Cherreads

Chapter 23 - “Between Bullets and Heartbeats”

🖤 So the story continues…

After some time…

🌸 At Adya's side…

The car moved forward in silence.

But inside—

Adya wasn't calm.

Her heartbeat was fast.

Too fast.

Her mind kept going back to one moment—

She left Shivansh there.

Alone.

In danger.

Ridhima noticed her expression.

"What happened, Adu?"

Adya didn't answer immediately.

Then suddenly—

"Turn the car."

Anu looked confused.

"Why?"

Adya's tone turned sharp.

"No questions. Just do what I say."

A brief silence.

Then Ridhima nodded.

"Okay… I'm turning."

The car took a sharp turn.

Back.

Toward danger.

Adya clenched her fist slightly.

If something happened to him…

Her jaw tightened.

I won't leave anyone alive.

🖤 At Shivansh's side…

The chaos had settled.

Bodies down.

Men injured.

Silence returning slowly.

Shivansh stood in the middle of it all.

Gun in hand.

Control—

Completely his.

But before anything else—

🌸 At Adya's side…

The car stopped.

Door opened.

And Adya ran inside.

Without thinking.

Without stopping.

"SHIVANSH!" she shouted.

🖤 Shivansh…

He turned instantly.

And saw her.

Adya.

Back.

But in the same second—

His eyes caught something else.

A man behind him.

Gun aimed.

Without wasting a moment—

Shivansh fired first.

🔫

The man fell.

Silence.

Then Shivansh walked straight toward Adya.

Anger clear on his face.

"Why did you come back? Are you mad?" 😠

"What if something happened to you?"

Adya didn't step back.

Didn't react to his anger.

Instead—

She said calmly,

"Maybe you forgot, Shivansh Rathore…"

Pause.

Her eyes locked with his.

"I'm the Mafia Queen."

A moment.

Heavy.

Powerful.

Then she added,

"And this time… no one touches you."

Before he could reply—

She pointed toward a chair.

"Sit."

Shivansh frowned.

"Why?"

Adya looked at him—angry.

"Sit."

Everyone around them—

Was watching.

Silent.

For the first time—

Shivansh didn't argue.

He walked and sat.

But his eyes—

Never left her.

🌸 Adya…

"Anu, first aid box."

"Yeah, Adu."

Anu quickly handed it to her.

Adya moved closer to Shivansh.

Carefully.

Gently.

She started cleaning his wound.

Slow.

Focused.

Shivansh watched her.

Every movement.

Every expression.

Every second.

Then suddenly—

"Ahh…"

Adya looked up immediately.

"What happened? Is it paining?"

Shivansh didn't answer.

Just looked at her.

Adya's expression softened slightly.

"Stay still…"

This time—

Her touch became gentler.

Softer.

She continued bandaging carefully.

As if—

He mattered more than anything else right now.

And Shivansh—

Noticed everything.

🖤 At Ridhima & Aarav's side…

Ridhima watched the whole scene.

A small smile appeared.

"It's true…"

Aarav looked at her.

"What?"

Ridhima said softly,

"He really is a Mafia King."

Aarav's gaze shifted toward Shivansh.

Then back to her.

"Yeah… he is."

Pause.

A slight smirk.

"But not with his Queen."

Ridhima looked at him.

For a second.

Silent.

🌸 At Anu & Abhinav's side…

The chaos had finally settled.

But the tension—

Was still in the air.

Anu stood a little away from everyone.

Trying to calm herself.

Her hands were slightly trembling.

Not from fear—

But from everything that just happened.

Suddenly—

A voice came from behind.

"Are you okay?"

She turned.

Abhinav.

Standing there.

Calm.

But his eyes—

Concerned.

Anu tried to act normal.

"I'm fine."

Abhinav didn't move.

Didn't believe her.

"Really?"

A small pause.

Anu looked away.

"Yeah… I said I'm fine."

Abhinav stepped a little closer.

"Then why are your hands shaking?"

Anu froze.

She hadn't even noticed that.

Before she could react—

Abhinav gently held her wrist.

Not tight.

Just enough.

"Relax…" he said softly.

"we're safe now."

For a second—

Everything around her faded.

The noise.

The chaos.

The fear.

Just his voice remained.

Anu slowly looked at him.

Their eyes met.

There was something different in that moment.

Something quiet.

Something real.

She tried to pull her hand back slightly.

"I can handle myself."

Abhinav didn't let go immediately.

A faint smile appeared.

"I know."

Pause.

"But still… you don't always have to."

Silence.

Anu didn't reply.

But this time—

She didn't pull her hand away either.

From the side—

Aarav's voice came teasingly,

"Oho… what's going on here?"

Both of them immediately stepped back.

Distance restored.

Normal expressions back.

Anu cleared her throat.

"Nothing."

Abhinav smirked slightly.

"Yeah… nothing."

But their eyes—

Said something else.

As Adya stood protecting Shivansh,

Aarav stood protecting Ridhima—

And somewhere in the silence,

Abhinav stood close enough…

to protect Anu without saying it.

🔥 Ending Line

"In a world ruled by power…

even the strongest king needed someone—

who wasn't afraid to stand beside him."

Ending this chapter....

Too be continued....

Next chapter upload tomorrow ...

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