CHAPTER 16（ aryan ）
The moment I stepped outside the rink, my expression hardened.
The relaxed atmosphere disappeared.
My phone rang again.
I answered immediately.
"Ekaansh."
"He tried to run."
My jaw tightened.
Of course he did.
"Where is he now?"
"We have him."
Good.
At least one problem had been solved.
"What happened?"
A humorless laugh came from the other side.
"He thought he could cheat us and disappear."
Idiot.
People always believed they were smarter than they actually were.
I opened the car door and stepped inside.
"Did he talk?"
"No."
I expected that answer.
Men like him always believed silence would save them.
Usually, it didn't.
My gaze shifted toward the ice-skating rink through the car window.
Through the glass, I could see people moving across the ice.
For a brief second, my eyes found a familiar figure.
Mahi.
She was laughing at something Alina had said.
The sight lasted only a moment before the car pulled away.
A strange tightness settled in my chest.
Annoying.
Very annoying.
Ekaansh's voice pulled me back.
"Are you listening?"
"Yes."
A lie.
I hadn't heard the last ten seconds.
Ekaansh sighed.
"You weren't listening."
"I was."
"You weren't."
Unfortunately...
He knew me too well.
I rubbed a hand across my face.
"Tell me again."
Silence.
Then—
"You left me to deal with an idiot who tried to cheat us."
A pause.
"And now you're thinking about your wife."
I froze.
A dangerous mistake.
Because Ekaansh immediately laughed.
A full laugh.
The traitor.
"I wasn't."
"Sure."
"I wasn't."
"Of course."
My grip tightened around the phone.
"Do you want me to come there or not?"
"See? Angry already."
"Ekaansh."
"I'm sending the location."
The call disconnected before I could say anything else.
I stared at the phone.
Then slipped it into my pocket.
Outside, the city rushed past the car windows.
Inside, however, only one thought remained.
Mahi was probably still at the rink.
And for some reason...
I found myself wondering if she was enjoying herself.
The realization annoyed me immediately.
I had bigger problems to deal with.
Far bigger.
Yet somehow...
My thoughts kept returning to a woman who was probably arguing with Alina at this very moment.
I took a sharp turn and followed the location Ekaansh had sent.
The forest grew denser with every passing minute.
Soon, the cabin came into view.
Isolated.
Silent.
Exactly the kind of place people regretted finding themselves in.
I stopped the car outside and stepped out.
The cold air brushed against my face.
As I walked toward the cabin, I rolled my sleeves up to my elbows.
This was going to be interesting.
I pushed the door open.
The room fell silent.
Robert sat tied to a chair in the center of the cabin.
Across from him stood Ekaansh.
The moment he saw me, he stepped aside.
"There he is," Ekaansh said.
"The genius who thought he could sell our information."
A smirk appeared on my face.
I pulled a chair over and sat down directly in front of Robert.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
The silence stretched.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Intentional.
Robert shifted in his seat.
Good.
Let him be nervous.
I leaned back slightly.
"You thought you would escape, right?"
His jaw tightened.
No answer.
I expected as much.
Ekaansh moved to stand beside me.
"He was planning to disappear tonight."
A short laugh escaped me.
"Tonight?"
I shook my head.
"That's ambitious."
Robert glared at me.
The look would've been intimidating.
If he wasn't tied to a chair.
"You don't understand," he said.
My eyebrow rose.
"Oh?"
"You forced me into this."
The audacity.
I stared at him for a moment.
Then laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Ekaansh laughed too.
Robert didn't seem to appreciate it.
"You really believe that?"
I asked.
"You sold information."
"You got caught."
"And somehow that's my fault?"
His expression darkened.
I leaned forward.
The amusement disappeared from my face.
Instantly.
The room grew quiet again.
"Listen carefully."
My voice remained calm.
Far calmer than his.
"You made a choice."
"A very stupid choice."
I tapped a finger against the armrest.
"Now you're going to tell me everything."
Robert looked away.
Silence.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I glanced at Ekaansh.
Ekaansh immediately understood.
"He thinks he's protecting someone."
That got my attention.
I looked back at Robert.
The smallest change crossed his face.
There it was.
A reaction.
Finally.
A slow smile appeared on my face.
Not because I was happy.
Because I had found the crack.
"You weren't working alone."
Robert's eyes widened for the briefest moment.
Then he realized his mistake.
Too late.
Much too late.
I stood up.
"Ekaansh."
"Yeah?"
"Looks like our friend is finally ready to talk."
For the first time since entering the cabin, genuine concern appeared in Robert's eyes.
And that told me everything I needed to know.
This situation was much bigger than a single traitor.
Robert smiled.
A mistake.
A very big mistake.
My jaw tightened.
"You think I'll talk?" he asked.
The confidence in his voice sounded forced.
Desperate.
