Chapter 23 - The Spy Inside the Oberoi Empire
"How the hell did he get access to my house security footage?"
The sharp edge in Arjun's voice sliced through the balcony like thunder.
Aadhira felt her heartbeat stumble instantly.
The man on the other side of the call kept speaking rapidly, but she couldn't hear clearly over the rain crashing around them. All she could focus on was Arjun's face slowly hardening into something terrifying.
Cold.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
The version of him the business world feared.
His jaw locked tightly as he listened.
Then suddenly-
his eyes narrowed.
"Naina had access to those files?" he asked quietly.
Silence.
Aadhira's stomach dropped.
Arjun looked away toward the storm-covered skyline, one hand sliding into his pocket while tension rolled visibly through his broad shoulders.
"When?" he asked.
Another pause.
Then his expression darkened completely.
"Don't move anyone yet," he ordered sharply. "I want confirmation before this turns ugly."
The call ended.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Rainwater dripped slowly from Arjun's hair onto the marble floor while the city lights flickered behind him like distant fire.
Aadhira swallowed nervously.
"Arjun..."
He stayed silent.
Which scared her more than anger ever could.
Slowly, he looked at her.
And the exhaustion in his eyes nearly hurt to witness.
"I need you to answer something honestly."
Her chest tightened immediately.
"What happened?"
Arjun stepped closer slowly.
Too calm.
That dangerous calm again.
"You remember the charity gala last month?"
Aadhira frowned slightly before nodding.
"The one where Vikram Sethi unexpectedly showed up."
Her pulse slowed.
"Yes."
Arjun watched her carefully.
"Did Naina leave you alone at any point that night?"
The question felt strange.
But then memories returned slowly.
The ballroom.
The politicians.
The security guards.
Naina disappearing twice during the event.
Aadhira's heartbeat became uneven.
"She... she took a phone call outside once."
Arjun's jaw tightened.
"How long?"
"I don't know. Maybe ten minutes?"
He cursed softly under his breath.
Aadhira felt fear rise immediately.
"Arjun, what's going on?"
His eyes lifted back to hers.
And suddenly-
for the first time that night-
she saw genuine disappointment there.
Not because of her.
Because of someone he trusted.
"We found unauthorized access logs connected to internal Oberoi security feeds."
Aadhira froze.
Arjun continued quietly.
"The credentials used belonged to Naina."
The words crashed into the room.
"No..." Aadhira whispered instantly. "That's impossible."
"I want to believe that too."
But his expression said otherwise.
Arjun dragged a frustrated hand through his wet hair before pacing away slightly.
"Those files included security routes, schedules, camera blind spots..." his voice roughened dangerously, "...your movements."
Fear curled painfully in Aadhira's stomach.
"You think she's working for Vikram?"
"I think someone inside my company helped him."
The way he said someone instead of Naina revealed everything.
He didn't want it to be true.
Aadhira looked at him carefully now.
Beyond the anger-
he looked betrayed.
Because Arjun trusted very few people.
And Naina had been one of them.
A soft bitter laugh escaped him suddenly.
"Unbelievable."
Aadhira stepped closer cautiously. "Maybe someone stole her credentials."
"Maybe."
But he didn't sound convinced.
Lightning flashed across the balcony, illuminating the darkness on his face for one sharp second.
Then quietly-
"Or maybe I've been letting a spy stand beside my family for months."
The thought visibly disgusted him.
Aadhira's voice softened instinctively.
"You don't know that yet."
Arjun looked at her immediately.
And God-
even now, with betrayal and danger surrounding him, his expression softened slightly only because she sounded worried about him.
"You still see good in people," he murmured tiredly.
"No," she whispered. "I just see what this is doing to you."
Something vulnerable flickered across his face again.
Gone too fast.
Then suddenly his phone buzzed once more.
Arjun answered instantly.
"Talk."
This time the voice on the other end sounded panicked.
Fast.
Urgent.
Aadhira watched Arjun's expression shift in real time.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
Then fury.
"What do you mean she's missing?" he said dangerously softly.
Aadhira's breath caught.
Arjun turned toward the rain-dark balcony slowly, every muscle in his body tense now.
"When was the last time anyone saw her?"
A pause.
Then-
"Check her apartment. Check the office. Check everywhere."
His voice lowered into something lethal.
"And don't let the media hear a single word."
The call disconnected.
Aadhira stared at him anxiously.
"Arjun..."
He looked back at her.
Completely unreadable now.
"Naina disappeared forty minutes ago."
The storm outside seemed to grow louder instantly.
Aadhira felt cold.
"Do you think Vikram took her?"
Arjun stayed silent for too long.
Then finally-
"No."
That answer surprised her.
But the next words terrified her completely.
"I think she went to him herself."
Aadhira stared at him in disbelief.
"No."
The word escaped her instantly.
Arjun's eyes remained fixed on the rain beyond the balcony, expression carved from stone.
"You don't know that."
"I know betrayal when I see it."
His voice carried something darker than anger now.
Disappointment.
Aadhira stepped closer slowly. "Arjun, Naina has worked with you for years."
