" 𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑑."
───※ ·❆· ※───
Aisha , her name alone melts the coldest hearts, and her bright smile brightens their days. The cheery, bright, and sometimes...
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Rivaan eased the car to a stop in front of a dark warehouse. The metal siding caught the weak glow of the streetlight, a dull silver against the night. He cut the engine and turned to Vikram.
"Are you sure about this?" Rivaan's voice was low, almost swallowed by the hum of the cooling engine.
Vikram exhaled hard, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. I'm sure."
Rivaan narrowed his eyes. "Really sure? Because this doesn't feel like a good idea to me."
A scowl flickered across Vikram's face. "You think I don't know that? But what choice do I have?"
Before Rivaan could press further, a sharp voice sliced through the heavy air. "Can you both stop talking about me like I'm invisible?"
They whipped around. Radhika sat in the backseat, arms folded, glare sharp enough to cut steel.
Rivaan dragged a hand over his face. "Radhika, you don't have to get tangled in this. Why wreck your peace for something that isn't yours to carry?"
She leaned forward, glare unwavering. "First, I need to know what's going on. Second, my peace was wrecked the moment my idiot boyfriend snapped my car key and stole my phone—" her finger jabbed toward Vikram, "—and left my parents circling me like sharks."
Vikram gave sheepish grin. Before he could mumble a defense, she rolled her eyes and shoved the door open.
The night air bit at them as she stepped out. Rivaan and Vikram followed.
Radhika's eyes moved across the rows of crates and stacked barrels. "So? What is this place?"
"It's a warehouse," Vikram said automatically.
She shot him a look that could freeze fire. "I know it's a warehouse. I mean, why are we here?"
Rivaan didn't answer right away. He caught the sliding door with one hand, its cold steel biting his palm. "Because it's more than just a warehouse."
The door rumbled aside and a wash of bright light spilled into the night. Radhika followed him in, Vikram close behind, their footsteps echoing over smooth concrete.
The air inside startled her. No smell of rust or grime. Men and women in clean clothes moved with quick, silent purpose, their faces focused but calm.
Radhika slowed, eyes darting everywhere. This isn't just a warehouse...it's something else. Her heart thudded with a mix of curiosity and unease.
They reached to Saad's office tucked in a corner of the vast space.
A guard in a black jacket stepped aside at Rivaan's nod and pulled the door open.
Inside, the office, "Finally, you both are—" Arjun's words cut off as he turned, his brows shooting up the moment he saw Radhika.
Neha and Veer, seated near the far end, jolted upright. Saad's chair scraped against the floor, the sound sharp in the sudden silence.
