Chapter - 28
The black car disappeared into the rain.
Inside the safe room, nobody spoke.
Nani kept staring at the message.
You found Alisha.
His fingers tightened around the phone.
"How the hell does he know?"
Tee looked at Sky.
"Either he has someone watching us..."
Sky finished for him.
"...or someone inside our network is feeding him information."
The room went quiet.
Nani slowly looked around.
"Someone inside?"
Sky's expression hardened.
"Possibly."
Alisha shook her head.
"No."
Everyone looked at her.
"Adrian doesn't need someone inside."
She pointed at Nani's phone.
"He likes making people think they're surrounded."
Nani frowned.
"Why?"
"Fear makes people careless."
Sky looked at her.
"You've known him for years."
"Unfortunately."
"Then tell us everything."
Alisha hesitated.
Then finally said,
"Adrian Vale was a financial broker who worked with wealthy businessmen, politicians, and criminal organizations."
Tee muttered,
"So basically a human red flag."
Alisha almost smiled.
"Yes."
Nani looked at the key in her hand.
"And Niran?"
"Met him through business."
"And then?"
"He realized Niran was ambitious."
She paused.
"And Niran realized Adrian had no conscience."
Sky's eyes narrowed.
"Perfect partnership."
"Exactly."
Nani looked down.
"Was Adrian the one who attacked my father?"
Alisha shook her head.
"No."
"Then what did he do?"
"He made sure the attack became useful."
Nani didn't understand.
Alisha explained.
"Your father was already in financial trouble. Niran knew it. Sky's organization knew it. Adrian knew it."
She looked at Sky.
"But Adrian manipulated the information."
Sky's face darkened.
"My people were given false information?"
"Not exactly false."
Alisha shook her head.
"Just incomplete."
Nani whispered,
"So Sky thought he was collecting a normal debt..."
"And Niran knew a confrontation would happen."
Sky's hands curled into fists.
"That bastard."
Nani looked at him.
Sky noticed.
"I'm not angry at you."
Nani raised an eyebrow.
"You look pretty angry."
"I'm angry at myself."
"Why?"
"Because I walked into his setup without seeing it."
Alisha quietly said,
"None of us did."
---
An hour later
They arrived at an old building on the outskirts of the city.
The place looked abandoned.
Broken windows.
Rusting gates.
A faded company sign.
Nani stared at it.
"This is supposed to be Niran's old office?"
Alisha nodded.
"Yes."
Tee looked around.
"I hate this place."
Nani glanced at him.
"You've been in criminal warehouses."
"Exactly."
He pointed at the building.
"This one has bad vibes."
Nani nodded.
"Fair."
Sky opened the gate.
"Stay close."
Nani followed.
"You're becoming repetitive."
"I like you alive."
Nani went quiet.
Sky glanced at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You smiled."
"No, I didn't."
"You did."
"Prove it."
Sky's mouth curved.
"I'll keep looking."
Nani rolled his eyes.
"You're annoying."
"And yet you're following me."
"Because I'm curious."
"Sure."
---
Inside the building, dust covered everything.
Old desks.
Broken computers.
Stacks of documents.
Alisha walked straight toward the back hallway.
"His private office was downstairs."
They reached a steel door.
Locked.
Alisha handed Sky the key.
He inserted it.
Click.
The door opened.
Nani stepped inside.
The room was surprisingly intact.
A desk.
A safe.
Several filing cabinets.
And photographs.
Nani walked toward the wall.
His face changed.
There were photographs of his family.
His father.
His mother.
Dew.
Nani himself.
Some were years old.
Some recent.
Nani whispered,
"He was watching us."
Sky stepped behind him.
"Yes."
Nani's fingers trembled.
"How long?"
Alisha looked away.
"Years."
Nani swallowed hard.
Then he saw something.
A photograph from October 8, 2021.
He picked it up.
It showed Niran outside the warehouse.
But there was something different.
Niran wasn't alone.
Beside him stood Adrian.
The silver ring was visible.
And behind them-
Alisha.
Nani's breath caught.
"She was there."
Alisha nodded.
"I told you."
Nani stared at the photograph.
"You were watching them."
"I was trying to get you out."
"Did you?"
Alisha's expression cracked.
"Not that night."
Nani looked at her.
"What happened?"
Alisha stepped closer.
"I saw Niran threaten your father."
Nani's breathing became uneven.
"And then?"
"I tried to take you."
"What happened?"
"Niran found me."
She closed her eyes.
"He told me if I interfered again, he'd destroy your family."
Nani's eyes filled.
"You were protecting me."
"I tried."
A tear slipped down Nani's cheek.
Sky noticed.
He quietly reached for his hand.
Nani held on.
---
Tee suddenly called from across the room.
"Guys."
Everyone turned.
He stood beside the safe.
