Not the cold smirk he gives during threats.
Not the dangerous one from last night.
This one is different.
Real.
Small.
And for the very first time...
I see the tiny dimple appearing on his cheek.
My breath catches for one stupid second.
Because somehow...
That dangerous man looks unfairly beautiful when he smiles.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm the strange nervousness inside me.
"No, Bhaiya!" Sammy says immediately, looking offended by Aditya's words. "She is sooo beautiful!"
Her tiny voice echoes dramatically through the room as she places both hands on her waist.
I can't help smiling.
Then suddenly, she throws me a flying kiss with full confidence.
I laugh softly and catch it in the air before blowing one back toward her.
"You are much smarter than your brother," I tell her proudly while pulling her gently into my arms.
Sammy bursts into laughter instantly.
The room suddenly feels lighter around her.
Warmer.
For a moment, I almost forget where I am.
But Aditya...
He watches both of us silently.
His eyes narrow slightly as if he's studying every interaction between us carefully. There's something unreadable on his face.
Something almost possessive.
"Are you going to become my sister-in-law?" Sammy suddenly asks innocently while playing with my hair.
I choke on air.
"What?!"
My eyes widen instantly while Aditya raises one eyebrow in amusement.
"Eww, Sammy," I say dramatically, making a disgusted face on purpose. "I'm not interested in your brother."
Sammy's mouth drops open.
Then she pouts sadly.
"But I wish you were," she says honestly. "Because you're vibing with me."
The innocence in her voice makes me laugh again.
She immediately hugs Aditya tightly around his neck while he sighs helplessly, though I notice the softness in his eyes while looking at her.
Completely different from the man I met last night.
After a few more seconds, Aditya gently releases her.
"Go slowly," he says casually.
But Sammy is already running toward the corridor excitedly.
"Sammy, be careful!" Aditya calls out immediately.
The concern in his voice comes naturally.
Protective.
Real.
My eyes drift downward absentmindedly while he stands near the bed.
And then—
I freeze.
My entire body goes cold instantly.
Blood.
There's blood on his shoes.
Not a little stain.
Thick.
Dark.
Human blood.
A sharp chill runs down my spine as goosebumps spread across my skin violently. My breathing becomes uneven while horrifying thoughts begin flooding my mind one after another.
Who did he hurt?
What did he do last night?
Suddenly every rumor I've ever heard about Aditya Singhania crashes into my head at once.
Monster.
Dangerous.
Murderer.
My throat dries instantly.
"Mr. Singhania..." I speak slowly, almost hesitantly.
My voice barely comes out.
He looks at me immediately.
"There's blood on your shoes."
Silence.
I stare at the dark stains again, feeling fear spread deeper through my chest.
"Thick human blood."
For the first time since entering this room...
I genuinely feel terrified of him.
Before he can explain anything—
I run.
My body reacts before my mind can even think properly.
I rush toward the door immediately, ignoring the dizziness still lingering inside my head.
"Ira—"
I hear his voice behind me.
But I don't stop.
I can't.
My heartbeat pounds loudly in my ears while I rush through the massive corridors of the Singhania mansion. The cold marble floor beneath my feet makes me shiver as panic completely takes over my senses.
I just need to leave.
Now.
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ADITYA'S POV
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Why is she running like that?
I walk toward the balcony quickly and look down.
And there she is.
Sitting inside a cab outside the mansion gates.
The early morning sky is still dark blue, with only a faint hint of sunrise appearing far away. It's barely 6:00 AM.
The cab drives away slowly while my eyes remain fixed on it until it disappears completely from sight.
Silence fills the room afterward.
I exhale deeply and walk back toward the bed.
Her scent still lingers everywhere.
On the pillows.
On the blanket.
In the air.
It's driving me insane.
I sit down slowly before leaning back against the mattress. Without thinking much, I pull the same blanket over my body.
The warmth trapped inside it still feels like her.
Like her shadow is wrapping itself around me softly.
My eyes close briefly.
Damn.
Why does everything suddenly remind me of her?
A little while later, Sammy enters the room quietly and climbs onto the bed beside me like she always does. She curls up comfortably near my side while half asleep already.
I wrap one arm around her absentmindedly.
But even now...
Even with my eyes closed...
I still see Ira.
Her angry eyes.
Her lips.
Her voice.
Her scent.
Everything.
I hate this feeling.
I hate how every time I close my eyes, she appears again like a curse I can't escape from.
And the worst part?
I think I actually like her.
No.
Not like.
She's becoming something far more dangerous.
An obsession.
I run my hand over my face tiredly and close my eyes again.
Damn.
I seriously need sleep.
ADITYA INDUSTRIES
Eight hours.
