Estranged lovers

Chapter 41

A few days later........

ANNIKA'S POV

Siddharth was sitting in the dimly lit living room, his back against the couch, eyes glued to the phone in his hand. The screen flickered as he scrolled through information, but Annika couldn't ignore the tenseness that seemed to radiate off him. It had been like this for days now, distant, withdrawn, lost in thoughts he wouldn't share with her.

She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but as she walked past the hallway, the faint ringing of Siddharth's phone caught her attention. He didn't look up as he answered, his voice low and clipped. It wasn't unusual for him to take calls, but there was something in the way he said, "Adhvait," that made her pause.

Adhvait. Adhvait Singh Rajvanshi. She knew he was someone from Siddharth's inner circle, someone he trusted implicitly. But what were they talking about now?

Annika froze in place just outside the living room, her hand on the doorframe. She didn't want to intrude, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something important was happening. She strained to hear the conversation, her breath barely audible as she tried to piece together what was going on.

"Do you have the address?" Siddharth's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, something cold and calculating.

"Yes," Adhvait's voice came through the line, steady and confident. "I've got the location. Motherf*cker has been bouncing around, but I've tracked him down. He's staying at an old property outside the city. You'll have him within the hour if you go now."

Annika's heart skipped a beat. Her uncle.

She couldn't breathe as the weight of his words sank in. Her mind raced with the realization—Siddharth had been tracking him, planning to confront him. And now... now he had him.

"Good," Siddharth replied, his voice sharp, and she could hear him stand up from the couch. "I want him in front of me. Now."

Adhvait's voice was steady but cautious. "Be careful, Siddharth. Don't let your anger drive you too far. Don't lose control."

Annika's chest tightened at the words. Siddharth's anger? What did that mean? Was this about vengeance? About punishing the man who had hurt her so much?

"I've been in control for a long time," Siddharth replied, his voice cold and emotionless. "I'm not going to let him off the hook. Not this time. He's going to pay for what he did to her."

Her breath caught in her throat at the mention of her.

Siddharth's voice dropped lower, a hint of something darker underneath it. There was no mistaking the intensity of his words now. This was more than just a confrontation.....it was something personal.

"I'll take care of it, Adhvait," Siddharth continued. "No one hurts her and walks away. Not anymore."

Annika's legs felt weak beneath her. She had known that Siddharth was determined to protect her, but this... this was more than she had ever imagined.

"I've got it covered," Adhvait replied, but there was a wariness in his voice now. "You know the stakes, Siddharth. It's not just about getting to him..... it's about keeping your head straight."

"I'm not interested in the stakes," Siddharth snapped, his voice cold again. "I want him gone. I'll handle it."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, then Adhvait spoke again, more carefully. "Just don't do anything you'll regret. You know what happens when the line gets crossed."

Siddharth's response was a murmur of frustration, and he ended the call abruptly. The silence that followed was heavy, suffocating.

Annika stood frozen at the doorway, every word from that conversation echoing in her mind.