Some games were not played in the open.
They were designed in silence.
Built on patience.
And executed when no one expected them.
From the outside, everything at the Roy Group seemed to have stabilized.
The failed attack had been dismissed as an isolated incident. Security was tightened, protocols reinforced, and operations resumed as if nothing had truly changed.
But not everyone moved on.
He stood in his office, the city stretching behind him through the glass wall. His expression remained composed, but his thoughts were anything but calm.
His fingers tapped lightly against the table.
A slow.
Calculated rhythm.
"She trusts him now," one of his associates said cautiously.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Not yet," he replied.
"But she will."
The associate hesitated. "Then… what's the next step?"
Silence.
His gaze shifted slightly, focusing on something far beyond the room.
"We don't remove him," he said slowly.
"We expose him."
The words settled with quiet intent.
"Break the trust," he continued.
"And he becomes nothing."
Back at the mansion, the morning carried an unusual stillness.
Sasmita sat at the dining table, her attention on the documents in front of her, but her thoughts weren't entirely there.
They hadn't been for days.
Footsteps approached.
Aarav.
He took his usual seat, his presence calm, as if the tension that had been building between them didn't exist.
But it did.
And both of them knew it.
"Security has been increased," Sasmita said without looking up.
Aarav nodded slightly.
"It should be."
A brief pause.
"You still think it wasn't random?" she asked.
Aarav's gaze rested on her for a moment.
"No."
Sasmita finally looked up.
"Then someone is targeting me," she said.
"Yes."
The confirmation came without hesitation.
"And you're not surprised," she added.
A faint silence followed.
"No," Aarav replied.
That answer—
Said too much.
Sasmita's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You know something."
Aarav didn't deny it.
But he didn't explain either.
"Be careful," he said instead.
Her expression hardened.
"That's not enough anymore."
Silence.
Because she was right.
Later that day, a new meeting was scheduled.
Unexpected.
Urgent.
The proposal came from the same partner group as before.
This time—
They insisted on an in-person discussion.
Sasmita reviewed the details carefully.
Everything appeared normal.
Too normal.
Her instincts hesitated.
Aarav noticed.
"You don't trust it," he said quietly.
Sasmita didn't look at him.
"I don't trust anything anymore."
A brief pause.
"Then don't go," he said.
That made her stop.
Slowly—
She turned toward him.
"I don't back out," she said.
Aarav held her gaze.
"And if it's another trap?"
Silence.
For a moment—
The answer wasn't immediate.
But then—
"That's exactly why I need to go," she said.
Her voice was steady.
Unshaken.
Because walking away—
Was never her way.
Aarav watched her for a long moment.
Then—
"I'm coming with you."
It wasn't a suggestion.
Sasmita didn't argue.
Because deep down—
She knew.
She wasn't walking into this alone.
Elsewhere—
The plan was already in motion.
"They'll be there," the associate confirmed.
The man smiled faintly.
"Good."
His eyes darkened slightly as he looked at the file in front of him.
A photograph.
Sasmita.
And beside it—
Another.
Aarav.
"Let's see how long he can keep pretending," he said softly.
Evening approached.
The location was set.
An isolated building, far from the usual business districts.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
As the car stopped, Sasmita stepped out, her gaze immediately scanning the surroundings.
"This doesn't look like a meeting venue," she said.
Aarav stepped beside her.
"It's not."
The confirmation came without hesitation.
Silence.
The realization settled quickly.
This wasn't business.
It was another setup.
Before either of them could move—
The doors behind them slammed shut.
Locked.
Footsteps echoed again.
More than before.
Sasmita exhaled slowly.
"Another trap," she said.
Aarav's gaze hardened.
"Yes."
But this time—
Something was different.
Because this wasn't just about her anymore.
This time—
They were targeting both of them.
And somewhere in the shadows—
Someone was watching.
Waiting.
Not just for an attack.
But for the moment—
Everything would fall apart.