, I allowed myself to just look at her — her face calm, serene, so heartbreakingly fragile.
God help the man who tries to take this peace from her, I vowed silently.
Because I won't just destroy him. I'll make his entire bloodline wish they were never born.
The buzzing grew louder.
I grabbed the phone before it woke her, carefully sliding my arm away and replacing it with a pillow so she wouldn't notice my absence.
For a moment, I hovered at the doorway, watching her sleep.
Sleep, Shreya. Sleep while I fight your wars in the shadows.
Then my mask slid back on, and the devil the world feared took over.
The moment I opened the door, my mother , appeared like a ghost in the hall.
Her sharp eyes darted from me to Shreya's room.
"Vihaan…" she said slowly, suspicion dripping from her tone. "Why are you coming out of her room at this hour?"
I didn't have the patience for her questions.
"Later, Maa," I muttered, my voice hard as steel, brushing past her without a glance.
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't push further.
Good. Because if she did, I'd say things that couldn't be taken back.
I stormed into Nishant bhaiya's room and slammed the door so hard it rattled the windows.
He jumped, glaring at me.
"Vihaan! What the hell—"
"Look at THIS!" I barked, shoving my phone into his hands.
His eyes widened as he scanned the images Rakshit had just sent.
Men in police uniforms.
Armed to the teeth with guns, knives, and ammunition.
And at the center of them, Kabir's secretary, giving instructions like a general before a war.
"What… what is this?" Nishant bhaiya whispered, horror creeping into his tone.
"Kabir's next move," I growled.
My voice was sharp enough to cut glass.
"They're gearing up for something big. Something meant to hurt us."
Our eyes locked — and in that single glance, we both knew.
This wasn't just a threat.
It was a declaration of war.
I stalked across the room, rage boiling under my skin.
"I want to end this. Now. Rip them apart before they take their next breath."
My fists clenched, nails biting into my palms.
"But if I unleash everything I have… my identity will be exposed."
My fist slammed into the wall, cracking it.
"ARGHHHH! SHIIITTTT!" I roared, my breath ragged. "This is getting on my damn nerves!"
Even Nishant bhaiya flinched but quickly recovered.
"Calm down, Vihaan. Use your head."
I grabbed my phone and called Rakshit.
The second he answered, I didn't let him speak.
"Whatever they're planning, shut it down," I ordered, my voice deadly calm. "And Rakshit… if you fail me—"
"I won't, boss," he promised quickly, fear dripping from his tone.
Before hanging up, I added, "One more thing. Tip off Shashwat bhaiya about these photos. Anonymously. Make it seem like it came from someone on the inside."
"Yes, boss." Rakshit turned to one of his most trusted men.
"Deliver this to Shashwat bhaiya's office. Now."
The man ran like his life depended on it — because it did.
When he reached Shashwat bhaiya's house, he handed the envelope to Shashwat bhaiya's secretary.
Inside our home, the atmosphere was tense.
Shashwat bhaiya stood near the window, his jaw tight, fury practically radiating off him.
The secretary froze under his fiery glare, clutching the envelope.
He opened his mouth to explain, but one look at Shashwat bhaiya's agitated expression made him falter.
He quietly slipped the file under some papers on the desk and backed away.
Nishant bhaiya, sharp as ever, noticed.
"Shashwat bhaiya!" he snapped. "Why are you ignoring this? At least look at it!"
Shashwat bhaiya sighed, annoyed. "Fine. Secretary, check whatever this is."
The secretary gulped and nodded.
"Yes, sir. I'll check immediately."
But by then, it was too late.
The house was still quiet.
The enemy hadn't yet moved.
The media hadn't yet arrived.
And the crucial warning — ignored at the exact moment it mattered most.
Later That Morning
By sunrise, tension had spread like wildfire.
The commissioner had called — all paperwork was complete.
By 10:00 AM, Harsh would be free.
But my instincts screamed at me, louder than ever.
Something was wrong.
As we prepared to leave, I grabbed Shashwat bhaiya's arm.
