The air was thick with tension, the kind that made every breath feel like a struggle. Samaira stood a few feet away from Advait, her wrists still tingling from where the ropes had once bound them. But now, as she faced him, there was a new kind of helplessness—a helplessness that stemmed not from the chains, but from the stark reality of the man standing in front of her.

"You wanted to know who I am?" Advait's voice was calm, smooth, almost conversational as he stepped closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers. The sound of gunfire erupted behind him, the first wave of attackers storming forward, weapons drawn. But Advait didn’t flinch. He didn’t even glance behind him.

The chaos swirled around them. Samaira watched as the first goon charged toward Advait with a knife raised. But before the man even had a chance to swing, Advait moved. It was like watching a predator in its element—effortless, almost languid in his actions. One quick motion, and the attacker crumpled to the ground, blood staining the floor.

Samaira felt a chill run through her. She had seen glimpses of Advait’s ruthlessness before—the man who had killed with cold precision on their wedding night. But this? This was something else. This was raw power, unrestrained and undeniable.

As another attacker lunged at Advait with a gun, Advait barely glanced in his direction before raising his own weapon. A single shot rang out, and the man fell, lifeless before he hit the ground. Advait didn’t even seem to care that the world around them was descending into chaos. His eyes remained locked on Samaira, a flicker of amusement dancing in them, as if the gunfire and bloodshed were nothing more than a backdrop to their conversation.

"You always wanted to know who I am," Advait continued, his tone still smooth and unhurried, as though he were explaining something simple. "Well, now I’m going to show you."

Samaira’s eyes never left him as he effortlessly gunned down one attacker after another. It was surreal—like witnessing a storm rip through a field with no sign of resistance. She had always known he was dangerous, but the sheer scale of his control over the situation made her feel small.

The attackers were relentless, but Advait was faster. With every move, every shot, he became more and more like a shadow—a force of nature—too fast, too calculated, and completely untouchable.

"How many are there, you think?" Samaira asked, her voice barely more than a whisper, her mind racing.

Advait smiled, but there was no humor in it. "It doesn't matter."

Another gunshot rang out, and a man collapsed behind him. The silence that followed was jarring, but Advait’s calm remained unshaken. His eyes were still on Samaira, as if nothing around him could even touch him.

"You’ve seen my dark side, Samaira," Advait continued, stepping closer, his voice almost tender now. "But this is who I really am. The man you married is just a shadow of this."

Samaira’s heart raced as she processed his words. "This..." she started, trailing off as she watched him dispatch another wave of goons with ruthless precision.

"Yes, this," he said, almost as if answering her unspoken thoughts. "I’m the one they all fear. I’m the one who rules everything behind the scenes. You’ve been living in the world I’ve built, whether you knew it or not."

Her breath hitched as the realization sank in. Advait wasn’t just a powerful businessman or an influential figure. He wasn’t merely a man playing at the edges of society. No, he was the king of an empire that existed in the shadows—the underworld king.

"Your engagement fuels the twists and turns of this journey. Enjoying the suspense? Vote now to keep it going!"❤️💕

The last few attackers had all been taken care of, their bodies littering the ground, blood pooling around them. Samaira was still standing there, watching him. He had just wiped out a dozen men without even breaking a sweat, all while keeping his eyes on her as if nothing else mattered.

Samaira’s voice came out shaky, though she tried to steady it. "You're—you're the one they call...?"

Advait didn’t let her finish the question. He simply stepped forward, his gaze unwavering. "Yes. The one they fear."

The room felt eerily silent now, save for the occasional shuffle of movement from Rhea and Rohit, who had finally made their way to the scene. Rohit gave Advait a nod of acknowledgment, his expression unreadable, as if this was nothing new. "We’ll take care of the rest," he said.

Advait didn’t reply. He was still focused on Samaira, his presence commanding. Gently, he reached for her hand, his fingers closing around hers with surprising tenderness. The contrast between his ruthless, cold exterior and the warmth of his touch was almost jarring.

He led her toward the exit, his grip firm but careful. Samaira barely moved, still in shock from what she had just witnessed. This was Advait—the man who had shown her pieces of his darkness before, but never like this. Never with such unfiltered power.

They stepped out into the night air, the cool breeze carrying with it the scent of something unfamiliar—something dangerous. Samaira’s mind was racing, her heart pounding in her chest. She had thought she knew Advait, had thought she understood him. But now, as they walked out of that house, she realized how little she had truly known.

She looked up at him, her voice barely a whisper. "I—I never imagined... this."

Advait turned to her, his eyes dark and unreadable. "You never asked the right questions."

For the first time, Samaira felt the weight of his words. The underworld king wasn’t just someone she could outwit or escape from. He was the puppet master, pulling the strings, manipulating the world around him.

And now, Samaira knew—there was no escaping him.