The sound of glass cracking under pressure still echoed in my head as I stood beside my wrecked car. The windshield now had a spiderweb of destruction—just like my patience. I looked at the jagged mess, knuckles still stinging from the punch I'd landed with full force.

"Can't drive that," I muttered coldly.

I took out my phone and dialed the luxury car company on speed dial.

"Deliver the black Maybach. Now."

The man on the other end didn't dare delay. Within 10 minutes, the beast of a machine purred into the driveway. Sleek. Powerful. Silent. Like me.

I called my driver.

"Take the car to the workshop. Get it fixed. No delays."

The man nodded and vanished with the broken machine. Meanwhile, I slid into the buttery leather of the new Maybach, slamming the door shut. I didn't wait for anyone.

My convoy—five bulletproof SUVs ahead, five behind—snapped into formation the moment I rolled out of the Black Crown premises.

But my mind wasn't in the car.

It was there.

That cursed picture.

Avleen.

With Kiaan fucking Deshmukh.

My enemy.

Holding a brown envelope.

Every breath I took was like chewing glass. The rage was suffocating—coiling tighter and tighter around my ribs. That woman... the one who dared to walk into my life, stand in my office, and look at me with those big brown eyes—was she playing me?

I didn't care if I had to drown the world in blood tonight. I needed answers.

---------------------------------------

My car reached the outer door of the basement and the guards opened the heavy steel doors. I parked the car and got out of it. I started going inside. 

I reached the second gate and the heavy gates of my secret dungeon slid open as I approached. The guards standing with their heads bowed down. No one dared to make eye contact with me. 

Fear. I like it. 

The moment I stepped in, the screams greeted me—raw, ragged, and real. 

Screams. Music to my ears.

Advik had already started the warm-up.

The traitor—my own fucking lawyer—Madhav was tied to the rusted metal chair, blood dripping from his nose, lips split, and eyes barely able to focus.

Advik had been creative. Electrodes. Rusted pliers. A branding rod was still hot. Good.

Nice treatment. I see. But...

But it wasn't enough.

Not tonight.

I strode in, boots crushing dry blood and bones on the floor. The moment the lawyer saw me, he flinched like a dog who knew his master was a monster.

I didn't say a word. I grabbed the hammer from the table.

CRACK.

The sound it made when I brought it down on his shoulder was satisfying. His scream tore through the basement.

"You know what I hate more than betrayal?" I growled, gripping his collar and pulling his face inches from mine. "Stupidity. You thought you could tamper with my legal documents and walk away?"

He whimpered. His teeth were red.

I reached for the plastic polythene, shoved it over his face, and tightened it around his throat.
He thrashed.

He choked.

His legs kicked out.

Eyes bulging.

"Speak up, or else you die. Anyway, you have to die."

I leaned closer. "I'll just make it a little less painful."

When he was seconds from blacking out, I ripped the plastic off.

He gasped for air like a drowning man.

"Sir... Please... mercy..."

I chuckled, the sound low and sharp like a knife sliding across skin.

"Mercy?" I repeated, leaning close. "Mercy in and as mercy... doesn't exist in my world."

I grabbed his blood-matted hair and slammed his face down on the cement.

THUD.

Again.

And again.

Then I pressed my boot down on his neck. He squirmed, but I leaned all my weight into it until he coughed blood.

I pulled out my phone and showed him the picture—the woman who isn't leaving my head. Avleen. 

"Was she involved?" I barked.

The man was silent. Trembling.

Advik, who'd been watching silently till now, stepped forward and saw the screen.

"Boss..." he said slowly, eyes narrowing. "Are you seriously doubting her?"

I didn't answer.

He stared at me. "Eshank... Have you gone nuts? You're doubting my little one?"

My hands clenched the phone tighter.

"Wait, Advik."

I turned back to the lawyer.

"You fucker," I growled, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look into my eyes. "I won't ask again. Was she involved?"

He coughed.

"I-I don't... know... sir..."

My eyes darkened.