"Exactly."
The sharpness in his tone made her flinch slightly.
Arjun noticed immediately.
And immediately regretted it.
His jaw tightened before he exhaled slowly, forcing himself calmer.
"I'm not angry at you," he murmured.
"I know."
But the atmosphere still felt dangerously tense.
Arjun dragged a hand across his face tiredly before speaking again.
"Naina handled internal schedules, political meetings, security coordination..." He laughed bitterly under his breath. "Half my empire passed through her hands."
The realization visibly disgusted him.
Aadhira watched him carefully.
For the first time since she had known him—
Arjun looked blindsided.
Not weak.
Never weak.
But wounded in a way powerful men rarely admitted.
Because betrayal always hit harder when it came from someone trusted.
Aadhira spoke softly. "Maybe she was forced."
Arjun looked at her then.
Long.
Intense.
And strangely sad.
"You still want to believe people can be saved."
Something about the way he said it made her chest ache.
As if he was talking about himself too.
Before she could answer, Arjun's phone buzzed again.
This time—
his expression darkened instantly after reading the message.
Aadhira felt fear rise again.
"What happened now?"
He turned the screen toward her.
A blurry CCTV image filled the display.
Naina.
Entering a private underground parking garage.
Timestamp: twenty minutes ago.
Not kidnapped.
Walking willingly.
Aadhira's stomach dropped.
Below the image was one line from Arjun's head of security:
Vehicle traced to Sethi Group Holdings.
Silence swallowed the balcony.
Arjun locked the phone slowly.
Every movement suddenly too controlled.
Too calm.
The dangerous kind of calm.
Aadhira whispered weakly, "Maybe she went there to explain—"
"To explain what?" he interrupted coldly.
"Why my wife's security routes ended up in Vikram's hands?"
The brutal reality hit hard.
Arjun stepped away from her suddenly, pacing once across the balcony like he was trying to contain something violent inside himself.
Rain sprayed lightly through the open side of the balcony now, dampening the marble floor beneath his shoes.
Then quietly—
"Do you know what the worst part is?"
Aadhira stayed silent.
His eyes lifted toward her slowly.
"I trusted her near you."
The rawness in his voice nearly broke her heart.
Arjun rarely trusted anyone near what he loved.
And now that trust had become a weapon against him.
Against her.
Aadhira moved toward him carefully.
"Arjun..."
He looked exhausted suddenly.
Not physically.
Soul-deep exhausted.
Like years of pressure were finally cracking through his control.
Then he said something that made her chest tighten painfully.
"I can't lose you because I made the wrong person important."
The vulnerability beneath those words shattered her defenses completely.
Without thinking, she reached for his hand.
Arjun immediately turned toward her fully the second her fingers touched his.
Like his entire body recognized her before his mind could.
Aadhira held his hand tighter.
"This isn't your fault."
A dark humorless smile touched his lips.
"Everything involving you becomes my fault."
Her brows frowned instantly. "That's not true."
"It is when your life is attached to mine."
The storm flashed violently behind him, shadows moving across his face.
Dangerous.
Beautiful.
Broken.
Aadhira stepped closer until almost no distance remained between them.
"You know what your problem is?" she whispered softly.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You think loving someone means carrying every disaster alone."
Something flickered across his expression.
Pain maybe.
Or recognition.
Her fingers tightened around his hand.
"But marriage doesn't work like that, Arjun."
For a moment he simply stared at her.
Then suddenly—
his free hand gripped her waist firmly and pulled her against him without warning.
A soft gasp escaped her lips.
"You keep saying things like that," he murmured darkly near her mouth, "and you're going to make it impossible for me to let you out of my sight again."
Despite everything—
despite the fear, betrayal, danger—
warmth spread through her chest instantly.
Because he meant it.
Every possessive word.
Every desperate touch.
Arjun lowered his forehead against hers, eyes closing briefly.
"You should hate me for dragging you into this world."
Aadhira's voice came out barely above a whisper.
"Maybe I would..."
His eyes opened immediately.
Then softly—
"...if you didn't love me this much."
Something inside him broke after that.
She saw it happen.
The control.
The walls.
The ruthless composure.
Gone for one dangerous second.
Arjun kissed her again instantly.
Harder this time.
Needier.
Like he was trying to silence every fear inside himself through her mouth.
Aadhira melted against him immediately, fingers gripping his soaked shirt as his hand tightened possessively at her waist.
The kiss turned devastating fast.
Emotional.
Messy.
Desperate enough to hurt.
Arjun pulled back suddenly, breathing rough, forehead still pressed to hers.
Then his phone rang again.
This time—
he almost ignored it.
Almost.
Until he saw the caller ID.
His expression darkened instantly.
"Who is it?" Aadhira whispered.
Arjun answered without looking away from her.
"Speak."
A male voice echoed faintly through the speaker.
Then Arjun went completely still.
Deadly still.
Aadhira's heartbeat slowed.
Finally, Arjun spoke one terrifying sentence.
"Why is Vikram Sethi sitting inside my mother's private guest house?"