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"Noah!"
Nerav burst into the ward, calling out, but the room was empty. Too empty.
"Noah?" he tried again, pushing open the bathroom door — nothing. A hollow, cold with no sign of living person in it.
Panic tightened in his chest. He fumbled for his phone, dialing Noah's number but it was out of network coverage area.
The message repeated like a warning siren.
"Shit—" He cut the call, shoved his phone into his pocket, and rushed out of the room.
He didn't even knock when he barged into Yunah's ward.
Yunah, pacing back and forth as she mentally rehearsed what she'd say to Noah, jumped at the sudden intrusion.
"Mr. Shrestha…?" She stared at Nerav's face — pale, breath uneven, eyes shaken. "Is everything alright?" She asked giving him a concerned look.
"Noah…" Nerav managed, voice trembling. "He's missing."
"What??" Yunah's concerned expression shattered into panic. "He must be somewhere nearby. Did you call him?"
"I did. His phone's out of network. Completely dead." Nerav said, frustration and fear twisting his expression.
Yunah reached for her phone which was kept on the table and dialed his number immediately — once, twice, again — but every time she called, the same cold message echoed through the line.
Her heart dropped getting worried to death as Noah was injured. He wasn't fully recovered. And now… gone?
"Let's check the garden," she said quickly, almost pleading with herself. "Maybe he stepped out for some air—"
"We were just in the garden few moments ago...." Nerav cut in sharply. "If he were there, we would've seen him."
Yunah's breath hitched. "Then where do you think he went…?" Her voice cracked with worry.
Nerav swallowed hard. His eyes darkened.
"He must be behind this."
"Who?" Yunah snapped, desperation rising. "Tell me who it is!"
Nerav's jaw clenched. One word left his lips, heavy enough to freeze her blood.
"Grandfather."
Nerav spoke that single word, and a cold shiver ran down Yunah's spine. She already knew —that his grandfather was the one who had whipped Noah before. And now, hearing Nerav suggest that the same man might be behind Noah's sudden disappearance… her fear tightened instantly.
A terrifying thought struck her:
If his grandfather took him again…
what would he do to Noah this time?
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At Kalimpong Port — 9:00 p.m.
Noah sat in the passenger seat of the black BMW, dressed in a black suit that blended into the night. His face was unreadable — empty, cold, and too quiet. Around his neck hung a short, worn red scarf… the very scarf Yunah had given him on the night his parents died in accident.
The night she saved him.
The night he fell for her completely.
Ashish, his right-hand man, pulled a cigarette from his pocket and offered it without looking away from the docks.
"Young master, do you want one?" he asked, his tone casually respectful.
"No." Noah's gaze stayed fixed out the window as a massive cargo ship drifted in. "I quit."
"Oh…" Ashish blinked, genuinely surprised, but he tucked the cigarette away without further question.
Noah leaned forward, eyes narrowing as several figures walked down the ramp.
"They're here." His voice dropped into something cold and lethal. "Tell our men to stay alert. And send Umesh."
"Yes, young master." Ashish nodded and immediately relayed the order.
Umesh approached the newcomers.
But the moment they saw him, tension exploded.
One of his arms missing, hidden beneath a tailored coat. Several fingers gone. Deep scars — some fresh — slashed across his face. He was a silent warning of what Noah was capable of.
The men from the ship panicked instantly, hands flying to their guns.
Inside the BMW, Noah watched with a calmness so chilling it felt unnatural. He smirked slightly, tapping a gloved finger against the window.
"Do they really think," he murmured, "they have a chance to run?" His smile widened, slow and dangerous."Idiots. Take them down."
"Yes, young master."
As soon as Noah gave his order, gunfire erupted from every side. His mens surrounded the whole port trapping the suppliers of drugs in his area.They moved like shadows — swift, quiet, merciless. Within minutes, everyone from the ship was subdued and dragged before the BMW.
Only then did Noah step out.
He walked toward the line of trembling hostages, adjusting his gloves with unnerving calm. His eyes scanned them one by one — cold, clinical — until they stopped on a man roughly Nerav's age.
"You," Noah said softly, almost kindly. "You must be their leader."
The man flinched, but Noah only tilted his head with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"I think…" His voice dropped to a frightening softness. "…I'll enjoy dealing with you more than the others."
Without waiting for a response, he turned away and slid into the driver's seat. Then, He started the engine, expression returning to pure ice.
"Ashish," he said, staring out the window, "I'll be at headquarters tomorrow. Make sure they're delivered safely."
"Yes, young master." Ashish bowed, already moving to take over.
Noah drove off into the darkness — calm, collected…
too quiet.
*****************
On the way to Algara Hospital, Noah's phone suddenly buzzed with rapid notification pings. He grabbed it from the passenger seat and casually unlocked it, not expecting anything — certainly not Yunah.
But when he saw her name.
10 missed calls.
He froze.
The car jerked to a stop in the middle of the empty road as he stared at the screen, blinking once… twice… making sure his eyes weren't lying.
And they weren't.
His heart kicked hard against his ribs — happiness bursting so fast it almost hurt. Without a second thought, he dialed her number, fingertips tapping impatiently against the steering wheel as he waited.
One ring.
Two rings.
Three—
Finally, she picked up.
"Noah!! Where are you??" Yunah's voice came out trembling with panic, rushed and breathless. "You finally called— Do you know how worried we were? Where are you? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Noah—"
"Di… Di, breathe." Noah sat up straighter, instantly alarmed. "I'm fine. Don't panic. Just take a long, deep breath...."
But Yunah's voice only shook more.
"How can I not worry when you left like that?" she snapped, her fear leaking through every word. "You're still injured… I— I'm not angry anymore, okay? I forgive you. Just… just come back. Come back soon."
Those words hit him like a spark to dry fire.
Come back.
To her.
His heartbeat roared in his ears, a fierce warmth igniting in his chest and spreading everywhere. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel.
"I'll be there," he said, voice low, breath unsteady for the first time. "As soon as I can, Di. Just wait for me."
Before he could lose control and say something he shouldn't, he ended the call.
Then he restarted the engine with a sharp twist.
And with eyes burning with a mix of adrenaline, relief, and something far deeper.
he slammed down on the accelerator and raced toward her.
***************
Yunah sat on the bench outside the hospital entrance, the cold night air biting at her skin as Nerav and Yogesh hovered nearby. The moment she saw Noah walking toward them, something inside her snapped loose.
"Noah…" she whispered, almost breathless.
Before she could think, she rushed to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Relief flooded through her so fast it almost knocked the air out of her lungs. Noah stiffened in surprise, but only for a second—then he melted into her embrace, holding her even tighter, as if afraid she might disappear.
He had dreamed of this moment his whole life—Yunah coming to him on her own, choosing him, holding him like he mattered.
"Are you okay…" Yunah murmured against his shoulder, her voice trembling. "I was really worried about you."
Noah closed his eyes, trying to steady his heartbeat. "I'm fine, Di… I'm right here."
Even after hugging for a bit longer, Yunah didn't pull away. She couldn't. Relief had mixed with something else—something warm, confusing, and far too intense. She didn't know whether she held him like a younger brother or… something far more complicated, something she couldn't yet name.
Behind them, Nerav and Yogesh exchanged a glance, but neither dared to interrupt.
In that cold night, in that silent corner of the hospital, the lines between fear, relief, and something unspoken blurred—leaving both Noah and Yunah breathless.