Chapter - 27
The mansion was too quiet.
That was the first thing Nani noticed.
No guards talking downstairs.
No Tee arguing with someone over the phone.
No footsteps.
Nothing.
He looked up from the sofa.
"Why is everyone so quiet?"
Sky stood near the window, staring outside.
"Because I told them to be."
Nani frowned.
"That's ominous."
Sky didn't smile.
"Nani."
"Hm?"
"Stay inside tonight."
Nani immediately narrowed his eyes.
"No."
Sky turned.
"I wasn't finished."
"And I already rejected the request."
"Nani."
"Sky."
They stared at each other.
Tee walked past them, stopped, looked between them, then quietly turned around.
"Nope."
Nani pointed toward him.
"Traitor."
Tee kept walking.
"Not getting involved in married-couple warfare."
"We're not married!" Nani shouted.
Sky's mouth twitched.
"Yet."
Nani's face heated.
"Shut up."
Then-
CRASH!
The window shattered.
Nani screamed.
Sky moved instantly.
He grabbed Nani and pulled him behind the wall as glass scattered across the floor.
"Stay here."
"What the hell was that?!"
Sky's men rushed into the room.
"Boss!"
Sky's voice turned cold.
"Find them."
Tee checked the broken window.
"Sniper?"
"No."
He pointed outside.
"Someone threw this."
A small black object sat among the glass.
Sky picked it up.
A folded photograph.
He opened it.
His face changed.
Nani noticed.
"What?"
Sky handed it to him.
Nani stared.
It was a photograph of Alisha.
Taken that morning.
She was standing outside a café.
On the back:
She can't protect you forever.
Nani's stomach dropped.
"Where is she?"
Sky's men immediately started making calls.
Tee's phone rang.
He answered.
His expression changed.
"Boss."
Sky looked over.
"Talk."
"We found three men near the café."
"Alisha?"
"Missing."
Nani stood.
"What?"
Sky caught his wrist.
"Stay."
"No!"
Nani pulled against him.
"She's helping me!"
"I know."
"Then we have to find her!"
Sky's eyes hardened.
"We will."
A phone rang.
Not Sky's.
Nani's.
Unknown number.
He answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then a man's voice.
"You really do resemble your father."
Nani froze.
Sky's expression changed.
"Put it on speaker."
Nani did.
The voice continued.
"You've been asking questions."
Nani swallowed.
"Who are you?"
A quiet laugh.
"Someone who remembers October eighth."
Sky stepped closer.
"Where's Alisha?"
"Safe."
"Put her on."
"No."
Sky's jaw tightened.
"Then tell me what you want."
The voice chuckled.
"Not you."
Nani's blood ran cold.
"You."
Silence.
Then:
"Come alone."
Sky immediately cut in.
"He's not going anywhere."
The voice laughed.
"Then she'll disappear."
The call ended.
Nani stared at the phone.
Sky took it from his hand.
"No."
Nani looked at him.
"You don't know what I was going to say."
"I know."
"I have to go."
"No."
"Sky-"
"No."
His voice cracked.
"You are not walking into another trap."
Nani stared at him.
Then quietly said,
"Then come with me."
Sky's expression softened.
"Always."
---
Across the city
Niran sat in the back of his car.
His phone buzzed.
He answered.
"Did they receive the message?"
"Yes."
"Good."
He looked through the window.
Rain streaked across the glass.
"And Alisha?"
A pause.
"We lost her."
Niran's expression darkened.
"You lost her?"
"We searched-"
"Find her."
"Sir-"
"I don't care how."
He ended the call.
Then smiled.
Because losing Alisha wasn't the real problem.
The real problem was Sky.
Niran stared at a photograph of him.
"You're becoming a nuisance."
He folded the photograph.
"But that's fine."
His smile turned vicious.
"If Nani trusts you..."
He leaned back.
"...I'll make sure he watches you fall."
---
One hour later
Sky's convoy stopped outside an abandoned hotel.
Nani looked through the window.
"This place looks like it failed a safety inspection in three different countries."
Tee sighed.
"Stay in the car."
Nani looked offended.
"I wasn't planning on hugging the building."
Sky opened his door.
"Stay behind me."
Nani followed.
"Bossy."
"Alive."
"Annoying."
"Alive."
"Handsome."
Sky stopped.
Nani blinked.
"I didn't say that."
Tee looked away.
"I heard nothing."
Sky smiled.