"Then who does?"

He couldn't answer fast enough.

I grabbed the small vial of acid and, without flinching, poured it over his hand.

The way he screamed—his skin bubbling, melting—I stood there, unfazed.

"SIRRR! PLEASEEE!" He cried. "I swear—I don't know! Moles—moles don't know each other! That's how we're protected! We work in isolation!"

I tilted my head, breathing slowly.

"So I'll have to kill every damn one of you to find the truth," I whispered.

His cries were the only answer.

And for the first time in years, even I couldn't tell if I was angry because of betrayal... or because of the woman whose face in that photograph refused to stop echoing in my skull.

I stared at Madhav—bloodied, broken, useless.

"You're useless, Madhav," I muttered coldly, my fingers twitching as I reached behind my waistband. The weight of the gun was familiar, like an old friend who never betrayed me. Unlike him.

He whimpered, "Sir, please... I—I swear, I told you all I—"

BANG.

His head snapped back, the blood splattering across the floor. Silence fell. For a moment, there was only my breath—sharp, shallow. My hand clenched the gun tighter than necessary.

Advik stood frozen. Then he exhaled. "Everyone out. Now!" he barked at the guards.

They scrambled, slamming the dungeon doors shut behind them. The quiet that followed was deafening.

Advik walked toward me, fury burning in his eyes. "How could you doubt her, Eshank?" His voice was low, dangerous.

I turned away, holstering the gun. "Don't start. You think I wanted to? You think I enjoy this? She asked me for almost fifty lakhs, Advik. I asked her why. She refused to tell me. Said she couldn't. How the hell am I supposed to trust someone who hides that kind of thing?"

Advik's brows furrowed. "So what? You asked... and when she didn't answer?"

I looked at him, jaw clenched. "I told her to stand in the rain. All night."

"You did what?" he growled, his voice slicing through me.

"She didn't argue," I said, my voice faltering slightly. "She actually... stood there. Like a damn statue, soaked to the bone. She fainted eventually."

Advik paced, rubbing his face in frustration. "And that made you doubt her? The girl stood in the rain just because you asked?"

I pulled out my phone. "Look at this." I shoved it into his face.

Nikunj's photo. Avleen, standing under a tree. Kiaan Deshmukh handing her a brown envelope. The same kind I'd seen in her purse once before.

"Look at it!" I snapped. "She took the envelope. You can't see her face clearly, but the damn evidence is in her hands!"

Advik narrowed his eyes, then glared at me. "You're letting your paranoia blind you."

I gritted my teeth. "All proofs are against her, Advik. She's just like Kavya."

Crack!

His fist collided with my cheek before I even registered his movement. My head snapped to the side, the sting of betrayal burning deeper than the pain.

"You son of a—"

"No!" Advik shouted. "You listen to me now! You just compared my little one—my Avleen—to that bitch?"

I flinched.

Advik was breathing heavily now, voice trembling. "That murderer took away your sister. Took away Eshika. You blame her. You hate her. Fine. But not every damn girl is Kavya, Eshank! Kab tak apne past se control hote rahoge tum?"

(How long will you continue to be controlled by your past?)

My throat closed. Eshika.

The name echoed through my chest like a punch.

"I watched her die, Advik," I whispered. "I felt it. Her pain. Her fear. My twin. I couldn't breathe that day. Couldn't save her. Kavya betrayed me... us."

Advik softened for a second. "I know. I know, bhai." He placed a firm hand on my shoulder. "But Avleen? She's not Kavya. She has fire in her. Honesty in her eyes. She refused to tell you the reason for the money—yes—but she didn't lie. She stood in the rain. You think a girl like her would sell herself to your enemy?"

I stared down at the blood pooling around Madhav's lifeless body. My gut twisted, but I wasn't sure if it was guilt... or doubt.

"She lied by omission," I said hoarsely. "What if she's being clever about it?"

"And what if she's protecting someone?" Advik snapped. "What if she's not telling you for a reason that'll break you, not betray you?"

