Ishq hua (Duet 1)

Chapter 13: The circle

Arsh:

My thoughts strayed to Aira despite every effort I had made to keep her from slipping under my guard.

Uninvited. Relentless but she lingered. She was a pawn, nothing more - my enemy's daughter, a girl caught in the crossfire of a game far older than her. She should have been just that - a liability to exploit. Yet she got under my skin in ways that infuriated me.

Damn it. There was something about her, some maddening mix of defiance and vulnerability that scraped at the edges of my control.

I had seen it in her eyes, the way they dared me even as they held every flicker of fear. She was out of place in my world, a world full of shadows and violence.

And yet all I could want was for her to beg and give in, want her enemy when she stood in front of me in nothing but her own skin which burned her own soul becuase of my gaze.

I pushed those thoughts aside with a scowl, clenching my fists to steady the rage and whatever else it was stirring beneath. She was a complication I didn't need and wouldn't let cloud my plans.

Grinding my teeth, I turned sharply and headed to then Dining table, forcing my focus back where it belonged.

As I strode to the dining table, I found Vyom waiting, his posture tense as he gave me a brief nod. His face was as stoic as always, but there was a glint in his eyes that told me he wasn't here to bring trivial updates. I settled into my chair, lifting a fork and taking a calculated bite, not breaking the silence. Vyom knew better than to disturb me when I was trying to eat so whatever he had to say was urgent.

He leaned in, his voice low. "Turns out the assassin is a girl."

I gave him a look that urged him to continue.

"She is not just any hired gun," he continued, tone darkening. "Turns out, she is from the circle - a skilled operative from Cartels's Wing." That name brought a sense of surprise I wouldn't show outwardly. The Cartels were known for their ruthlessness, particularly when hired to eliminate targets with as little mess as possible.

We aren't exactly a fan of them being a part of Circle but they are one of the oldest members with connection just as good as ours.

She must have been sent to handle Aira like it was another job, yet the motives behind her mission were suspiciously unclear. Someone had made Aira a specific target, someone with access to our world and enough leverage to hire the best.

Hire the Cartles.

But they forget that they are targeting the one the whole consortium will give their lives to protect. No one from the Cartel will touch Aira once they find out who is behind her, cause the next massacre will take place in their wing otherwise.

"Interesting," I replied, my tone deliberately detached. "Anything on who hired the Cartel?"

He shook his head. "Not yet, but I am digging. The circle has been quiet, and Cartel doesn't exactly open their mouth when it comes the the perpetrator but it's likely someone outside of it."

I took another bite, eyes fixed somewhere over his shoulder, processing this information. This assassin was operating with enough stealth to avoid our radar until now, and that spoke of skill.

But the bigger threat was the shadowed hand behind her. Someone needs to be powerful enough to afford Cartel just to kill a random fashion designer unless she isn't as random as I think.

What else can be expected out of an Agnihotri anyways?

"The Circle," as we called it among ourselves is the most powerful entity in the underground, an invisible empire spanning continents and organisation.