"Keep talking."
Nani shoved his shoulder.
"Move."
They entered.
The lobby was empty.
A single light flickered overhead.
Then a woman's voice echoed from upstairs.
"Nani."
He froze.
"Alisha?"
Sky raised his hand.
Everyone stopped.
The voice came again.
"Come upstairs."
Nani looked at Sky.
Sky nodded once.
They climbed.
At the top floor, a door stood open.
Inside was a table.
A chair.
And one envelope.
Nani approached.
Sky caught his wrist.
"Don't."
Nani looked at him.
"I have to."
He opened it.
Inside was a single document.
A company registration.
Nani's eyes widened.
The company belonged to Niran.
But the date-
October 5, 2021.
Three days before the warehouse incident.
Sky read it.
His expression became murderous.
"This wasn't created after the debt."
Nani looked at him.
"It existed before."
Tee stepped forward.
"And look at the shareholder."
Nani looked down.
His blood ran cold.
The shareholder wasn't Niran.
It was an unknown man.
The same man from the photograph.
The man with the silver ring.
Then a voice came from behind them.
"Now you understand."
Everyone turned.
Alisha stood in the doorway.
Alive.
Calm.
Holding a gun pointed at the floor.
Nani stared.
"You..."
Alisha looked at him.
"I told you."
Her voice was quiet.
"The truth isn't hidden in one place."
She looked at Sky.
"And unfortunately..."
Her expression hardened.
"...your past is tangled in it too."
Sky stared at her.
"Who was that man?"
Alisha's eyes moved toward the document.
"The man who helped Niran build the trap."
Nani whispered,
"Who?"
Alisha looked directly at him.
"His name is-"
A gunshot exploded downstairs.
Everyone ducked.
Alisha's face changed.
"He's here."
Sky pulled Nani behind him.
Tee swore.
"Fuck."
Alisha looked at Nani.
"Run."
Nani shook his head.
"No."
For the first time, Alisha smiled.
"Good."
She raised her weapon.
"Then let's finish this."
-------
The gunshot still echoed through the abandoned hotel.
For three seconds-
Nobody moved.
Then the hallway erupted.
BANG!
Another bullet tore through the doorway.
Sky grabbed Nani and shoved him behind a concrete pillar.
"Down."
Nani crouched.
"Okay, okay-I'm down!"
Tee pulled his weapon.
"Three men at the east corridor!"
Sky's eyes hardened.
"Take them."
Tee nodded.
"Gladly."
He disappeared with two guards.
Alisha stood completely still.
Nani stared at her.
"You're actually alive."
Alisha looked at him.
"Unfortunately for Niran."
Despite everything, Nani almost laughed.
"Okay. Fair."
Sky glanced between them.
"You two know each other?"
"Not exactly," Alisha said.
Nani frowned.
"She saved me."
Sky's gaze sharpened.
"When?"
Alisha didn't answer.
Instead, she looked at Nani.
"You remember the woman from the window?"
Nani froze.
"The woman I saw at Dew's villa?"
"Yes."
"That was you?"
Alisha nodded.
"I needed to know whether your memories were returning."
Nani swallowed.
"They are."
"I know."
His voice became quieter.
"I remember you hiding me."
Alisha's expression softened.
"I remember you."
She stepped closer.
"You were terrified."
Nani looked down.
"I don't remember everything."
"You shouldn't."
Sky's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
Alisha looked at him.
"Because remembering too quickly can break someone."
Nani whispered,
"What happened that night?"
Alisha was silent.
Then-
"Your father owed Sky's organization money."
Sky nodded.
"That's true."
"But that debt wasn't the reason Niran went there."
Nani's expression changed.
"Then why?"
Alisha looked toward the dark hallway.
"Because Niran wanted something."
Sky's voice dropped.
"What?"
Alisha looked at Nani.
"You."
Silence.
Nani's face went pale.
Sky's jaw clenched.
Alisha continued.
"Niran had been watching your family long before that night."
Nani whispered,
"Why?"
"Because he wanted control."
She paused.
"Control over your father."
"His business."
"His reputation."
"And eventually..."
Her eyes met Nani's.
"...you."
Nani felt sick.
Sky stepped forward.
"You're telling me Niran engineered the entire situation?"
"Not alone."
Sky's expression darkened.
"The man with the silver ring."
Alisha nodded.
"He helped Niran."
"Who is he?"
Alisha looked toward the document.
