It followed her.

And somehow—

that felt worse than the argument itself.

The silence in the room didn’t break.

It stretched.

Heavy.

Unanswered.

Riddhi stood there for a moment after her last question, eyes fixed on Arjun Malhotra like she was still waiting for something. Not an explanation. Not even guilt. Just… something human.

But nothing came.

Not a word.

Not a reaction.

Just that same unreadable face.

And in that moment—

something inside her settled.

Not peace.

Realization.

He wasn’t going to answer.

He never was.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, the weight of everything she had said still hanging between them. Unanswered. Unacknowledged. She searched his face one last time—maybe for hesitation, maybe for regret.

Nothing.

Arjun Malhotra stood exactly the same.

Still.

Controlled.

Untouched.

And somehow—

that hurt more than anger would have.

Without another word, Riddhi turned and walked away. No rush this time. No dramatic reaction. Just distance. Quiet. Controlled.

Like she had finally understood the kind of world she was standing in.

The garden was quieter than the rest of the mansion.

Too quiet.

The kind of silence that doesn’t calm you—

it isolates you.

Riddhi walked slowly, her thoughts louder than the night around her. Cool air brushed against her skin, but it didn’t help. Nothing did.

A contract.

A deal.

A choice she thought she controlled.

And now—

her life no longer belonged to her.

“Unbelievable…” she whispered, running a hand through her hair. “You pull the trigger… and somehow I’m the one paying for it.”

Her voice cracked slightly near the end.

Not weakness.

Exhaustion.

Because anger takes energy.

And she was running out of it.

For a moment, she closed her eyes. Her shoulders dropped just enough to expose what she had been hiding beneath the sharp words and controlled reactions.

Hurt.

Quiet.

Dangerous.

Real.

Hidden in the shadows, two figures watched her.

Still.

Patient.

Waiting.

“This is it,” Harshit said quietly, eyes fixed on her. “Perfect timing.”

Beside him, Nandita didn’t respond immediately. Her gaze remained locked on Riddhi—not with sympathy, not even hatred. Something colder than both.

Calculation.

“She’s alone,” Harshit added. “And vulnerable enough.”

Nandita’s fingers tightened slightly around the glass in her hand.

Not vulnerable.

Not yet.

But close.

Inside the mansion, Arjun noticed something small.

Too small for most people to care about.

Riddhi wasn’t in the room anymore.

His gaze shifted toward the door she had walked through earlier. Expression unchanged. But something sharper settled underneath it now.

“Nandita.”

His voice cut through the silence cleanly.

She stepped forward instantly.

“Yes?”

“Find her.”

Simple.

Direct.

But this time—

there was something dangerous beneath it.

Back in the garden, Riddhi didn’t notice Nandita approach at first. Her thoughts were too loud.

It was only when a glass appeared near her line of sight that she blinked and looked up.

Nandita stood there.

Holding a drink.

For a second, confusion crossed Riddhi’s face.

Because this—

wasn’t normal.

Nandita had never approached her softly before. Never offered concern. Never offered anything.

“You look like you need this,” Nandita said quietly.

Soft enough to sound believable.

Cold enough to feel wrong.

Riddhi hesitated.

Suspicion flickered.

But exhaustion was louder.

And right now—

she wanted something that could make her stop thinking. Even for a minute.

“…Thanks.”

Her fingers wrapped around the glass slowly.

Nandita didn’t smile.

Didn’t react.

She just watched.

The first sip tasted normal.

The second—

wrong.

Riddhi frowned immediately. Her grip tightened slightly as her body reacted before her mind could.

“…What did you—”

The sentence broke apart halfway through.

Because suddenly—

the ground shifted.

Her vision blurred at the edges. Lights stretched unnaturally around her. A strange heaviness spread through her arms, her legs, her breathing.

“What… did you do…”

This time her voice came weaker.

Nandita stayed silent.

And somehow—

that silence confirmed everything.

Riddhi stepped back instinctively. Or tried to.

Her balance collapsed before she could complete the movement. Her hand reached for support. Found nothing.

Panic hit.

Fast.

Her heartbeat spiked violently as her thoughts scattered faster than she could hold them together.

Then—

a shadow stepped forward.

Harshit emerged from the darkness calmly, crouching slightly in front of her struggling form. His expression didn’t hold guilt.

Only satisfaction.

“Well,” he murmured softly, “that was easier than expected.”

Riddhi tried to move.

Nothing responded properly anymore.

And suddenly—

fear became real.

Not emotional.

Physical.

The last thing she saw before darkness swallowed her completely—

was Nandita standing there.

Still.

Silent.

Unapologetic.

Then—

nothing.

By the time Arjun stepped into the garden—

she was gone.

“Nandita.”

His voice changed this time.

Sharper.

Precise.

Dangerous.

“She’s not here,” Nandita replied immediately. “I checked everywhere.”

No hesitation.

No visible mistake.

But Arjun’s gaze stayed on her for one second longer than necessary.

Calculating.

Because something—

felt wrong.

And Arjun Malhotra trusted instincts more than people.

Far away from the mansion, the meeting continued.

Not loudly.

Not officially.

But dangerously.

“This complicates things,” one voice muttered carefully.

“If this moves forward,” another added, “there’s no returning from it.”

“He wouldn’t have said it unless he meant it.”

Vikram Saxena remained silent through all of it. Watching. Listening. Thinking.

And somehow—

his silence felt more threatening than anger.

Because revenge spoken loudly can be stopped.

But revenge that waits—

learns first.

Somewhere between silence and betrayal—

the game had already changed.

And far from the reach of answers—

Riddhi Malhotra disappeared.

Not by accident.

By design.

Riddhi Malhotra disappeared.

Not by accident.

By design.

And the worst part—

Arjun still didn’t know who made the first move against him.

Tell me honestly—

Did Nandita betray Riddhi because she hated her…

or because someone more dangerous forced her to?

And if Arjun finds out the truth—

who do you think survives first?

Harshit…

or Nandita?