Taken by the Shadows:)
The night felt wrong.
Naira could sense it the moment she stepped out of the café. The streetlights flickered. The air was too still. Even the usual city noise seemed distant.
She texted Ayaan.
Naira: "Are you busy?"
No reply.
A strange uneasiness settled in her chest.
She started walking toward the main road when a black car slowed beside her.
Her heart skipped.
She quickened her pace.
The car stopped.
Before she could react—
A hand covered her mouth.
Another arm locked around her waist.
She tried to scream, but the sound was swallowed into the night.
Everything happened in seconds.
The car door opened.
Darkness.
Then nothing.
When she woke up, her head throbbed.
Cold concrete beneath her hands.
Dim light flickering from a single bulb overhead.
Her wrists were tied — not painfully, but firmly.
A warehouse.
Her breathing quickened.
Footsteps echoed.
Slow.
Measured.
A tall man stepped into the light — sharp suit, cruel smile, cold eyes.
"Well," he said softly, "the king's weakness is prettier than I imagined."
Her stomach dropped.
"You don't know what you're doing," Naira whispered, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Oh, I do," he replied. "Ayaan Rahman doesn't care about anyone. Until you."
Her heart pounded.
This was about power.
About revenge.
She wasn't random.
She was leverage.
Meanwhile—
Ayaan stared at his phone.
Five missed calls.
Last message: "Are you busy?"
His jaw tightened.
He tried calling her.
Switched off.
His expression darkened instantly.
He called one of his men.
"Find her."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it carried death in it.
Within minutes, information started flowing.
Black car.
Warehouse district.
Unknown number traced to an old rival.
Ayaan grabbed his coat.
"No police," he ordered. "This ends tonight."
The men around him went silent.
Because when Ayaan said that…
It meant blood.
Back at the warehouse—
The man crouched in front of Naira.
"You know," he smirked, "he destroyed my business. My reputation. My brother."
She swallowed.
"He thinks he owns this city. Tonight he learns what loss feels like."
Before she could respond—
The metal door exploded open.
A gunshot echoed.
Screams.
Chaos.
Men shouting.
Footsteps running.
And then—
Silence.
Heavy boots approached slowly.
The kidnapper turned pale.
Ayaan stepped into the dim light.
His face was calm.
Too calm.
But his eyes—
His eyes were pure fury.
"You touched what's mine," he said quietly.
The kidnapper tried to grab a weapon.
He didn't get the chance.
One precise move.
One brutal strike.
The man collapsed.
Ayaan didn't even look at him again.
Instead, he walked straight to Naira.
Her breathing was uneven.
Tears she didn't realize she had fallen slowly down her cheeks.
He knelt in front of her.
His fingers trembled slightly as he untied her wrists.
"Are you hurt?" His voice was softer now. Dangerous, but controlled.
She shook her head.
The second her hands were free, she clutched his shirt.
And for the first time—
Ayaan pulled her into his chest.
Tightly.
Like he was afraid she would disappear.
His heartbeat was fast.
Faster than she had ever felt.
"I told you to stay away," he whispered against her hair. "This world doesn't forgive."
She looked up at him.
"And I told you," she whispered back, "I'm not afraid."
His jaw clenched.
"You should be," he said quietly. "Because now… they won't stop."
Outside, sirens could be heard in the distance.
But this wasn't over.
Not even close.
Across the city—
A shadowed figure watched security footage on a laptop.
A faint smile curved their lips.
"So protective," the voice murmured.
"Let's see how long he can keep her safe."
The real enemy had just revealed themselves.
And they were far more powerful.