"His name is Adrian."
Nani frowned.
"Adrian?"
"Adrian Vale."
Sky's eyes narrowed.
"I know that name."
Alisha looked at him.
"You should."
Sky's face became colder.
"He was a financial broker."
"Exactly."
Tee suddenly returned.
"Boss."
He stopped when he saw Alisha.
"Uh..."
Alisha lifted an eyebrow.
"Hello."
Tee blinked.
"You're supposed to be dead."
"I've been told."
Tee looked at Sky.
"Sir, I'm going to need a raise."
Sky ignored him.
"Where are the men?"
"Handled."
"Good."
Tee looked at Alisha again.
"So... should I update the guest list?"
Nani snorted.
Alisha actually smiled.
Sky looked irritated.
"This isn't funny."
Tee nodded.
"Right."
Beat.
"Very serious dead-wife situation."
Alisha gave him a look.
Tee immediately walked away.
"Going."
---
Later that night...
They moved to a safe room beneath the hotel.
Nani sat across from Alisha.
Sky stood behind him.
Nani looked at her.
"Why did you disappear?"
Alisha's eyes lowered.
"Because staying meant Niran would eventually use me against you."
"And you let everyone think you were dead?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because dead people are difficult to threaten."
Nani stared.
"That's dark."
Alisha smiled faintly.
"I had a terrible husband."
Sky muttered,
"Understatement."
Nani looked down.
"And my father?"
Alisha's expression changed.
"He tried to protect you."
Nani's eyes filled.
"What happened?"
"He refused Niran."
"What did Niran do?"
Alisha looked at Sky.
Then back at Nani.
"He created a situation where your father had two choices."
"Pay."
"Or lose everything."
Nani swallowed.
"And Sky?"
Alisha sighed.
"Sky came to collect the debt."
Sky's expression was unreadable.
"He didn't know what Niran was doing."
Nani looked at Sky.
"You didn't?"
Sky shook his head.
"No."
Alisha nodded.
"That night, Sky's people attacked the business premises because your father refused to cooperate."
Sky immediately cut in.
"My men were there to intimidate him."
Nani looked at him.
"Not kill him."
"No."
Alisha continued.
"Your father fought back."
Her voice became softer.
"One of the men died."
Nani's breathing became shallow.
"I remember blood."
Alisha nodded.
"That's what your mind kept."
"And Niran?"
"He arrived afterward."
Sky's eyes darkened.
"After?"
"Yes."
Nani looked between them.
"Then why did I remember him being there?"
"Because he was."
Alisha's expression hardened.
"He saw an opportunity."
She leaned closer.
"And he took it."
Nani whispered,
"What opportunity?"
Alisha stared at him.
"The debt."
A pause.
"Your father's fear."
Another.
"And you."
Nani looked sick.
Sky moved closer.
Alisha continued before he could speak.
"Niran made your father sign an agreement."
"What agreement?"
"One that tied your future to the debt."
Nani's eyes widened.
Sky's face turned murderous.
"What exactly did it say?"
Alisha shook her head.
"I don't have the original."
"Where is it?"
"Niran."
Silence.
Then Alisha reached into her coat.
She pulled out a small key.
Nani stared.
"What is that?"
"The key to Niran's old private archive."
Sky took one step forward.
"Where?"
Alisha looked at him.
"His first office."
Tee frowned.
"That building was demolished."
"No."
Alisha smiled.
"He wanted everyone to think it was."
Nani stared at the key.
"So the original agreement is still there?"
"Maybe."
"And the truth?"
Alisha looked at him.
"Probably."
Suddenly-
Nani's phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
He opened the message.
One sentence appeared.
You found Alisha.
Another message arrived.
Now ask her what she did to save you.
Nani's smile disappeared.
A third message appeared.
Because she wasn't the only person who made a sacrifice that night.
Nani slowly looked toward Sky.
Sky had read the message too.
His expression changed.
"Who sent that?"
Nani shook his head.
"I don't know."
Alisha stared at the screen.
Then whispered-
"Adrian."
Sky looked at her.
"You know?"
Alisha nodded.
"I know his games."
She stood.
"And if he's contacting Nani now..."
Her eyes hardened.
"...then he's no longer hiding."
Outside-
A black car slowly passed the hotel.
Inside it, a man wearing a silver ring looked up at the building.
He smiled.
"Let's see how much you remember, Nani."
And drove away.