I sank onto the bench, elbows on my knees, hands covering my face.

"I don't know what to believe anymore," I admitted. "I've seen too much darkness. I trust no one."

Advik crouched in front of me. "Then maybe it's time to trust her. What if she never betrayed you? Just try it, Eshank. For once." 

I said nothing.

But deep inside, something cracked.

"Think rationally, bhai," Advik's voice rang in my ears again. "And don't you dare hurt my little one. Abhi sirf ek punch maara hai agar use kuch bhi kiya naa toh... I swear, Eshank. I will fucking kill you."

(I just threw one punch, if you do anything to her then...)

I said, my voice gruff, "Behan ka chamcha. Agar tumhari behan galat huyi toh?"

(Sister's lackey. What if your sister is wrong?)

"Let's bet on it. If she is innocent, you will gift me a brand-new Rolls-Royce," Advik said, smirking, confidence dripping from his voice. 

"Deal." I said, smirking, "But if I win, you will have to gift it to me." 

He just flashed me a confident smile as if he knows that he is going to win this.

Itna bharosa karte ho tum us par, Advik, ki shart hi laga ki voh begunah hai. Chalo, tumhare bharose prr bharosa karne ki koshish karunga, Advik.

(You trust her so much that you have placed a bet on her being innocent. Okay, I will try to trust your trust on her, Advik.)

"Think rationally, Bhai." His words kept looping in my head like a damned chant.

I didn't say anything more. I just left the dungeon, leaving Advik behind with Madhav's corpse. He'd take care of it. He always did.

The car ride back was a blur.

I didn't care for the traffic, the sirens, or the security cars flanking me from all sides. My eyes were bloodshot. My cheek still throbbed from Advik's punch. The bastard landed it with the force of a damn hammer. I didn't blame him.

I reached Black Crown earlier than I expected.

Stepping into my cabin, I grabbed the cold compressor from the drawer and pressed it to my cheek. The stinging cold numbed the pain, but not the mess in my head. My knuckles were healing already—bruised, but manageable.

A knock pulled me out of my spiral.

"Come in," I said flatly as I kept the cold compressor aside on the table. 

Rivan stepped in, neat as always, with a folder clutched in his hand.

"Boss, the information you asked for about Ms. Avleen..."

I straightened slightly. "Speak."

Rivan opened the folder and said, "Sir, I managed to pull data from the past ten years. But before that... it's as if she didn't exist."

I stilled.

"What do you mean didn't exist?"

He exhaled. "No records. No family registration, school ID, or birth certificate. Nothing before those ten years."

My eyes narrowed. "So you're saying, for fourteen years before that... nothing? Her school? Her family? No trace?"

He lowered his head slightly. "Unfortunately, yes, sir."

"Dig deeper," I snapped. "What else did you find? Any acquaintance?"

"I already spoke with people who knew her over the past ten years," he continued. "Her old landlord... the shelter home where she grew up. According to the shelter staff, she and her brother were badly injured when they were brought in. Her brother's legs were affected, he was unable to walk at that time. After about a year, she left the shelter home with her brother. The shelter home was situated in Jalandhar. Disappeared. So she lived five years in Jalandhar and five in Ludhiana. Changed towns, and neighborhoods. Kept moving."

He flipped a page.

"She was friendly with everyone. But her brother... no one really saw him. People only mentioned seeing him sit alone on the balcony late at night. Never interacted. Never seen in public."

My fingers curled into a fist.

"She was a state topper in B.Com and M.Com. but she refused to have her picture published. She's trying to pursue her MBA online—full-term. That's all I could get so far."

I stared at him. "So either she's smart enough to leave no trail, or there's something terribly wrong around her."

Rivan gave a curt nod and left.

I sat back, chest tight. That girl was a bloody maze, and I was tired of hitting dead ends.

