LUST ROYALE

Chapter-8

----Chapter-8-----

Advait turned to Ekaksh, his expression darkening as he finished his sentence. "You and I both know that your hands are far from clean in all of this."

Ekaksh didn't flinch. His face remained stoic, but Nandita could see the tension tightening around his jaw. He had expected a confrontation, but not like this.

Nandita's heart raced, her mind struggling to process the sudden shift. Advait had been her closest ally for years. He had been by her side as she built her empire, safeguarding her secrets, making her enemies disappear when needed. And now, it seemed that he had been playing a far more dangerous game than she ever realized.

"What the hell is going on, Advait?" Nandita's voice was cold, laced with betrayal. "You've been hiding something from me. From us. Explain yourself."

Advait took a step closer, his eyes flicking between Nandita and Ekaksh. He didn't look like a man consumed by guilt, but rather someone weighed down by a burden he was finally ready to share.

"I wasn't hiding something," he began slowly, his voice calm but firm. "I was protecting you. Both of you, in a way. There's more at play here than just business, Nandita. You know that. And as for you, Ekaksh, don't pretend you're just here for your family. You've been moving pieces around on this chessboard for a long time. So have I."

Nandita's eyes narrowed. "Protecting me from what? From who?"

Advait's expression softened slightly, but there was still a hardness in his gaze. "From the people who want to see you dead. The ones who orchestrated the attack on the wedding—they weren't aiming at you specifically, Nandita. You were collateral damage. They're after Ekaksh."

Nandita blinked, momentarily taken aback. She had been convinced that the attack was targeted at her—her empire, her secrets. But now Advait was telling her it had been aimed at Ekaksh all along? The revelation sent her mind spinning, and a new set of questions began to form.

Ekaksh, however, didn't seem surprised. In fact, he looked as though he had been expecting this all along.

"They've been after me for years," Ekaksh said, his tone measured. "Ever since I started expanding my business into India, certain people have taken issue with the competition. The attack was meant to send a message—to remind me that I'm not untouchable."

Nandita's eyes darted between the two men, trying to piece together the puzzle. "You knew this, Ekaksh? And you didn't think to tell me?"

Ekaksh's gaze was steady as he met hers. "I didn't know how deep the connections ran. But I knew they wouldn't stop until they had what they wanted. That's why I proposed the alliance. You're stronger than you realize, Nandita. You have resources, influence, and a network that rivals theirs. Together, we can take them down."

Advait folded his arms, his posture unyielding. "It's not that simple, Ekaksh. The people we're dealing with aren't just another syndicate. They're part of a much larger organization—an international cartel with reach that extends far beyond India's borders."

Nandita felt a chill run down her spine. She had heard whispers of such an organization before, but she had always dismissed them as rumors. Now, standing in the cold darkness of the docks, those rumors felt all too real.

"Who are they?" Nandita asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Advait hesitated for a moment before answering. "They call themselves 'The Circle.' They operate in the shadows, controlling everything from high finance to black market trade. They don't just want money or power—they want control. Absolute control. And right now, you and Ekaksh are threats to that control."

Nandita's mind raced. The Circle. She had heard the name before, spoken in hushed tones by some of her more dangerous contacts. They were supposed to be untouchable, invisible. Yet here they were, pulling the strings behind the attack on her life and Ekaksh's operations.

"You should have told me," Nandita said, her voice shaking with barely contained anger. "You should have told me about this the moment you found out."

Advait looked at her, his eyes filled with something like regret. "I wanted to protect you. I didn't want to drag you into something this dangerous unless I had no choice. But after the attack, I realized that they've already pulled you in. There's no escaping them now."

Nandita clenched her fists. The anger she felt wasn't just from Advait's betrayal; it was from the realization that she had been playing a game with enemies far more powerful than she had imagined.

Ekaksh stepped forward, his gaze locked on Advait. "You've known about The Circle for a while, haven't you? You've been working against them, even as you've been protecting Nandita."

Advait didn't deny it. "Yes. I've been working behind the scenes to disrupt their plans. But they're more dangerous than any of us realized. They have agents everywhere, and if we're not careful, they'll pick us off one by one."

Nandita's mind was spinning, but she forced herself to focus. "So what now? We just wait for them to come for us?"

Advait shook his head. "No. We take the fight to them. But we need to be smart about it. If we go in guns blazing, they'll crush us. We need to dismantle their network piece by piece, take away their power, and expose them for what they are."

Ekaksh crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. "And how do we do that?"

Advait glanced at both of them, his face grim. "I've been gathering information on their key players for months. I know where some of their operations are located, and I have contacts who can help us. But we'll need to move quickly. Once they realize we're onto them, they'll retaliate."

Nandita took a deep breath, her mind racing with possibilities. This wasn't just about her anymore. It wasn't even just about Ekaksh. The Circle was a threat to everything she had built, everything she cared about. And if she didn't act now, they would destroy her.

"Alright," she said, her voice steady. "We do this. But on my terms. We hit them hard, and we don't stop until they're finished."

Ekaksh nodded in agreement, his eyes flashing with determination. "Agreed."

Advait, for the first time since revealing his secrets, allowed himself a small smile. "Then we'd better get to work."

A Week Later

The dim glow of the computer screen illuminated Nandita's face as she pored over the files Advait had compiled on The Circle. Each document, each photo, each encrypted message was another piece of a puzzle that spanned continents and crossed the lines of legality and morality. She had known the world she inhabited was dangerous, but the depth of The Circle's reach was staggering.

Beside her, Advait and Ekaksh sat quietly, reviewing their own leads. For the past week, they had been working in secret, gathering intel, planning their moves, and preparing for the inevitable confrontation. The Circle had remained quiet since the attack on the wedding, but Nandita knew that silence wouldn't last forever.

"They're going to make a move soon," Nandita said, breaking the silence. "They can't afford to let us keep digging. We need to be ready."

Ekaksh leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning the room as if deep in thought. "The question is, where will they strike next? If we can predict their next move, we can stay ahead of them."

Advait looked up from his laptop, his face serious. "I have a contact in Singapore who might be able to help with that. He's been tracking The Circle's financial dealings for years. If anyone knows where they'll hit next, it's him."

Nandita nodded. "Good. Set up a meeting with him as soon as possible."

Advait made a quick note on his phone before looking back at Nandita. "We're going to need more than just information, though. We need leverage. Something we can use to turn the tide in our favor."

Nandita's eyes flickered with understanding. "We need a way to hit them where it hurts. Their money, their influence, their reputation. We take that away, and they'll crumble."

Ekaksh smirked, his usual cool demeanor returning. "It sounds like you're ready for war, Nandita."

Nandita's gaze was fierce as she met his eyes. "I am."