"I don't care what you do."
His gaze locked onto mine.
"I'm not telling you anything."
Silence.
I closed my eyes briefly.
Then a slow smile appeared on my face.
Not an amused smile.
A knowing one.
I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my knees.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The silence stretched.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Intentional.
Finally, I said quietly,
"If I want something..."
My gaze met his.
"I get it."
Robert laughed.
But there was less confidence in it now.
I noticed.
Ekaansh noticed too.
"You sound very sure of yourself."
"I am."
His smile faltered slightly.
Just slightly.
Enough.
I leaned back in my chair.
"You're making the same mistake everyone makes."
"And what's that?"
"You think this is about information."
His brows pulled together.
"It isn't."
Confusion flickered across his face.
Good.
Let him wonder.
Let him think.
I stood up and slowly walked around him.
"You've already told me more than you realize."
His shoulders stiffened.
Another reaction.
Another clue.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I stopped behind him.
"You're protecting someone."
Silence.
"You weren't planning to disappear alone."
More silence.
"But the person you're protecting..."
I glanced at Ekaansh.
"...isn't protecting you."
For the first time, uncertainty appeared in Robert's eyes.
There it was.
The crack.
Small.
But real.
Ekaansh folded his arms.
"He hasn't figured that out yet."
Robert looked away.
A bad sign.
For him.
A very good sign.
For us.
I smiled.
Then returned to my chair.
"Don't worry."
I crossed one leg over the other.
"We have time."
The confidence slowly drained from Robert's face.
And for the first time since I arrived...
He looked nervous.
Behind me, Ekaansh took a slow step forward.
The wooden floor creaked beneath his boots.
Robert's eyes immediately flickered toward him.
Then to me.
Then back to Ekaansh.
For the first time since I had arrived, I saw genuine concern in his expression.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I tilted my head slightly.
"Speak."
Silence.
Robert swallowed but said nothing.
I sighed.
Disappointing.
"You're making this harder than it needs to be."
A humorless laugh escaped him.
"You think I'm scared of you?"
I didn't answer.
Instead, I leaned back in my chair.
Completely relaxed.
Completely calm.
The reaction seemed to unsettle him more than anger would have.
"You have two choices," I said.
His jaw tightened.
I continued anyway.
"You tell me what I want to know."
A pause.
"And you walk out of this situation with a future."
The room fell silent.
Even Ekaansh stopped moving.
Robert stared at me.
Trying to decide whether I was bluffing.
Trying to decide how much I already knew.
A losing game.
Because uncertainty was already eating him alive.
"And if I don't?" he asked.
I smiled.
A small smile.
The kind that never reached my eyes.
"Then you're protecting people who have already abandoned you."
The words landed exactly where I wanted them to.
A flicker.
A hesitation.
A crack.
There it was again.
I leaned forward.
"Ask yourself one question, Robert."
His gaze remained fixed on mine.
"When you got caught..."
I folded my hands together.
"Why didn't they come back for you?"
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Robert looked away first.
And the moment he did...
I knew I was winning.
Ekaansh smirked from behind him.
"He finally gets it."
Robert's hands clenched.
Not in anger.
In doubt.
The most useful emotion in the world.
Because once a man starts doubting the people he was protecting...
He starts talking.
Hours had passed.
And Robert still hadn't spoken.
Not a name.
Not a location.
Nothing.
I leaned back in my chair and studied him.
Interesting.
Most people broke quickly.
Robert hadn't.
That meant one of two things.
Either he was incredibly loyal.
Or incredibly afraid.
Ekaansh wiped a hand across his forehead and released a tired breath.
Even he looked annoyed now.
I closed my eyes briefly.
No.
Robert wasn't going to talk tonight.
At least not like this.
A slow smile appeared on my face.
I had other ways.
I stood up.
Immediately, Robert's one eye followed my movement.
Good.
He was paying attention.
I looked at Ekaansh.
"Leave him here."
Ekaansh's brows rose.
A small smile appeared on his face.
He understood immediately.
"Tonight?"
"Tonight."
For the first time, genuine concern crossed Robert's face.
Not panic.
Not yet.
Concern.
I walked toward the door.
"Wait."
His voice stopped me.
I turned slightly.
Robert swallowed.
For a second, I thought he was finally ready to talk.
Then he stayed silent.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I smiled.
"You had your chance."
His jaw tightened.
I continued walking.
"Enjoy your night, Robert."
A dangerous silence filled the cabin.
The kind of silence that allowed imagination to do all the work.
Sometimes imagination was far more effective than reality.
My hand rested on the doorknob.
Then I paused.
Without turning around, I added,
"Oh."
Robert looked up.
"The neighbor usually visits after midnight."
Silence.
"What neighbor?"
The question came too quickly.
Too nervously.
A small smirk appeared on my face.
I opened the door.
