Across the city, Aadhira stood on the roof top of her high -rise , the wind tugging at her blazer. The Skyline pulsed with power and noise, but she felt none of it .
Arya sat across side-legged beside her, sitting wine straight from the bottle"You know he is watching you, right"Arya said with a smirk "Big bad Mafia man, all sharp cheek bones and death threats"
Aadhira didn't answer right away"He's not just a criminal,"she said finally"he is the kind who built Empire on blood and ash"
"And yet"Arya said, Elbowing her"you are curious"
She looked away"I am cautious"
"Same difference"
Aadhira gave a rare, soft smile, but it did not reach her eyes...."I have faced worse then Aashvik Singhania"
Arya leaned back."You think so now but obsession has the way of creeping on"
FEW DAYS LATER,
The gallery was packed, journalist lined the bad benches. Social media buzzed with conspiracy theories. Billionaires don't just lose property overnight. And yet here they were
Aashvik was already seated. Waiting
Aadhira entered without acknowledging him. But she felt him. Like a storm at her back. She approach the bench with the same precision as before, every movement deliberate
"Your honour"she began"the documents I submitted highlight six dummy corporations linked to Singhania cooperations. They have no registered employees, and their sole function appears to be the movement of untrasable funds"
The judge raised a eyebrow,Aashvik smiled faintly......
She continued, fliping through exhibits"we traced a pattern of shell Bank accounts moving funds to Malta and Luxembourg,Caynon Islands, sum of these connect to companies applying weapons to non-sanctioned groups"
That Hit hard........
Gasps spread through the crowd........
Aashvik stood slowly..."are you accusing me of terrorism now, miss Malhotra"
"I am excusing your cooperation of being a front for criminal laundering. If you are personally involved"she let the silence coldly,"I suppose, we will find out"
His gaze darkened, but he did not speak. He simply turned and returned to his seat..
Outside the court room, chaos unfolded, reports swarmed, pushing mic towards Aadhira ..
"Is Singhania cooperation a criminal syndicate??!"
Are you afraid of retaliation?!"
She answer only one"I fear no man who hides behind money"
But even as the car door slammed behind her, her hand
s trembled slightly
Aashvik didn't spoke much. But his silence was more violent than words
Later that evening, the Singhania estate was storm waiting.Kushan sat with two other men in the drawing room, maps and files spread on the table
"Boss we got the NGO funding trail. I link to Malhotra legal indirectly, true or law aid crimes was a witness against your late uncle"
Aashvik entered, tie loosened,sleeves rolled
"She is not just doing this for the law. This is personal"
"You want her followed"kushan asked ...
"She already knows we are watching. Let her think she is ahead"he pour himself a drink, on the counter...
"She thinks she is hunting me. But she walked in my world the moment shee filed those papers"
A pause....
"And now, she is mine to dismantle"
That night, he dreamed of her....
Not the Aadhira on paper, not the Icy court room queen
But her-laughing. Smiling. Blood on her hand. Fire in her eyes
He woke up breathless.
The obsession had begun....
The next morning Aadhira sat in her office .The next morning Aadhira sat in her office. Fliping through old files.Arya leaned on the door frame..
"You are spiralling"
"I am preparing"
"You are afraid you like the war"Aadhira looked up"no I am afraid, I like the man I am supposed to destroyed"
Arya's softened stepping inside"you have come too far to be pulled into his Orbit-he is a poison"
"I have survived poison before"she looked down at a photo she kept worried in the file. Her mother, smiling
"But I can't let another monster win"
Late evening, the invitation arrived in a velvet envelope.An elite gala , posted by a mutual business conglomerate -neutral ground, but an opening stage.
She stared at it for a moment, then made a decision...
The night of the Gala, the air was electric with wealth, wine and whispered rivalries
Crystal chandeliers hung like constellations from the towering ballroom ceiling. Golden light bathed the room, reflecting of polished marble and mirror walls. Laughter echoed, music drifted from a string quarter tucked into a corner, and every guest dripped with old money elegance...
Luxury vehicles lined the entrance outside the venue-royal royces, Bentleys, Lamborghini. A red carpet ran up the wide staircase flanked by photographs and security alike..
Aadhira stepped out of the sleek black car in a gown the colour of spilled wine-crimson Deep, unapologetic. The fabric clung to her like a promise, it's slit rising dangerously high, backless, yet commanding. Her hair was swept up in a braided chingon , her lips painted the same daring red..
Every step she took silenced the chatter...She didn't walk in..
She arrived..
And Aashvik saw her across the ballroom, the instant she crossed the threshold..
He was in a tailored black tux, sharp as sin , a silver cufflink, gaming with his family crest. But his eyes, usually as cold, flared with something else..
He excused himself from the group he was standing with-businessman and ministers alike-and crossed the floor like a Predator scenting blood..
"Miss Malhotra"he said bowing slightly
"Mr Singhania"she replied smoothly..
"You look"his gaze wanted down her from front and backup "prepared to cause damage"
"You followed the invitation"he said, lifting a flute of champagne
"I follow public optics"she replied coolly,"this was not about you"
He stepped closer "everything is about me miss Malhotra, especially now"
Before she could retort, the host voice rang out from the stage..
"Ladies and gentleman!! As a part of tonight tradition are spotlight dance will be performed by the couple representing power and justice. Please welcome Ms Aashvik Singhania and Miss Aadhira Malhotra"
All eyes turned...