It has been exactly eight hours since I last saw her.
And somehow, the entire office feels unbearable without her presence.
I sit inside my cabin, staring blankly at the city through the massive glass windows behind me. The clouds outside are dark, covering the sky in shades of grey while the cold air from the AC fills the silence around me.
Files are scattered across my desk.
Meetings are lined up.
Phones keep vibrating.
But none of it is enough to distract me.
Because my mind keeps drifting back to her.
Again.
And again.
Her voice.
Her eyes.
The way she looked at me before running away this morning.
Damn it.
I rub my jaw tiredly before leaning back against my chair. My cigarette burns slowly between my fingers while smoke fills the cabin lazily.
Then suddenly—
The cabin door opens.
My eyes lift immediately.
And for one brief second...
My heart actually stops.
It's her.
Ira Numani.
She walks inside professionally, holding a file against her chest, but my entire attention freezes on her appearance.
She's wearing a fitted suit today, elegant and simple, yet somehow she still manages to look breathtaking. Her eyes are lined softly with kajal, making them appear darker and deeper than usual.
A tiny black bindi rests perfectly between her brows.
Small earrings move lightly as she walks.
And her hair—
Damn.
Her hair falls beautifully around her shoulders, soft and perfectly styled.
She looks unreal.
Completely unreal.
My eyes slowly travel over her appearance shamelessly while something dangerous stirs inside my chest again.
"Are you here to seduce me?" I ask in a low voice before I can stop myself.
Her steps pause for half a second.
Then immediately—
"What, sir?"
Her tone becomes completely professional.
Cold.
Controlled.
As if nothing happened between us.
As if last night never existed.
The sudden distance in her behavior irritates me instantly.
She walks toward my desk calmly and places a file in front of me without even properly looking at me.
"Please sign this," she says softly. "We need to be prepared. There's a meeting at sharp six this evening."
Business mode.
Perfect assistant.
Perfect mask.
I stare at her face carefully while signing the papers slowly.
She's avoiding eye contact.
Interesting.
The silence between us grows heavier while I finish the signatures. Finally, I close the file and slide it back toward her.
"Done."
"Sure, sir," she replies politely while taking the papers.
But then—
Something catches my attention.
Her eyes.
Red.
Puffy.
As if she has been crying for hours.
My expression hardens instantly.
"Are you crying?" I ask suddenly.
She freezes.
Just for one second.
Then she quickly forces a smile onto her lips.
"No... no, of course not."
But the smile looks painful.
Fake.
Like it physically hurts her to pretend she's okay.
And then I see it.
A transparent tear shining in the corner of her eye before she blinks it away quickly.
My jaw tightens.
The redness around her eyes tells me everything I need to know.
Something is wrong.
Very wrong.
But before I can question her further—
The cabin door opens again.
I look away from her reluctantly.
Veer walks inside carrying files and old papers in his hands. My eyes instinctively drift back toward Ira again, still trying to study her expression.
But she never lets her guard down.
Not even for a second.
"Miss Numani," I say slowly.
She looks at me finally.
"You can go outside."
Without replying, she nods once and walks out of the cabin immediately.
And the moment the door closes—
My fist crashes violently against the glass desk.
The loud sound echoes through the cabin sharply.
"Aditya!" Veer says immediately. "Are you alright?"
I take a deep breath slowly while anger burns inside my chest.
No.
I'm not alright.
Because that girl is hiding something.
And I can feel it.
"Where did you find this girl?" I ask coldly.
Veer places the files down carefully before answering.
"She applied for the job around a month ago," he explains. "Before that, she wasn't working anywhere. Her parents are deceased—"
"A big lie."
The words leave my mouth instantly.
Sharp.
Certain.
Veer goes silent.
I stand up from my chair slowly and walk toward the window before pulling out a cigarette from the packet nearby.
Within seconds, the lighter clicks softly.
Smoke fills my lungs.
"Are they still alive?" I ask quietly.
Veer hesitates for a second.
"Yes, sir."
I close my eyes briefly.
So I was right.
"I tried asking them about that man," Veer continues carefully, "but they keep saying they don't know anyone else. Though honestly, sir..."
He lowers his voice slightly.
"Sometimes I can see it in their eyes.
They're hiding something."
The cigarette burns between my fingers while silence fills the room heavily.
Then suddenly—
"Shut up."
My voice comes out low and deadly.
Veer immediately falls silent.
I turn toward him slowly, rage flickering behind my eyes.
"I don't care what you have to do," I say coldly.
My jaw clenches tightly.
"Just find that motherfucker."
The chilling tone of my voice makes the entire cabin feel colder instantly.
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