Aur Advik chahta hai main Avleen prr bharosa karun. Injured halat mein dono bhai behan ka shelter home aana aur phir ek saal mein hi vahan se bhaag jaana, prr kyun? Kisi insaan ka vajood achanak se kaise ho sakta hai? Aise lag raha hai 10 saal pehle voh thi nahi. Kya voh ek trained spy hai?  Yaa phir kisi aisi problem mein phasi hai jahan se nikal paana impossible hai?

(And Advik wants me to trust Avleen. Coming to the shelter home of both the brother and sister in injured condition and then running away from there in just one year, but why? How can a person's existence happen suddenly? It seems like she was not there 10 years ago. Is she a trained spy? Or is she again stuck in such a problem from where it is impossible to get out?)

All these questions started bothering me. 

I pulled out my phone and called Nikunj. I just wanted to know where she went and whom she met after meeting Kiaan?

"Why didn't your men inform me where she went after meeting Kiaan?"

Nikunj sounded equally frustrated. "Sir... I'm sorry. He lost her."

"What the fuck do you mean, ' lost her'?"

"He was sending me the image evidence, and by the time he turned back, both she and Kiaan were gone. We had a man downstairs near the office too, but they didn't return the same way. I'm sorry for the failure, Boss."

I hung up.

Pathetic.

I opened the CCTV feed on my tablet. I didn't even know why. I could see her from my glass wall if she came in.

And there she was.

Walking in through the security check. No tantrums this time. No flustered expression. She looked... composed. Empty.

The moment she settled into her desk and started working, I picked up the intercom and dialed her extension.

"Good evening-" I didn't even wait for her to complete the sentence and cut her off.

"Coffee. Now," I said coldly.

I hung up before she could even respond.

A few minutes passed.

Three quick knocks—her usual rhythmic pattern.

"Come in."

She entered, balancing the coffee tray in her hands, and I immediately noticed how pale she looked. No makeup today. Just raw skin and tired eyes.

She set the tray down, and I picked up the cup.

Took one sip.

It was fine.

Perfect, actually.

But I slammed the pen down on the desk anyway.

"Is this what you call coffee?"

She looked startled. "Sir, it's your usual—"

"It's horrible," I snapped.

What the hell was wrong with me? I knew the damn coffee wasn't the problem. It was her. Her silence. Her secrets. That impenetrable mask. 

She hesitated. "I'll can make it again, sir. "

"No need."

She nodded, her eyes dropping to the tray. Then she fumbled with her bag and pulled out a small sealed envelope.

She kept it on my desk.

"Sir... Thank you for your help," she said softly.

I looked at the envelope. "What's this?"

She spoke quietly, not meeting my gaze. "These were extra. ₹49,440. I asked for ₹49,50,560, but you gave me ₹50,00,000."

My hand froze mid-air.

How the hell did she calculate that... so precisely?

I watched her.

"How exact." I muttered, in a low voice. But she heard it. I know.

She didn't lift her eyes. Not once.

Her voice came out even softer, almost inaudible. "I just... thought it was right to return what I didn't need."

The room went still.

My brows furrowed in confusion. i just nodded my head, not trusting my own voice, at that moment.

Who was she?

She moved towards the cabin door, ready to leave. But she paused mid-way and looked over her shoulder.

Before I could say a word, she added, "The coffee might've been wrong, sir... but not the intention."

And just like that, she turned around and walked out.

I stared after her, my heartbeat echoing in my ears.

Not the intention.

She returned the money down to the last rupee.

She'd stood in the rain all night without a word.

She'd never once tried to defend herself.

And yet, I—

I let my past judge her.

Avleen Kaur Grewal...

Who the hell are you?

Because right now... I didn't know whether to destroy you or protect you.

Tum ek loti aisi paheli ho jisse main ab tak suljha nahi paya. Tum akhir ho koun? Kahan se aayi ho? Kis se chhup rahi ho tum? Yaa phir yeh sab kisi plan ka hissa hai? Kya tum ek well-trained spy ho yaa phir khud hi kisi saazish ka shikaar ho? Tumhari family ka koi pata nahi? 

