Chapter 13: Web of Lies
The rain tapped steadily against the shelter's windows, casting the room in a soft, restless rhythm. Aanya sat hunched over the table, the glow of her laptop illuminating her face. Lines of data scrolled across the screen, offshore accounts, transaction trails, coded wire transfers.
Arjun stood behind her, silent as ever, his gaze scanning the documents Meera had spread across the desk.
[Ding!]
Subtask: Secure Kothari's Alliance
Progress: 0/3
Time Remaining: 2 Days, 21 Hours
The ticking countdown in her mind made her chest tighten.
Aanya rubbed her temples. "Rajiv's buried this well. Every shell company connects to another, like a spiderweb."
"Which means," Arjun said quietly, "if we follow the thread long enough, we'll find the spider."
Meera leaned in, pointing at the screen. "Look here. Blackthorn Holdings — a dummy director named Ajay Sethi. But Ajay doesn't exist. I checked birth records, voter IDs, even school databases. Nothing."
Aanya frowned. "So Rajiv invented a person?"
"Not exactly," Meera said. "He used someone else's identity. A ghost identity."
Arjun's eyes narrowed. "Then who's really behind it?"
Meera hesitated, biting her lip. "That's the part I don't like. The bank account tied to Ajay Sethi was created with credentials from inside Malhotra Global's financial department."
Aanya froze. "…Inside?"
"Yes." Meera's voice was grim. "Which means someone in the company helped him."
Aanya's throat tightened. "But most of my father's loyal staff were forced out years ago…"
Arjun crouched beside her, his eyes intense. "Who was still there when you went to prison?"
Memories flashed — faces around the boardroom, familiar smiles, reassuring words. One name surfaced unbidden.
"Rakesh," she whispered. "My father's Chief Financial Officer. He… he swore he'd stand by me. He testified against me in court."
The silence that followed was deafening.
[Ding!]
System Alert: Potential Betrayer Detected.
Would you like to trace Rakesh Sharma's current communications?
[Yes] / [No]
Aanya's chest burned. Her hand trembled slightly as she selected Yes.
The system interface lit up in her vision, a stream of encrypted data unraveling into words. Within seconds, a transcript appeared.
—
From: Rakesh Sharma
To: Rajiv Malhotra
Time: 10:04 PM
"She's digging. Kothari's hesitant, but if she comes with proof, he might lean her way. I'll delay the documentation trail, give you time to tighten the overseas deal. Don't worry — she still trusts me enough not to suspect."
—
Aanya's vision blurred with rage. "That bastard."
Arjun's jaw clenched, his voice low and lethal. "He sold you out once. Now he's doing it again."
Meera swore under her breath. "If Rakesh is feeding Rajiv information, then everything we've done is already compromised."
Aanya's fingers curled into fists. "Not anymore. We cut him off."
The system chimed.
[New Task Generated:] Expose Rakesh Sharma's betrayal without alerting Rajiv.
Reward: Board Ally Secured — Raghav Kothari.
Penalty: Rakesh erases trail, evidence lost.
Time Limit: 48 Hours.
She exhaled slowly. This is it. The leverage Kothari needs.
Arjun's eyes locked on hers. "How do you want to play this?"
Aanya's lips curved into a hard smile. "We set a trap."
The following evening, Rakesh sat in his office at Malhotra Global, the city glittering beyond the glass walls. He tapped nervously at his keyboard, checking the secure email chain Rajiv insisted he use.
The sound of the door clicking open made him jolt.
"Aanya?" His voice cracked as she stepped in, her heels echoing on the marble floor.
She closed the door behind her, her expression unreadable. "Surprised to see me?"
He stammered, "I… I thought you'd never set foot here again."
She walked closer, her gaze sharp. "Oh, I'll be here more often than you'd like."
Rakesh forced a smile. "I always knew you'd fight back. Your father would be proud."
Aanya's lips twitched in something that wasn't quite a smile. "Funny. You said something similar the day you testified against me."
His face paled. "I… I had no choice."
Arjun's voice came from the shadows by the door. "Everyone has a choice."
Rakesh spun, his eyes widening. "You brought muscle?"
Arjun stepped forward, his aura pressing down like an unseen weight. "Call it insurance."
Aanya pulled a flash drive from her blazer pocket, setting it on his desk. "I have every record of your communications with Rajiv. The board will see them tomorrow."
Rakesh's face drained of color. "That's… that's impossible—"
"Impossible?" Aanya leaned in, her eyes blazing. "The system doesn't miss liars."
[Ding!]
Intimidation Skill Activated.
Target Persuasion Resistance decreased by 30%.
Rakesh's shoulders slumped. He knew he was caught. "If Rajiv finds out I betrayed him—"
Aanya cut him off. "You didn't betray him. You betrayed me. And now, you'll fix it."
He swallowed hard. "What… what do you want?"
She straightened. "Tomorrow, at the board session, you'll confirm every transfer I present. Every shell account. Every fraudulent deal. In exchange, I'll ensure Rajiv never finds out you were the leak — until it's too late for him to save you."
Rakesh looked between her and Arjun, his forehead slick with sweat. "And if I refuse?"
Arjun's gaze turned cold, his voice quiet but razor-sharp. "Then you won't walk out of this office."
The silence stretched until Rakesh finally sagged into his chair. "Fine. I'll do it."
The system chimed.
[Task Completed!]
Betrayer Subdued.
Reward Unlocked: Board Ally — Raghav Kothari.
Progress: 1/3 Allies Secured.
Bonus: +15 Reputation.
Relief flickered in Aanya's chest. Step one, secured.
She turned to leave, but Rakesh's voice stopped her.
"There's… something else," he said, his tone hushed.
She glanced back warily. "What?"
Rakesh's eyes darted nervously toward the window. "Rajiv isn't working alone. Blackthorn Holdings… the money trail doesn't end with him. There's someone else pulling strings. Someone powerful enough to bury us all if we're not careful."
Aanya's stomach dropped. "Who?"
Rakesh hesitated, fear etched across his face. "I don't know the name. But I've seen the initials — only once. M.V."
The system chimed ominously.
[Ding!]
Hidden Quest Unlocked: The Phantom Investor.
Objective: Discover the identity of M.V.
Reward: Access to System's Advanced Intelligence Network.
Warning: This quest carries extreme risk.
Arjun's eyes narrowed. "A bigger enemy behind Rajiv."
Aanya's fists clenched. So Rajiv is just the surface of this ocean of betrayal.
She looked at Rakesh, her voice cold as ice. "Tomorrow, you do as I say. After that… we find M.V."
Later, back at the shelter, the weight of the revelation pressed down on her. She stood by the window, watching the rain blur the city lights.
Arjun stepped closer, his presence steady and grounding. "You did well. Kothari will side with you now."
She exhaled softly. "But there's someone bigger out there. Someone we don't see."
He studied her, his gaze intense. "Then we hunt them. Together."
For the first time in years, Aanya allowed herself to lean back — just slightly — into someone else's strength.
Her whisper was barely audible. "Don't leave me in this."
His answer came without hesitation. "Never."
Far away, in an office cloaked in shadow, a figure poured a glass of red wine. The initials M.V. glistened on a silver cufflink.
A smooth voice murmured, "So… the little queen has begun her move. Let's see how far she gets before the web tightens."