"You'll find out."
Then I stepped outside.
The cold night air greeted me immediately.
Behind me, I heard Robert call out again.
This time louder.
More desperate.
I ignored him.
Beside me, Ekaansh laughed.
"There is no neighbor."
"No."
I looked back at the dark cabin.
A faint smile tugged at my lips.
"There isn't."
For the first time that night, Robert was no longer worried about protecting someone.
Now...
He was worried about what would happen next.
And that was exactly where I wanted him.
I checked the time.
Midnight.
Later than I thought.
Much later.
A sigh escaped me as I pulled my phone from my pocket.
Three unread messages.
All from Mahi.
My thumb immediately opened them.
Where are you?
The first one had been sent hours ago.
The second followed shortly after.
It's midnight and you're still in your meeting.
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
Then I opened the third one.
And a smirk immediately appeared on my face.
Now sleep wherever you are and whoever you are with.
I am going to sleep.
And don't knock on the door.
I stared at the message for several seconds.
Ekaansh glanced over.
"What?"
I handed him the phone.
A mistake.
A very big mistake.
The moment he read the messages, he laughed.
Loudly.
The traitor.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"You laughed."
"Because it's funny."
I took my phone back.
"It isn't."
"It is."
Ekaansh pointed toward the screen.
"She was worried."
I looked away.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"She sent three messages."
I hated when he used logic.
Especially because he was right.
The first message wasn't angry.
The second wasn't either.
Only the third one was.
And even that wasn't really anger.
It was Mahi pretending not to care.
A habit I was becoming familiar with.
Unfortunately.
Far too familiar.
Ekaansh smirked.
"You should probably go home."
I slipped the phone back into my pocket.
"I was already leaving."
"Sure."
I ignored him.
Then pulled out my keys.
As I walked toward the door, my phone vibrated again.
For a brief second, I thought it might be Mahi.
It wasn't.
Disappointing.
An interesting reaction.
One I chose not to examine.
Outside, the cold night air greeted me.
I unlocked the car and slid into the driver's seat.
Before starting the engine, I opened our chat again.
My gaze landed on her final message.
And don't knock on the door.
A small smile appeared on my face.
Then I typed a reply.
Too late.
After a second, I added another message.
I'm coming home.
And for some reason...
The drive back felt shorter than usual.
I parked the car in the driveway and made my way upstairs.
The mansion was silent.
Most people were asleep by now.
I stopped in front of my bedroom door and reached for the handle.
Locked.
I stared at it.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
A sigh escaped me.
Then I knocked.
"Mahi."
Silence.
"I know you're awake."
A pause.
"Open the door."
Immediately, her voice came from the other side.
"No."
My jaw clenched.
Of course.
I knocked again.
A little harder this time.
"Mahi."
"No."
"Mahi, open the door."
I heard footsteps approaching.
A smirk appeared on my face.
Finally.
The lock clicked.
Victory.
Or so I thought.
The door flew open just enough for something to be thrown at me.
A pillow hit my face.
Followed by a blanket.
I froze.
For a full second.
The door slammed shut.
Click.
Locked again.
I stared at the closed door.
Then at the pillow in my hands.
Then at the blanket.
Ekaansh would never hear about this.
Never.
I knocked again.
"What is this, Mahi?"
Her answer came immediately.
"Your punishment."
I closed my eyes.
Of course it was.
"Open the door."
"No."
"Mahi."
"No."
I rubbed my forehead.
The headache returned instantly.
"I was in a meeting."
A pause.
Technically true.
Mostly true.
Half true.
Her voice floated through the door.
"So was your phone discussing something important?"
I winced.
A direct hit.
"No, right?"
Silence.
Unfortunately...
I had no defense.
"You could have texted me."
The irritation in her voice was obvious.
But beneath it...
Something else.
Worry.
I leaned against the door.
For some reason, that realization made the irritation easier to tolerate.
"I forgot."
"You forgot for six hours?"
A fair question.
A very fair question.
"No."
"Then?"
I looked at the ceiling.
Searching for an answer.
Finding none.
Finally, I said,
"I should have texted."
Silence.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Apparently she hadn't expected that answer.
I waited.
Nothing.
Then—
"Good."
I blinked.
"Good?"
"Yes."
Another pause.
"You admitted it."
I stared at the door.
A small smile appeared despite myself.
"Mahi."
"What?"
"Are you seriously making me sleep outside?"
"Yes."
The answer came far too quickly.
I looked down at the pillow and blanket in my arms.
Then back at the door.
"You planned this."
"I did."
The pride in her voice was unmistakable.
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
Immediately, silence fell on the other side of the door.
As if she hadn't expected that either.
Then her voice came again.
Slightly softer this time.
"Good night, Aryan."
The smile remained on my face.
I rested my forehead against the door.
"Good night, Mahi."
