LUST ROYALE

Chapter 6

--- Chapter 6 ---

The aftermath of the attack left the palace in a state of controlled chaos. Guests were being ushered into safe rooms, security was doubled, and the police had arrived to investigate the incident. Nandita stood by one of the shattered windows, her heart still racing from the fight. Her mind was racing too—calculating the next move, figuring out who could have orchestrated such a brazen attack during a high-profile event.

As she turned to survey the damage, she saw Ekaksh approaching her again, his expression unreadable but his eyes sharp. She didn't want to deal with him right now, not when her empire was on the verge of exposure, but it was clear he wasn't going to let this go.

"Nandita," he said, his voice low but commanding. "You owe me an explanation."

She narrowed her eyes at him, her walls going up immediately. "You saw what happened. This is not the time."

His jaw clenched, frustration evident. "I just fought beside you, and you can't even tell me what this is about? You're not just some surgeon or businesswoman. You're—" he stopped short, as if grappling with the enormity of what he had witnessed.

Nandita felt a cold sweat prick the back of her neck. She had always been careful to keep her two worlds separate, but now those worlds were colliding in the worst way. Ekaksh knew too much, and that made him a threat—whether she wanted to admit it or not.

"You don't need to know, Ekaksh," she replied, her voice steely. "All you need to understand is that I handle things that you wouldn't be able to stomach. Leave it alone."

But Ekaksh wasn't backing down. He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "What I saw today—what you did—I've never seen anything like it. You took control, like a general on a battlefield. This wasn't self-defense. This was a coordinated attack, and you were prepared for it."

Nandita's eyes flickered with warning. "You should stop asking questions."

"You should stop avoiding them," he countered, his gaze unwavering. "I've known for a while that something was off about you, Nandita. But now... now I need to know the truth."

Before Nandita could respond, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced down at the screen. It was a message from one of her underworld contacts.

"We found the leak. It's closer than you think."

Her blood ran cold. Someone from the inside had betrayed her. The attack wasn't just random—it was targeted, and whoever was behind it was still out there, waiting to strike again.

Without another word to Ekaksh, she turned and marched toward the exit of the room, her mind already working on damage control. Ekaksh grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "You can't keep running from this," he said, his voice hard. "I'm not going to stop until I know who you really are."

Nandita yanked her arm free and shot him a warning look. "You don't want to be part of this world, Ekaksh. Walk away before it destroys you."

But as she walked away, she knew in her gut that it was too late for both of them.

Nandita's mind was spinning as she drove back to her private estate later that night. The attack had been close—too close—and now she had a traitor to root out from within her own organization. She couldn't trust anyone fully, not even Advait, her right-hand man. Though he had been loyal for years, the stakes were too high, and she had to consider every possibility.

Her phone buzzed again, and this time it was Advait.

"Boss, I've tightened security, but there's something you need to see." His voice was tense, more so than usual.