The night stretched longer than usual.
Inside the office, only a few lights remained on—dim, quiet, almost forgotten.
Sasmita sat alone at her desk, her focus buried deep within files and reports, determined to regain control over everything that had begun slipping out of her grasp.
The data leak.
The board pressure.
And him.
Her mind tried to separate it all.
Work from emotion.
Logic from instinct.
But the lines had already blurred.
She exhaled slowly, closing another file.
Enough for today.
Outside, the building stood almost empty.
Security had been increased, but silence still dominated the late hours.
Unnoticed—
A shadow moved.
Not inside.
Outside.
Across the street, parked in the darkness, a vehicle waited.
Engine off.
Lights off.
Inside—
Eyes fixed on the building.
"Still inside?" a voice asked.
"Yes."
A pause.
"Then we move."
Inside the office—
Sasmita gathered her things, unaware of the shift happening beyond her walls.
Her phone buzzed once.
A message.
Unknown number.
👉 "Leave now."
Her brows furrowed.
Another message followed immediately.
👉 "Don't use the main exit."
Silence.
Her grip tightened slightly around the phone.
Who sent this?
Before she could react further—
The lights flickered.
Once.
Then again.
A familiar feeling settled in.
Not fear.
Awareness.
Far outside—
Aarav stood in the shadows, his gaze fixed on the building.
His phone lowered slowly.
He didn't wait.
Because he already knew—
They had made their move.
Inside—
Footsteps echoed again.
Not loud.
But enough.
Sasmita's instincts sharpened instantly.
This wasn't coincidence.
Not again.
She moved quickly, stepping away from the main corridor.
Following the warning.
Her mind raced.
Whoever sent that message—
Knew.
And that meant—
She wasn't alone.
A figure appeared at the end of the hallway.
Then another.
They were searching.
Systematically.
For her.
Sasmita's breath slowed.
Controlled.
She moved carefully, avoiding direct paths, her steps silent against the polished floor.
But the building—
Wasn't made for hiding.
Sooner or later—
They would find her.
Outside—
Aarav moved.
Not through the main entrance.
But from the back.
Fast.
Silent.
Familiar.
As if he had done this before.
Inside—
One of the men turned sharply.
"She's here."
The voice echoed.
Too close.
Sasmita stopped.
For a second—
There was nowhere to go.
And then—
The lights went out completely.
Darkness.
Total.
The men paused.
Confused.
"What—?"
But before they could react—
Something moved.
Fast.
Silent.
One by one—
They were taken down.
No noise.
No warning.
Just—
Disappearance.
Sasmita stood still, her heart beating faster now.
Because she knew.
This wasn't them.
This wasn't panic.
This was control.
The same control—
She had seen before.
A faint sound came from behind her.
She turned instantly.
But there was no one.
Only silence.
Moments later—
Emergency lights flickered back on.
Dim.
Red.
The hallway was empty.
The men—
Gone.
As if they had never been there.
Sasmita stepped forward slowly, her eyes scanning every corner.
"What is going on…" she whispered.
Outside—
Aarav stood once again in the shadows.
Calm.
Unseen.
As if he had never entered at all.
His phone vibrated.
👉 "All clear."
He didn't reply.
Because his gaze—
Was still fixed on the building.
On her.
Inside—
Sasmita reached the exit safely.
No trace of what had just happened.
No evidence.
Only questions.
Too many questions.
Her phone screen lit up again.
The unknown number.
One last message.
👉 "Go home."
She stared at it for a long moment.
Because deep down—
She already knew.
Who it was.
But this time—
She didn't say his name.
Because saying it—
Would make it real.
Across the street—
Aarav turned away.
Walking back into the darkness.
Because protecting her—
Didn't require recognition.
And answers—
Would come later.
But the danger—
Was only growing.