Isha stared at the door.
Arjun's voice came again, calm and steady.
"Isha, open the door."
Her phone vibrated in her trembling hand.
Do not open the door.
Her heart pounded so loudly she could hear nothing else. Every instinct told her to run — but there was nowhere to go.
"Arjun…?" she called weakly.
"Yes."
"Say something only you would know."
Silence followed for two long seconds.
Then his voice lowered slightly.
"You refused the contract three times before signing."
Her breath caught.
That was true.
No one else could have known.
Slowly, carefully, she unlocked the door.
Arjun stepped inside, his expression serious. His gaze moved immediately to her face, then to the phone in her hand.
"What happened?"
She showed him the messages without speaking.
His eyes hardened as he read them.
"They're watching me," she whispered. "Someone took a picture from inside the house."
Arjun's jaw tightened.
Hetook the phone and examined the image closely. His attention sharpened — not with fear, but with calculation.
"They want to frighten you," he said.
"It's working."
He looked at her then — truly looked. For the first time, his voice softened slightly.
"You are safe here."
"You said that earlier," she replied quietly. "Then someone attacked your office."
He didn't deny it.
Instead, he pressed a button on his watch. Within seconds, security staff answered through a small device."Lock down the residence," he ordered. "Check all cameras. No one enters or leaves without my permission."
"Yes, sir."
The connection ended.
Isha wrapped her arms around herself. "What if they're already inside?"
"They are not," he said firmly. "But they want you to think they are."
She sank onto the edge of the bed, overwhelmed.
"This marriage… it's not protection. It made me a target."
Arjun did not respond immediately.
He walked to the window, scanning the grounds outside, his mind clearly racing through possibilities.
After a long moment, he spoke.
"They are testing you."
"Testing…?"
"To see if you will run."
She looked up sharply. "And if I do?"
"Then they win."
His words hung in the air.
Kavya studied him carefully. He stood strong, controlled, almost unshaken by danger. But something deeper existed beneath that calm surface — tension, responsibility… and something close to guilt."You knew this would happen," she said softly.
His silence answered her.
Anger flickered inside her fear.
"You involved me anyway."
"Yes."
The honesty startled her.
"Why?" she demanded.
He finally turned toward her fully.
"Because you were already connected to this long before today."
Confusion replaced anger. "I don't understand."
"You will," he said quietly. "But not tonight."
That answer only deepened the mystery.A sudden alert sound echoed from Arjun's device.
He checked it immediately.
"Someone attempted to access the internal security system," he said. "They failed."
Kavya felt cold all over. "So they really are trying to enter."
"They want control. Fear is their first weapon."
"And what is yours?" she asked.
Arjun looked at her for a long moment.
"Patience."
He stepped closer, his voice steady.
"You have two choices, Isha. Leave now, and I will ensure your safety elsewhere. Or stay — and trust me."
Trust.
Such a simple word. Such a dangerous decision.
She thought about her family. Their debt. The promises he had kept so far. The unknown enemy who already knew where she stood.
Running would not erase any of it.
Slowly, she lifted her gaze.
"I stay."
Something changed in his expression — not relief, not surprise… something quieter. Respect.
"Then from this moment," he said, "you do exactly as I say."
She almost argued — then remembered the photograph taken from inside the house.
"…Fine."
He nodded once.
"Good."
He turned to leave but paused at the doorway.
"Isha."
"Yes?"
"For what it's worth," he said without looking back, "you were never a random choice."
Her breath stilled.
"What does that mean?"
He opened the door.
"You will find out soon."
And then he was gone.
Later that night, Isha finally lay down, exhaustion overtaking fear. The mansion remained silent. Security lights glowed outside like watchful eyes.
But sleep came slowly.
Just before drifting off, her phone lit up once more.
No sound. No vibration.
Only a new message.
"He cannot protect you from the truth."
A final image appeared beneath the text.
It was an old photograph.
A younger Isha… standing beside her father… in front of a building sign.
She leaned closer to the screen.
The sign read:
Mehta Research Facility
Her eyes widened in shock.
Her family… had once been connected to Arjun's world.
And she had never known.
To be continued...