(You are a puzzle that I have not been able to solve yet. Who are you? Where are you from? What are you hiding from? Or All this a part of a plan? Are you a spy, well-trained or are you the victim of some conspiracy yourself? No one knows about your family?)

Itne saare sawal hai mere aage prr jawab ek bhi nahi.

( I have all the questions but no answers.)

I was so lost in my thoughts that I kept staring at the door from which she went out. 

A few moments later my phone rang. Its loud ring brought me out of my thoughts. I picked up the phone and answered the call. It was Virender Rajput, the Port Master. 

Every year he used to hold a party where every businessman and their associates were invited. But behind this party organisation, it's me. It's better to know, what your enemies are doing. And in such parties, everyone makes mistake, and spill the beans. 

But, no one knows that it's me, who sponsor it every year. Not even Virendra. 

"Mr. Rai Singhania. How are you?" His said, his voice dripping with flattery. Clearly trying to fish out some deals with me. 

"Mr. Rajput." I greeted coldy.

"Sir, I wanted to invite you for the 'Buisness party'. It is going to be held after three days. I would be glad if the King, himself makes his presence." 

"Okay. Mr. Rajput. I will be there."

"Sir, This time there is a ball. So you will need to bring your partner with you." He said, his voice low, as if weighing his words before speaking.

"I will bring, my partner." I stated. The one I doubt. The one I want to save. The one I want to destroy in one moment and make happy in the next. 

"Sir, the invitation is already given to Rivan sir."

"It's here. Already." I said as I stared at the invitation kept on the  right corner of the table.

I hang up before he could say anything again.

I kept my phone back on the table. I tried focusing on the file open in front of me, the numbers and timelines swimming in my vision like meaningless scribbles. My jaw clenched. No matter how much I tried, my mind kept circling back to her—Avleen.

The damn envelope. Her eyes. Her silence.

I needed to distract her. No, control her—keep her too occupied to contact anyone. Too submerged in tasks to leave room for secrets.

A knock at my door pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Come in," I said sharply.

She stepped inside with her usual cautious grace, holding a slim file in her hand. Her face was composed, her voice professional when she spoke.

"Sir, I've updated the resort file. May I?"

I looked up from my laptop and nodded. My full attention was on her now.

She placed the file infront of me.

"Sir, I reviewed the vendor proposals again. Some of the suppliers are quoting above-market rates—especially the interior ones," she said, her eyes briefly meeting mine before dropping to the file. "I shortlisted two alternatives. Also, the landscape architect wants full creative liberty, which mighr delay the project. I recommend giving tighter deadlines and capped budget."

I raised my brows slightly. She didn't just skim through the details—she dissected them. My voice came out cool and clipped but sincere.

"Good work."

She gave a small nod, that professional distance still between us. I wasn't done.

"Next week, in the investor presentation, you'll take it over."

Her eyes widened and she blinked, clearly not expecting that. "Me?" she asked, the word almost hesitant.

I nodded once. "You made the revisions. You'll present them."

A ghost of a smile curved her lips, barely there—but I saw it.

"Yes, sir. I'll be ready." she said softly.

I nodded. The she turned and left.

I returned to the files, but something about her smile lingered in my mind like a stain on white silk. I tried shaking it off—signed contracts, approved memos, and read projections.

But my mind kept going back to that photo.

That damn picture.

I looked up again through the glass wall, watching her at her desk, buried in numbers and slides and project notes.

Whatever game she was playing, I needed to get ahead of it. And if she is innocent, then I need to know in what danger she is.

The hours tickled and it was 7:00 p.m. I picked up my phone and texted her. I needed to inform her about the ball. And she is going to be my partner there.

To Miss Musibat - Come to my cabin. 

A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. Same rhythm. Her rhythm.

"Come in." I said, my voice cold as usual.

She entered my cabin and stood in front of my desk. She was noticing the black and golden envelope, placed on my desk. 

Before she could say a word, I said, my voice holding authority," It's a ball." 

I passed her the envelope.

She looked at me, her eyes full of confsion as she asked, "Ball?" 