A few seconds later, I heard her footsteps moving away.
And for the first time in my life...
I found myself locked out of my own bedroom.
With my dignity hanging by a thread, I picked up the pillow and blanket and made my way toward the guest room.
At least nobody had seen that.
A small victory.
I reached the staircase.
Then froze.
Ekaansh was coming upstairs.
Of course he was.
The universe truly hated me.
His gaze dropped to the pillow.
Then to the blanket.
Then back to my face.
I immediately pointed a finger at him.
"Don't."
His lips pressed together.
A dangerous sign.
Very dangerous.
"Otherwise?"
"You'll miss your teeth."
Unfortunately, that only made things worse.
Ekaansh's shoulders started shaking.
The traitor was trying not to laugh.
Trying.
And failing.
"Did Bhabhi throw you out of your own room?"
I stared at him.
Silence.
His eyes widened.
Then a laugh escaped him.
A loud one.
The kind I would remember later.
For revenge purposes.
Without hesitation, I threw the pillow at his face.
It hit perfectly.
Unfortunately, it had absolutely no effect.
Ekaansh caught it and laughed harder.
"That's assault."
"That's mercy."
He picked up the pillow and threw it right back at me.
"Take this."
The pillow hit my chest.
"You need it."
Another laugh.
Louder this time.
I was beginning to regret not leaving him in Italy.
Ekaansh pointed dramatically at me.
"My brother."
I closed my eyes.
No.
Absolutely not.
"The man who scares half the city."
I started walking toward the guest room.
A mistake.
Because Ekaansh followed.
"The man who makes grown men panic."
"Ekaansh."
"The man who can destroy businesses with a single phone call."
"Ekaansh."
"The man who—"
I stopped.
Slowly turned around.
He immediately stopped talking.
Good.
Some instincts still worked.
Then he looked at the blanket again.
And ruined everything.
A grin spread across his face.
"The same man is standing in front of me carrying a pillow and blanket because his wife kicked him out."
Silence.
Then—
Another laugh.
A very long laugh.
I looked at the ceiling.
Searching for patience.
Finding none.
"Are you done?"
"No."
At least he was honest.
"I have waited my entire life for this moment."
I regretted teaching him confidence.
Deeply.
Profoundly.
Ekaansh wiped tears from the corners of his eyes.
Actual tears.
Wonderful.
"I need a picture."
My head snapped toward him.
"No."
"One picture."
"No."
"For memories."
"Ekaansh."
"For future generations."
I took one step toward him.
He immediately took three steps backward.
Still laughing.
The coward.
"Good night, Aryan."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Run."
His grin widened.
Then he wisely turned around and disappeared downstairs.
The moment he was gone, I entered the guest room and shut the door.
Finally.
Peace.
Unfortunately...
My phone vibrated.
A message from Ekaansh.
I opened it.
A single text waited for me.
Good night, Pillow King.
I stared at the screen.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow he was going to regret being born
I lay down on the bed and released a long breath.
What a day.
At least one good thing had happened.
I had a bed.
A proper bed.
Not a couch.
Not a chair.
Not the floor.
A bed.
The standards of my life had apparently dropped significantly.
I stared at the ceiling.
The room was quiet.
For the first time all day, there was nothing demanding my attention.
No meetings.
No traitors.
No Ekaansh.
Thank God for that.
I closed my eyes.
Only for Mahi's face to appear immediately.
My eyes opened again.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
I turned onto my side.
Then onto my back.
Then onto my other side.
Sleep refused to come.
Instead, my mind replayed the entire day.
The ice rink.
Her smile.
The way she skated across the ice as if she belonged there.
The gloves.
The messages.
A small smile appeared on my face despite myself.
Then I remembered the locked door.
The smile disappeared.
"What are you doing to me, Mahi?"
The words escaped before I could stop them.
Silence answered.
Probably for the best.
Because I wasn't sure I wanted an answer.
I had dealt with dangerous people my entire life.
I understood threats.
I understood power.
I understood fear.
Mahi, however...
Mahi made absolutely no sense.
One moment she was threatening people.
The next she was worrying about a nightmare.
One moment she was arguing with me.
The next she was texting me at midnight asking where I was.
Then locking me out of my own room.
I closed my eyes again.
A hopeless woman.
A completely unreasonable woman.
A woman who had somehow managed to turn a mafia boss into a guest in his own house.
The realization should have annoyed me.
Instead...
A laugh escaped me.
Quiet.
Unwilling.
Real.
If Ekaansh ever found out about this, I would never hear the end of it.
The thought made me groan and throw an arm over my eyes.
Tomorrow was going to be unbearable.
Eventually, exhaustion won.
My thoughts grew slower.
The room faded.
And the last thing that crossed my mind before sleep finally claimed me was a pair of green eyes and a locked bedroom door.