CHAAYA'S POV
The soft breeze and the warm plate of food after an endless day felt like a blessing. I wanted to savor this moment of quiet, to let the weight of the day slip away.
Meera sat beside me, chatting animatedly about all the events of the day—even though I had been with her through every single one of them. Her words tumbled like an overflowing stream, but I Don't mind. It kept the silence from feeling too heavy.
And yet... a prickle of unease crept over me.
It was subtle at first, a sensation at the back of my neck—as though someone's gaze lingered in the shadows. I glanced around. The night stared back, crickets chirping faintly, nothing unusual. Still, the feeling persisted, sharp as a thorn against my calm.
Meera noticed my distraction.
"What's wrong?" she asked, brows furrowed.
"Nothing," I lied, brushing it off as stress. But she wasn't convinced. With a little huff, she got up to check around the house, muttering something about street roughs trespassing.
She returned after her futile inspection, declaring everything safe. I forced a smile, checked on the children one last time, and finally retired to my room with her trailing behind me.
Still, the unease clung to me like a shadow.
MEERA'S POV
That lying piece of laddoo...
How dare he play with me like that? Does he think he's so charming that the world must bend at his smile? Just because he's over six feet tall, with those annoyingly cute eyes, that perfect grin, and a honey-dripping tongue—doesn't mean he can toy with me.
Men like that are dangerous. They reel you in, make you laugh, make you trust... and then? They crush you.
No. I have to stay away from such jerks.
I kept scolding him in my mind, fuming and tossing about. At some point, my eyelids grew heavy, and before I knew it, I drifted into sleep—still cursing Krish in the quiet of Chaaya's house.
AFTAAB'S POV
Krish was sulking on the sofa like a child denied candy, rambling about some planner girl and a "ruined moment."
I tuned him out.
Useless noise.
My men were already in position.
Watching. Following. Reporting.
By midnight, I would have every detail about the other girl — where she went, who she spoke to, how long she stayed, what she hid.
People think secrets protect them.
They don't.
Secrets are just information waiting to be extracted.
If she was a threat, I'd deal with her.
If not… she'd be forgotten.
Either way, by tomorrow, she wouldn't matter.
SARA'S POV
Crystal glasses clinked under the dim golden lights, laughter swelling in the plush corners of the private bar. Velvet seats, hushed music, and the sweet burn of imported liquor—everything about tonight screamed luxury.
And I was at the center of it.
My friends leaned in as I tossed my hair back, letting them drink in every word I said. Power—soon to be mine—hung in the air like perfume. I flaunted it shamelessly, savoring their envy.
"What's the point of status if you can't make it interesting?" I said, my lips curling into a sly smile.
So, I laid out a bet bold enough to leave their mouths hanging open.
"I'll make Aftaab Ali Khan fall for me—head over heels. Watch and see."
The table erupted into shocked laughter, a few gasps, a few warnings. But I just raised my glass higher, letting the challenge settle into the smoke-filled room.
Because what's a crown worth... if you don't gamble for it?
I caught a man checking me out earlier tonight. Hm. Handsome enough to entertain myself for a while.
Why not? A little game keeps life interesting.
So, I toyed with him for a few rounds, let his eyes linger, let him think he was winning. Then I slipped away, heels clicking against the pavement, lips curled in amusement.
My villa was supposed to be empty. Silent. My own private palace.
Instead, I found my father. Sitting stiffly on the sofa. Waiting.
How odd.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?" His voice cracked through the silence like a whip.
I rolled my eyes. Really? A clock lecture?
"Don't you have a watch for that, Dad?"
His jaw tightened, his fingers gripping the armrest.
"WHY AM I STUCK WITH SUCH A USELESS BRAT LIKE YOU? Do you even understand? If the Khans find out about your actions, do you think they'll still marry you into their family?"
I smirked, tossing my bag aside. "Do they even have a better option than me? Relax, Dad. I'm not the fool you think I am. Every move I make is under cover. In a few hours, the engagement will be sealed. In three months, the wedding will be done. Who's going to stop it? Who dares?"
Arrogance dripped from my smile as I leaned closer.
But my father didn't blink. He stared at me like a man watching a fire he couldn't stop
"You think it's the Khans you should fear? No, Sara. It's not them." His voice dropped lower, rougher. "It's the ones outside. The people of the neighbouring lands. We wronged them once. And they have not forgotten."
For a moment, the arrogance on my lips froze.
"Who are you talking about, Dad?" I asked, though my tone was still mocking.
His gaze hardened, heavy with memory.
"Not who, Sara. What we did to them. And they will come for blood."