"I found something."
Sky walked over.
"What?"
Tee held up a file.
"The original debt agreement."
Nani froze.
"That's it?"
Tee nodded.
"Original signature. Original seal."
Sky took the file.
He read the first page.
Then the second.
Then the third.
His expression grew darker.
Nani stepped closer.
"What does it say?"
Sky didn't answer.
"Told you I hate when you do that."
Sky handed him the paper.
Nani read.
His eyes moved down the page.
Then stopped.
There was a handwritten addition at the bottom.
A single sentence.
The debt shall remain active until the heir reaches the agreed age.
Nani's face went pale.
"Agreed age?"
Alisha's eyes closed.
Nani looked at her.
"What age?"
She didn't answer.
"Nani..."
His voice shook.
"What age?"
Alisha whispered,
"Twenty-one."
Silence.
Nani stared at the document.
Twenty-one.
The age he had been when his marriage had suddenly become such a huge issue.
The age Niran had insisted on.
The age everyone had acted like was completely coincidental.
Nani whispered,
"It was never about the wedding."
Sky's eyes darkened.
"No."
Nani looked at him.
"It was about the contract."
Alisha nodded.
"Niran wanted the debt fulfilled."
Nani's voice broke.
"But why me?"
Nobody answered.
Then-
A slow clap echoed from the doorway.
Everyone turned.
A man stood there.
Black coat.
Calm expression.
Silver ring.
Adrian.
He smiled.
"Finally."
He stepped into the light.
"Someone asked the right question."
Sky immediately moved in front of Nani.
Adrian laughed.
"Still protective."
Sky's voice dropped.
"You're Adrian."
"Pleasure."
"Not mutual."
Adrian's smile widened.
"I can see why Nani likes you."
Nani frowned.
"I don't."
Sky glanced backward.
"That's a lie."
"Sky!"
Adrian chuckled.
"Interesting."
Then his expression turned serious.
"You've found the contract."
Sky tightened his grip on it.
"What did Niran promise you?"
Adrian smiled.
"Nothing."
A pause.
"I promised Niran."
Nani stared.
"Promised him what?"
Adrian looked directly at him.
"That I'd make sure your father's debt could never truly disappear."
Nani's blood ran cold.
"And the condition?"
Adrian's eyes darkened.
"That..."
He smiled.
"...is the part Niran never told you."
Before anyone could move-
Adrian threw something onto the floor.
Smoke exploded across the room.
"Nani!"
Sky grabbed him.
The room vanished into white.
And somewhere in the chaos-
Adrian laughed.
"Ask your beloved Sky what happened after he left that warehouse."
Then the lights went out.
--------
Smoke swallowed the room.
"Nani!"
Sky's arm locked around Nani's waist and pulled him against his chest.
"Don't move."
"I can't see!"
"I've got you."
A loud crash came from the other side of the room.
Tee coughed.
"Boss! Adrian's gone!"
Sky swore.
"Find him."
"We're trying!"
Nani gripped Sky's coat.
"Sky..."
"I'm here."
"That bastard said something."
"I heard."
"He said to ask you what happened after you left the warehouse."
Sky went completely still.
Nani felt it.
The hesitation.
His heart sank.
"You know something."
Sky didn't answer.
"Sky."
"I know what happened from the reports."
"That's not what I asked."
The smoke began thinning.
Sky finally looked at him.
His face was unreadable.
"I remember leaving."
"And?"
"I remember getting into my car."
"Then what?"
Sky's jaw tightened.
"I don't remember what happened inside after I left."
Nani stared at him.
"How convenient."
Sky flinched.
Nani immediately regretted it.
But the fear in his chest was louder than his guilt.
"Sorry."
"No."
Sky shook his head.
"You have every right to ask."
He stepped away.
"I need to know too."
---
Ten minutes later
The entire building had been searched.
Nothing.
Adrian had vanished.
Tee slammed a hand against the wall.
"That guy is fucking annoying."
Sky looked at him.
"Find his route."
"We'll need cameras."
"Then find cameras."
"Already working on it."
Nani stood beside Alisha.
She looked exhausted.
"Are you okay?"
Nani nodded.
"Yeah."
Alisha studied him.
"You don't have to pretend."
"I'm not."
Nani glanced at Sky.
"I'm just... confused."
Alisha followed his gaze.
"About him?"
"About everything."
She sighed.
"Then let me tell you something."
Nani looked at her.
"Sky isn't the monster you're afraid he might be."
Nani swallowed.
"How do you know?"
"Because I was there."
She looked toward the dark hallway.
"Sky came for the debt."
"He threatened your father."
"He did."
"He was ruthless."
"Yes."
"But he didn't know Niran was there."
Nani's expression tightened.
"Then why did Niran wait for him?"
Alisha looked at him.