Aadhira's expression darkened "you planned this"
"Surprisingly No"he murmured"but I am not a opposed"
She gritted her teeth" I am "
Still, walking away would only feed rumours, with cameras already swiveling their way , she grabbed his hand..
"Don't speak"she hissed
"I would not dream of ruining the mood"he said with a deadly smile ..
Ask they stepped on to the floor , the music swelled.. they took the position in the centre..
He placed his hand on her waist-possessive, deliberate. She responded with equal resistance. Har frame stiff. She could feel every inch of his intent -the way his fingers rested possessively at her waist ,the steady pressure of his palm against her back .He wasn't just guiding her in a dance ;he was asserting dominance ,marking her as a part of his world...
She clenched her jaw , determined not to let him see the effect his touch had on her .she wasn't here to play along .Not anymore
She kept her gaze straight ahead ,refusing to acknowledge the heat of his body so close to hers .she could feel his breath against her skin,the faint scent of his cologne making her pulse quicken despite herself. She resisted the urge to lesn back ,to give him a sign of any sort of vulnerability
Instead ,she locked her eyes on his .And he ,even the hunter ,met her gaze without a flicker of hesitation
Their dance was flawless.. but it was not beautiful
Every turn was a challenge, every step a threat. They stared into each others eyes like dueling kings.. or predators which would bite first...
She leaned in slightly "I should have filed charges against you just for existing"
He pulled her tighter"and I should have buried your case in flames out here we are"
Her jaw tightened,but she refused to give him the satisfaction of an answer .Instead ,she took the next step with precision,a deliberate movement meant to remind him that she wasn't afraid of him,that wasn't easily swayed .But beneath the surface of their exchange, beneath the carefully orchestrated moves of their dance, something else was brewing
As for them , the crowd applauded cameras flashed . The image they gave of was elegance, mystery, and magnetism
Only they knew it was war...And in the silence, beneath the music-the fire cracked louder The Gala was over, but the night had only just begin..
The music faded as they stepped of the dance floor but the tension between them did not.the applause , the murmurs of admiration, the fluttering cameras . Flashes it was allafacade . Vineet the polishing veneer,an undercurrent of animosity pulsed
Aashvik hand , have lingered on Aadhira's waist a little too long, now hung by his side as they parted ways. He could feel her eyes on him. But he did not turn. Not yet. He needed to hold his ground.
Her words from earlier echoed in his mind"I should have filed charges against you just for existing"
And yet there she was, Tangled in his world, One step closer to him, caught in his web of power and wealth...
Kushan, even the silent observer, stood at the far Edge of the room, watching with careful eyes, Aashvik motioned for him to join..
"Boss?!"Kushan approached , his tone questioning
"Have our people looked into the case"Aashvik 's voice was low, measured..
"Yes. Her legal strategy is airtight. But her firm environment in the case goes beyond just law. There is something personal here, something buried"Kushan replied ..
Aashvik 's jaw tightened"personal??!"He almost laughed at the irony Personal?!. She was playing with fire, and he was only two eager to see how far she did let it burn...... He didn't knew it yet , but but the night had shifted something between them. The dance was only the beginning. He turned back towards the ballroom just in time to see Aadhira walking away. The crimson gown trailing behind her looked like filled wine on marble..
And he knew She was under his skin now... And he had no intention of letting her go now
Aadhira stepped of the dance floor, each step measured,heels echoing against marble as murmurs followed her retreat. She could still feel the press of Aashvik 's hand on her waist, the heat of his breath.. as he whispered threat disguised as Charm
She needed air...
Out on the balcony, do Mumbai Skyline Street wide -dista horns and light, the pulse of the city that never slept. She let the cool wind cut through The heat that clung to her..
Behind her, the door creaked
"Leaving already miss Malhotra we were just starting to enjoy ourselves "
Aashvik 's voice watch velvet and venom
She did not turn"enjoyment is in the word I did use"
He stepped beside her , both of them staring into The horizon. The silence between them was thick . It was not peace-it was potential destruction
"You are making powerful enemies"she said "and you have already made them. The difference is I fight for justice and you fight for power"
He smiled darkly"power protect justice that is the matter of interpretation"
She turned to him then the moon light catching her eyes"so is obsession"
He did not flinch "then we understand each other"
The days that followed were anything but ............silent
Aadhira returned to court filings, media scrutining and sleepless night. The case had escalated. New evidence emerge, anonymous threats begin arriving-email, letter, veited warnings disguised as legal notices
But she could not shake him. The way he looked at her-not with desire, but with intention. Like she was both threat and prize. Her mind knew the kind of man he was.bit her instincts??! This flattered. Just a little every time thwir paths crossed ....
Meanwhile, Aashvik 's world moved into shadows.. he ordered a background report, not on her but on the judge. On the NGO. On every piece that touched her world . He wanted leverage, loopholes,weakness. But he left her files untouched...........
Why??! He was not sure. Maybe it was respect. Maybe it was fascination. Maybe he wanted to see what she did reveal on her own. Perhaps he feared whatbhe might find -because knowledge brought vulnerability....
One evening. Kushan placed a folder on his desk. "We traced the anonymous donation behind the NGO. You are going to like it"
Aashvik opened it ....
A name....
A face....
Old betrayal. Old blood. A ghost from the past.....
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