"A formal gathering, Business associates from across the country. We host it annually."

She opened the envelope, pulled out the invitation card with trembling fingers, and started reading it. 

"Since, you are my personal assistant, you are required to attend with me." I continued, ignoring her shocking expressions.

She slowly raised her head, eyes wide, mouth hung open in disbelief. Clearly, she wanted to say something. Anything. But she was unable to, she was too shocked.

"It's after three days. On the weekend. Be prepared. We need to finish all  pending work before that." I said, more like commanding.

She barely gave a nod and said, "Understood, sir." Her voice soft, yet low. There was something in her voice, which told me that, she doesn't want to attend this ball. 

She left my cabin after that. I started working again. 

Maine soch liya hai, usse abb kaam mein busy rakhunga ball tak. Kyunki mere baaki enemies ke saath-saath, Kiaan bhi aayega. Aur agar yeh dono, Kiaan aur Avleen, mile huye hain, toh ball mein such information share karne ki puri puri koshish karenge. Aur mujhe Avleen ka sach jaan ne ka moka mil jayega, par tab tak mujhe usse busy rakhna hoga. Kyunki agar voh spy hai toh voh kisi se mil naa paye, or agar spy nahi hai toh un sab se dur rahegi, safe rahegi.

(I have decided that I will keep her busy in work till the end. Because along with my other enemies, Kiaan will also come. And if these two, Kiaan and Avleen, are together and planning my destruction, then they will try my best to share such information in the end. And I will get a chance to know the truth about Avleen, but till then I will have to keep her busy. Because if she is a spy then she will not be able to meet anyone, and if she is not a spy then she whould stay away from everyone and  will stay safe.) 

Another hour passed as I buried myself in work. 

I looked at the rolex on my wrist. It was 8:00 p.m. I collected my file, laptop bag, and car keys. I walked out and stopped at her desk. Her fingers hovered over her keyboard, mid-type.

"You are still here?" I asked, voice even.

She informed me that she was finishing up the risk assessment section of insvestment.

I glanced up at the ball and said, "Complete it. Only then you can leave." She looked up at me.

She gave a small nod. "Yes, sir." Now she will remain busy in work.

It was already past 8 p.m.

I didn't wait. I walked straight to the elevator, my guards falling in step behind me. As I reached the lobby, I turned to the head of security.

"Ms. Avleen is still working," I said. "Keep a check on her. Don't let anything happen."

"Yes, sir," he replied. Spy or not, she is my employee, her safety is my responsibility. 

I walked toward the car. My driver opened the back door, and I got in silently. The engine hummed to life as we pulled out of the Black Crown premises, flanked by two SUVs, my shadows never too far.

My laptop bag sat beside me, unopened. I didn't have the patience to read anymore. Instead, I pulled out my phone and tapped into the office's live CCTV footage.

There she was—still seated, still working. Head bowed, brows furrowed.

Why does she always look like she's carrying the weight of the world?

My jaw clenched again.

---------------------------------------

We reached the mansion. The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by the smell of fresh dinner. Mom walked up to me with a warm smile.

"Dinner's ready, beta."

I shook my head. "Not hungry."

She frowned. "You haven't eaten since morning."

"I'll eat later," I said, my voice softer this time, brushing past her and climbing the stairs to my room.

The second I shut the door, I shrugged off my jacket, folded it neatly, and dropped it onto the bed. My back hit the mattress with a quiet thud. I rested my arm over my eyes, letting the quiet settle.

But my mind was anything but quiet.

Her eyes when she left my cabin.

That envelope.

Her voice when she said, "I thought it was right to return what I didn't need."

Why? Why would someone so desperate to take money return a few extra notes?

That picture was still in my head when something clicked in my mind.

I bolted upright and snatched my phone. I opened the photo again—the one Nikunj's guy had taken near that tree.

I zoomed in.

Kiaan's hand. The envelope.

I kept staring.

Her posture was stiff... she wasn't reaching for the envelope. Kiaan was placing it in her hand.