"Because Sky was useful."
"Useful?"
"His reputation."
She explained.
"Niran knew that if Sky's organization arrived, your father would be terrified."
"And Niran used that fear."
"Exactly."
Nani looked down.
"So Sky was part of the trap without knowing it."
Alisha nodded.
"That's what makes it tragic."
---
Sky walked back into the room.
He held an old envelope.
"Nani."
Nani looked up.
"What's that?"
"Something I should've found years ago."
He handed it to him.
Nani opened it.
Inside was a report.
The original field report from the warehouse.
He read quickly.
Then stopped.
"There are missing pages."
Sky nodded.
"Three."
"Who removed them?"
"I don't know."
Tee walked over.
"Actually..."
He held up another file.
"I might."
Everyone turned.
Tee opened it.
"The report was edited twelve days after the incident."
Sky frowned.
"By whom?"
Tee looked at the signature.
"Niran."
Nani's face went cold.
"So he altered the evidence."
"Looks like it."
Sky stared at the paperwork.
Then quietly said,
"I trusted that report."
Nani looked at him.
"You didn't know."
"I should've checked."
"You were young."
"I was responsible."
His voice hardened.
"And someone used my name to cover their tracks."
Nani stepped closer.
"Sky."
He looked at him.
"Stop blaming yourself for things you didn't know."
Sky gave a bitter laugh.
"You make that sound easy."
"It isn't."
Nani hesitated.
"But you're not Niran."
Sky's eyes softened.
"Say that again."
Nani rolled his eyes.
"Don't ruin it."
A tiny smile appeared on Sky's face.
"There you are."
Nani looked away.
---
Meanwhile...
Niran's phone rang.
He answered.
"Well?"
Adrian's voice came through.
"They found the contract."
Niran's expression darkened.
"And?"
"They know about the age condition."
Niran slammed his glass onto the table.
"Idiot."
"Relax."
Adrian laughed.
"They still don't know the whole story."
Niran went quiet.
"Good."
Adrian continued,
"But Sky is getting closer."
"Then stop him."
"That's harder than it used to be."
Niran's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
Adrian laughed.
"Because he finally has something worth fighting for."
The call ended.
Niran stared at the phone.
Then he whispered,
"Nani."
His expression turned cold.
"You always were the easiest way to make men reckless."
---
Back at the mansion
It was nearly midnight.
Nani sat on the balcony.
Sky walked outside carrying two cups of coffee.
He handed one to Nani.
"Peace offering."
Nani looked at it.
"I don't drink coffee at night."
"I know."
"Then why did you bring it?"
"Because I wanted an excuse to sit here."
Nani looked at him.
"Smooth."
"I'm trying."
Sky sat beside him.
For several moments, they watched the city lights.
Then Nani spoke.
"Are you scared?"
Sky looked at him.
"Of what?"
"Finding out what happened that night."
A long silence.
"Yes."
Nani blinked.
Sky rarely admitted fear.
"I thought I'd seen everything."
He looked at his hands.
"But the idea that I might've unknowingly helped destroy your life..."
His voice dropped.
"That scares the hell out of me."
Nani slowly reached for his hand.
Sky looked down.
Their fingers intertwined.
"You didn't know."
"I should've."
"You can't punish yourself forever."
Sky looked at him.
"Who said I'm punishing myself?"
"Your face."
"My face?"
"It has guilt written all over it."
Sky gave a quiet laugh.
"You're terrible at comforting people."
"I'm excellent."
"You're insulting me."
"Exactly."
Sky smiled.
Then his expression softened.
"Nani."
"Hm?"
"If you discover something terrible about me..."
Nani looked at him.
"Don't disappear."
Sky's voice was quiet.
"Don't decide what I am before asking me."
Nani squeezed his hand.
"Then you do the same."
"I will."
"Promise?"
Sky nodded.
"Promise."
Suddenly-
A phone rang downstairs.
Tee's voice echoed through the mansion.
"Boss!"
Sky stood.
"What?"
Tee appeared at the balcony.
"We found Adrian's car."
Sky's expression sharpened.
"Where?"
Tee looked at Nani.
Then back at Sky.
"Outside the old warehouse."
Silence.
Nani's heart stopped.
"The warehouse?"
Tee nodded.
"And there's something inside."
"What?"
"A camera."
Sky's face hardened.
"Show me."
Tee hesitated.
"It's already playing."
Nani stood.
"Playing what?"
Tee looked at him.
"Footage from October 8th, 2021."
Nani's blood ran cold.
Sky grabbed his coat.
"Nobody watches it alone."
Nani immediately followed.
"Then we're watching it together."
Sky looked at him.
For once, he didn't argue.
"Together."
And somewhere inside the old warehouse...
a forgotten camera continued playing footage that had been buried for five years.