Born To Be His Only One

CHAPTER 9

Sonam’s jaw clenched. "Keep looking. He’s still here."

Vishakha nodded and disappeared into the chaos, leaving Sonam standing amidst the aftermath. Her eyes scanned the corridors littered with shattered glass, bloodstains, and debris. The smell of gunpowder lingered in the air. Every second that passed tightened the knot of anticipation in her chest.

Her instincts screamed that this wasn’t over. The Black Serpents were ruthless, but more than that, they were patient. Their leader wouldn’t have sent a strike team without a backup plan, especially knowing they were targeting her personally. The real threat hadn’t yet surfaced.

Sonam pressed a finger to her earpiece. “All teams, report. Any sign of their leader?”

“Negative,” came the reply from multiple teams in quick succession. “All clear.”

A cold sweat dripped down the back of her neck. All clear meant nothing when you didn’t know what you were looking for.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed again. She pulled it out, half expecting another cryptic message from Aarav. But it wasn’t Aarav. It was a video feed—a live one, patched through from her security system.

Her breath hitched.

It showed the lower levels of the VASUKI building, specifically the underground parking lot, bathed in dim fluorescent light. But it wasn’t the location that made her stomach twist. It was the figure standing in the middle of the frame, his back turned to the camera, unmistakably commanding. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in black tactical gear.

And in his hand — a detonator.

A chill ran through Sonam’s veins. Their leader.

She was already running before her brain fully processed it. Sprinting down the hallways, her boots clapping against the cold floors as she made her way to the elevator. Her heart hammered in her chest as she slammed her hand against the call button, cursing how slow it seemed. She couldn’t let him blow the building—not with her people inside. Not with Vishakha and the rest of her team risking their lives for her.

The elevator doors finally slid open with a soft ding, and Sonam stepped in, hitting the button for the basement level. As the doors closed, her mind raced through possibilities. The Black Serpents weren’t just trying to kill her. They wanted to send a message—a powerful one that would cripple VASUKI and her entire operation. Destroying the building would accomplish that.

The elevator seemed to crawl at an agonizing pace, the seconds ticking by like hours. Sonam's grip on her gun tightened, every nerve in her body on high alert. The air inside the elevator felt stifling, as if the walls were closing in around her.

Finally, the doors slid open, revealing the dimly lit parking garage. It was eerily silent, save for the faint hum of the fluorescent lights. The wide expanse of concrete felt like a battlefield waiting to erupt, and in the center of it all stood the Black Serpents’ leader—calm, collected, and dangerously close to triggering the bomb in his hand.

Sonam stepped out cautiously, her gun raised, eyes locked on the figure in front of her.

“I was wondering when you’d show up,” the man said, his voice deep and composed. He didn’t turn around to face her, his attention still focused on the detonator in his hand.

“Drop it,” Sonam commanded, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

The man chuckled, a low, menacing sound that echoed through the empty garage. “Do you really think this ends with you giving orders?”

“I think it ends with you on the ground, dead or alive. Your choice,” Sonam shot back.

Finally, the man turned to face her, revealing sharp, angular features and piercing eyes that glinted in the dim light. His lips curled into a cruel smile as he studied her, as if weighing his options. “You’re bold, I’ll give you that. But you’re out of your depth, little queen.”