"Listen to me," I growled, my voice low and dangerous. "Kabir doesn't move without layers of planning. Today feels too easy. Too quiet."
Shashwat bhaiya snapped back, frustration in his tone.
"Vihaan, don't ruin this moment. Harsh has suffered enough. We're bringing him home."
"You think I care about moments?" I hissed. "I care about survival. And today… I smell blood in the air."
But no one listened.
So I kept my thoughts to myself — for now.
We piled into the cars.
Nakul. Nishant bhaiya. Shashwat bhaiya. My father.
And a few trusted guards.
Shreya's mother, my mother, and Nani stayed behind, clinging to their prayers in the pooja room.
My jaw ached from how hard I was clenching it.
Shreya's terrified face flashed in my mind.
I swore to myself that no harm would come near her.
The closer we got to the juvenile detention center, the more my pulse spiked.
Suddenly — chaos.
Reporters swarmed the cars, microphones shoved through windows, questions like knives cutting into us.
"Is it true Harsh murdered those men in cold blood?"
"Are you bribing the system for his release?"
"Vihaan! What do you say to the families of the victims?"
"MOVE!" I snarled, nearly lunging at them.
My father grabbed my arm.
"Control yourself, Vihaan!"
Control?
I was seconds away from unleashing hell.
We finally broke through the mob and reached the gates.
My brothers and father rushed inside to finalize Harsh's release.
Just as I was about to follow, my phone rang.
Rakshit.
"Boss!" Rakshit's voice was frantic. "Check the news! NOW!"
I froze.
The tone in his voice… it was pure terror.
Hands shaking, I opened the news app.
And my vision went red.
Live footage filled the screen: our mansion.
Armed men storming the gates.
Screams echoing.
Reporters yelling, cameras flashing.
The headline burned into my brain:
"FAMILIES OF BRUTAL MURDER VICTIMS ATTACK TECH KING'S MANSION AS BROTHER WALKS FREE!"
"No…" My voice cracked, barely a whisper.
Then fury roared through me like wildfire.
"RAKSHIT!" I bellowed. "If you don't stop them THIS SECOND, you're DEAD!"
"I—I'm trying, boss!"
I didn't wait.
I shoved the driver aside and took the wheel myself.
The tires screamed as I shot forward like a bullet.
Traffic. Endless, suffocating traffic.
Every red light was an insult. Every delay was a taunt.
"MOVE!" I roared, slamming my palm on the horn.
Inside, my mind was chaos.
Maa. Shreya's family. SHREYA.
I could see her terrified face, her bloodied hands, Kabir's smirk.
"If they touch her…" My voice was a deadly whisper.
"They'll pray for death, and I'll deny them even that mercy. I'll grind their existence into dust and scatter it so no one remembers they ever lived."
When I finally skidded to a halt, the sight nearly broke me.
A furious mob surrounded the gates, screaming for blood.
My men, led by Rakshit, pushed through with brute force, clearing a path.
I ran inside — and froze.
The world seemed to tilt.
Bodies lay sprawled across the marble floor, blood pooling beneath them.
The metallic stench of death filled my lungs.
I staggered forward, my throat tight.
"SHREYAAAA!" I screamed, my voice breaking.
But no answer came.
Only silence.
My knees nearly buckled as I stood among the carnage, every nerve on fire.
I didn't know who these men were.
I didn't know what they'd been doing here.
Or who had killed them.
The only certainty was the chilling truth:
Something darker than Kabir was moving in the shadows.
Sinister Epilogue
Elsewhere, Kabir lounged in his private study, swirling a glass of whiskey.
His secretary stood nervously by the window.
"Sir…" the secretary began hesitantly. "Our men… they didn't report back."
Kabir's smirk was slow and poisonous.
"They won't."
The secretary frowned. "Did… did Vihaan do this?"
Kabir chuckled, low and cold.
"Oh no. This wasn't Vihaan." He leaned forward, eyes glittering with malice.
"This… this is someone far worse. Someone even he doesn't know about yet."
He raised his glass in a mock toast.
"Let the game begin."