Samaira's pov

I stared at my phone screen, my fingers hovering above the keyboard, the weight of the message I had just received pressing heavily on my chest. It was from the unknown number—"Prove your willingness to destroy Advait," it had said. And, to my own surprise, I had done it. I had sold the shares.

Shares that Advait’s family had given me as inheritance, as a token of trust. I had once believed in that trust, but now, it felt like nothing more than a betrayal.

I glanced at Advait, who was sitting opposite me, his gaze fixed on the phone in my hand. I had already told him that I would do it, that I would prove myself—but could I really trust what I had just done?

I had obeyed him, I had followed his instructions, and it had felt necessary at the time. But now, the weight of my actions felt unbearable. The silence between us thickened, heavy with the unspoken truth of what was happening.

My fingers trembled as I typed my response. There was no turning back now. I hit send.

“Done. But if you’re not willing to reveal who you are, then I’ll figure things out on my own.”

I set the phone down between us and waited, my heart pounding, as I looked at Advait. I could see his jaw tightening, the muscles in his face flickering with tension, but his eyes betrayed nothing. The seconds stretched into minutes, the silence suffocating. And then, finally, the reply came. It was swift, almost too swift.

“Well done. You’ve proven your willingness. We’d be glad to work with you to destroy Mr. Advait Singh Shekhawat.”

My heart skipped a beat. I read the message again, my mind reeling. "Destroy Advait Singh Shekhawat." The words felt so final, so real. This was no longer just a game—it was a real threat. And it wasn’t just an empty threat. It was happening.

I glanced at Advait. I had expected him to show some reaction, some sign that he was prepared for what was coming, but his face remained unreadable. His eyes, though, flickered for a moment, and for the first time in a long while, I saw a crack in the carefully constructed wall he had built around himself. There was something in his eyes—something that mirrored the unease that had settled deep within me.

I couldn’t stop myself. My fingers flew over the screen once more, typing a question that had been gnawing at me since this entire charade began.

“Who are you?”

But the reply didn’t come with an answer to my question. Instead, it came with another directive.

“Would love to meet you tomorrow at 11 AM. Address: 254A, Palm Grove Road.”

The message was clear. They were ready. They wanted to meet. But the question that lingered in my mind was whether we were truly prepared for what would unfold when we did. What would happen when we met this shadowy figure, this potential ally—or enemy?

I looked at Advait again, his gaze fixed on the screen in front of him. The silence between us felt thicker than before, a heavy fog I couldn’t shake. Finally, Advait broke it, his voice low and calculated.

“Tomorrow could change everything.”

I didn’t reply right away. The uncertainty gnawed at me, twisting in my gut. Everything we had been working toward was coming to a head. Tomorrow was the moment everything would either fall into place or shatter completely.

“What if tomorrow doesn’t go as planned?” I finally asked, the question slipping from my lips before I could stop it.

“We’ll adapt,” he replied, his voice calm, steady. But I could hear the undercurrent of something else beneath it—perhaps determination, or even fear. “We’ve been playing this game for too long to let one step back derail us now.”

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “And what about me? What if they use me against you?”

Advait stood up slowly, crossing the room to where I sat on the edge of the bed. He knelt in front of me, and for just a moment, I saw something soft in his eyes. Something I hadn’t seen in a long time. He reached for my hand, gently holding it. “They won’t. I trust you. You’ve already proven yourself.”

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust him with all my heart. But there was a small voice in the back of my mind, whispering that maybe—just maybe—I was being used. Maybe I was nothing more than a pawn in his game.

But I pushed that thought aside for now. There was no point in dwelling on it.

He stood and turned toward the door, pausing as he reached it. “Tomorrow, Samaira. We take control of this.”

I gave a small nod, my mind still racing, the weight of what we were about to do sinking in. “Tomorrow.”

The next morning came too quickly, and with it, a sense of dread that I couldn’t shake. I watched the clock tick closer to 11 AM, the time we were supposed to meet this mysterious contact. My stomach churned with anxiety.

I dressed carefully, trying to calm the storm of thoughts in my mind. I chose something simple, yet elegant—something that would put me in control, even if I didn’t feel it inside. But no matter what I wore, no matter how I tried to calm myself, the fluttering feeling of dread only intensified.

I couldn’t stop thinking about what we had done. I had sold the shares. I had betrayed Advait’s family, all to prove my commitment to this game we were playing. But now, it felt more like a trap. A trap that I might never escape from.

Advait appeared beside me, his usual composed demeanor firmly in place. He gave me a small, reassuring nod, but I could see the same unease in his eyes.

“Let’s go,” he said, his voice steady, but there was a slight edge to it, one that I hadn’t noticed before.

I nodded, swallowing hard. Together, we stepped into the unknown.