Chapter 49 - The Other Empire #2
"Cybersecurity."
"Artificial intelligence."
"Digital infrastructure."
"Private security systems."
Arjun's expression changed.
"And all of this belongs to Astra?"
Aadhira nodded.
"Yes."
He looked at her.
Then around the facility.
Then back at her.
"Wait."
His voice became quieter.
"Why are you the one making all the decisions?"
Silence.
Shanaya looked at Aadhira.
Aadhira finally turned toward him.
"Because I own it."
Arjun froze.
For several seconds, he simply stared at her.
"You..."
She nodded.
"Own Astra?"
"Yes."
He let out a slow breath.
"The Astra Group?"
"Yes."
"The same Astra Group I tried to negotiate with?"
Aadhira smiled.
"Yes."
"The same company whose owner we couldn't identify?"
Her smile widened slightly.
"Yes."
Arjun stared at her in disbelief.
"You knew?"
"I knew about the proposal."
"You knew I was trying to do business with you?"
"Yes."
"And you never told me?"
Aadhira shrugged lightly.
"You never asked me if I owned Astra."
Arjun ran a hand through his hair.
"I spent months trying to find the owner."
"I know."
"And it was you?"
"Yes."
He stared at her again.
Then he laughed softly in disbelief.
"I can't believe this."
Shanaya covered her smile.
Aadhira looked at her.
"Don't."
"I'm not saying anything."
Arjun turned toward Shanaya.
"You knew?"
"Of course."
"And you?"
He looked at Kabir, who had just walked toward them.
Kabir smiled.
"Unfortunately, yes."
Arjun shook his head.
"So everyone knew except me."
Aadhira gave him a small smile.
"Not everyone."
"Who didn't?"
"Most of the world."
Arjun looked back at the enormous facility.
For the first time, he understood why the owner of Astra had always been impossible to find.
The company wasn't simply another corporation.
It was carefully built around secrecy.
And the woman standing beside him...
Had built it.
Aadhira Devraj no Aadhira rathore.
His wife.
The same woman he had thought he was accompanying to a business meeting.
He smiled slowly.
"You never cease to surprise me."
Aadhira folded her arms.
"Are you angry?"
"No."
He stepped closer.
"I'm impressed."
Her expression softened.
"You really are?"
"I tried to do business with Astra."
He smiled.
"And apparently I was trying to do business with my own wife."
Aadhira laughed.
"Technically, you still are."
"Then I have one complaint."
"What?"
"You rejected my proposal."
"I rejected your company's proposal."
"Same thing."
"No."
She smiled.
"It wasn't personal."
"Good."
He extended his hand.
"Then perhaps we should negotiate again."
Aadhira looked at his hand.
Then shook it.
"Perhaps."
Kabir cleared his throat.
"Should I leave you two alone?"
Aadhira immediately released Arjun's hand.
"Absolutely not."
Arjun laughed.
The playful atmosphere disappeared when Kabir's expression suddenly became serious.
"There's something you need to see."
Aadhira turned.
"What?"
Kabir gestured toward the main screen.
"Security report."
The screen changed.
A series of encrypted access attempts appeared.
"Someone tried accessing one of our external servers three nights ago."
Aadhira's expression hardened.
"Who?"
"Couldn't identify them."
"Trace?"
"Blocked."
"How?"
Kabir looked at her.
"Whoever did it knew exactly what they were doing."
Arjun stepped closer.
"Could it be connected to rivals.?"
Kabir looked at Aadhira.
Aadhira didn't answer immediately.
"Maybe."
Arjun phone rings.
" I need to attend this call."
Kabir looked towards arjun and then he brought up another file.
"There was something else."
A file appeared.
Aadhira's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
"Someone has been monitoring Kavya."
Aadhira looked at him.
"Who?"
"We don't know."
Kabir zoomed into the surveillance data.
"But whoever it is..."
"They've been following her financial transactions for weeks."
Aadhira's expression became thoughtful.
"Someone is investigating her."
Shanaya folded her arms.
"Or preparing to destroy her."
Silence filled the room.
Kabir looked at Aadhira.
"You suspected this?"
"Yes."
"But I didn't know someone else was already moving."
Shanaya studied the screen.
"Whoever they are..."
"They know what they're doing."
Aadhira nodded.
"And that's what concerns me."
SOMEWHERE ELSE...
A dark room.
A single desk lamp illuminated a collection of files.
Kavya's photograph lay in the center.
Beside it were bank statements.
Property documents.
Phone records.
Photographs.
The same person from the previous night stood in the shadows.
A laptop screen showed live footage of Kavya entering a luxury hotel.
The figure watched silently.
A message appeared.
TARGET HAS MOVED.
The figure typed a single response.
CONTINUE.
Another message appeared.
ASTRA GROUP HAS INCREASED SECURITY.
A pause.
Then the response came.
EXPECTED.
The figure closed the laptop.
A second photograph lay on the table.
Aadhira.
This time, another photograph was placed beside it.
Arjun.
The figure stared at both photographs.
Then slowly whispered...
"She's finally standing beside someone powerful."
A pause.
"That makes things more complicated."
The lights went out.
ASTRA GROUP
Back inside the underground facility, Arjun stood beside Aadhira.
"You built all this..."
Aadhira looked at him.
"Not alone."
He nodded toward Shanaya and Kabir.
"They helped."
"Yes."
Arjun looked around.
"And you kept it hidden from everyone?"
"Not everyone."
"From me."
Aadhira looked down for a moment.
"I didn't know how to tell you."
"Why?"
She hesitated.
"Because I didn't know how you'd see me after knowing."
Arjun's expression softened.
"You thought I'd see you differently?"
She nodded slightly.
He stepped closer.
"Aadhira..."
He gently took her hand.
"You could own one company or a hundred."
"It wouldn't change who you are to me."
She looked into his eyes.
"And who am I?"
"My wife."
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"That's all?"
He smiled.
"No."
He squeezed her hand.
"You're also the woman who just made me realize I've been trying to negotiate with my own wife for months."
She laughed.
"You deserved it."
"I probably did."
He leaned closer.
"But next time..."
"Tell me before I waste months searching for a mystery CEO."
Aadhira smiled.
"I'll consider it."
Arjun shook his head.
"You're impossible."
"And you're still married to me."
"Fortunately."
She laughed softly.
For a moment...
There was nothing else.
No enemies.
No secrets.
No business.
Just them.
But somewhere far away...
Someone was watching.
Kavya's empire was being dismantled piece by piece.
Aadhira's empire had just been revealed to Arjun.
And shadow was slowly moving closer.
The war had not begun yet.
But the pieces...
Were already moving.
To be continued.....