𝐆𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 26

At the crack of dawn, the warehouse was cloaked in a dim, cold silence. Neha stepped out of one of the back rooms, her gaze sharp as she gave a curt nod to a guard nearby.

"Get the blood work done," she instructed. As he scurried away, she checked her watch—6:00 a.m. Without a second glance, she strode toward the cabin at the far end.

Inside, Saad was sprawled out in a chair, asleep and looking unexpectedly peaceful. Neha's lips curled into a mischievous smirk as she grabbed a water jug from the desk and, without hesitation, threw the contents onto his face.

"Son of a—!" Saad jerked up, gasping and blinking wildly, struggling to register what just happened. He was met with Neha's smug grin as she dropped into the chair across from him.

"Good morning to you, too, asshole," she greeted him dryly. "Remind me again why you're sleeping here when you own a wholeass mansion?"

Saad shot her a glare, wiping his face with a sleeve. "I was waiting for Aisha, smartass," he grumbled, running a hand over his damp face. A sudden flicker of worry crossed his face, and he glanced around. "Wait... what time is it?"

"Six," Neha replied, her smirk fading as she watched his reaction.

"Six?" He was on his feet in an instant, a wave of panic overtaking him. "What the hell? She told me she was coming here last night, right before she left the office."

Neha's expression sharpened as she rose, the lighthearted banter vanishing. "Saad, I got here at four. I haven't seen a trace of her. It's just been you here—napping like a fool."

"Damn it," Saad muttered, running a frustrated hand through his hair. He snatched his phone from the table, only to discover it was dead. With a frustrated growl, he threw it down onto the floor. "Neha, hand me your phone. Mine's dead."

Neha patted her pocket and rolled her eyes. "Mine's dead, too."

A tense silence hung between them as the weight of Aisha's absence settled in. Saad clenched his jaw, then met Neha's eyes, urgency hardening his voice. "We're going to the Oberoi mansion. Maybe she... I don't know, crashed there and forgot to tell us."

Neha's nod was immediate. Without another word, they strode out of the warehouse, both of them tense.

As they sped through the early morning streets, Neha broke the silence. "So, why was Aisha supposed to come here last night?"

Saad kept his gaze focused on the road, his hands gripping the wheel. "We had a new mission. The whole point was to have a meeting here."

Neha shot him a sharp glare. "And why, exactly, wasn't I informed?"

"Oh, I don't know," Saad replied with a mock innocence. "Maybe because someone was too busy fucking—to answer her phone and forget to check if your call was actually answered... or rejected?"