If she wanted to accept it willingly, her hand would've been extended. But it wasn't.

She wasn't taking it.

He was giving it. She was just... standing there.

I stared at the image for a long, long time. My stomach churned with something I couldn't name.

In that moment the truth hit me, it was like the air around me shifted.

I wasn’t wrong about Kiaan Fucking Deshmukh. I understood that this bloody bastard—he had tried to bribe her. But she... she didn’t take it.

The woman, I doubted, the one who stood wet to the bone in that damn rain because I told her to, yet when the easy way out was handed to her—when fifty lakhs were practically placed in her palm—she walked away from it.

I felt something unfamiliar twisting in my chest. Relief? Guilt? Hell, maybe both.

She wasn’t a gold digger. She wasn’t after my money. No... she was protecting something. Or someone.

But from whom?

That was the part gnawing at me. We’d dug into her life before—nothing. Clean records, a quiet background, no footprints that could lead back to her life before these 10 years. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe she made damn sure to erase every trace of her past.

But if it’s gone, why does it still feel like it’s chasing her?

I leaned back into the pillow, tossing my phone, somewhere on the bed. I kept my arm under my head and, started staring at the ceiling. "What the hell are you hiding, Miss Musibat?" I muttered under my breath. My instincts screamed that this wasn’t over.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath.

The mask she wore... it wasn't to deceive. But to protect.

---------------------------------------

Somewhere far from the glittering streets of Delhi, behind a crumbling façade of what once might have been a grand haveli, a single dim bulb swung from the ceiling. The air was thick—dust mixed with the metallic tang of rust and something older, fouler.

In the corner of the room, on a warped wooden table, stood a large, faded portrait. It showed a happy family: a young Avleen, barely fourteen, standing between her father and mother, with her little brother perched on her mother’s lap. Their smiles were pure, untouched by the shadows life would later cast. The edges of the photograph had curled with age, the frame chipped and darkened.

A tall man stood before it, his silhouette sharp against the flickering light. He was dressed in an expensive, perfectly tailored black suit—a jarring contrast to the ruin surrounding him. A gold watch gleamed on his wrist, but the way he gripped the frame was anything but refined.

He traced a gloved finger slowly over the image—first over the mother’s smiling face, then over the father’s. The gesture was almost tender... until his hand slipped, and a shard of glass from the cracked frame bit into his skin.

A thin line of crimson welled on his fingertip. He stared at it for a moment, then smirked—a slow, unsettling curve of his lips.

"Fitting," he murmured, his voice deep and rough, as if unused to speaking aloud.

With deliberate slowness, he lifted his finger and dragged it across the photograph, smearing blood over the mother’s face... then the father’s.

"You two are gone already," he whispered, almost to himself. Then louder, with a twisted satisfaction, "Crossed out. Erased."

His gaze shifted, locking on the younger figures in the portrait—Avleen and her brother. His eyes darkened.

"You two are left only," he said, the words dripping with venom. "Soon after... you will be found."

He leaned closer, until his breath fogged the cracked glass.

"Then who will save you, Little Grewals? Hmm?" A quiet, humorless laugh escaped him. "No one. Because you both have to die before your so-called ‘extended family’ arrives."

His voice dropped into a whisper, each syllable sharp as a knife, "I will hunt you down first."

He stepped back, pocketing the bloodied handkerchief he’d been holding. Without another glance at the smiling faces, he turned toward the shadowy doorway.

Outside, the wind howled against the rotting shutters, but inside, the silence he left behind felt heavier than before—like the room itself now knew it was harboring the scent of an oncoming storm.

Hey lovelies, 

How are you all doing? I hope you are doing great. Here is the Chapter-13 of 'His Replaced Bride' Don't forget to vote and comment. Let me know how was the chapter?

Any guesses, who's this mysterious man...

Stay tuned for more interesting twists and turns, because it's just the beginning.

Thank you, lovelies.

Have a nice day!

Your author,

Mili.