The atmosphere of fear grew even deeper.
It felt as if Pakhi's heart would leap out of her chest.
In her ears, there was nothing but screams and the echoing boom of the gun.
The man laughed like a maniac.
"See?"
"I'm not joking."
He pressed the gun against Pakhi's forehead once again—even harder this time.
Pakhi's breath hitched.
The man's voice was now even more terrifying.
"Now… it's this girl's turn."
For the first time, the lady officer flinched for a split second.
But she quickly composed herself.
"Stop!"
"This is going too far."
The man spoke through gritted teeth.
"Officer…"
"Now it's your choice."
His finger tightened further on the trigger.
"You want this girl dead…"
He paused for a moment, staring directly into Pakhi's eyes.
"…or do you want to let me walk away?"
Silence swallowed the entire lobby.
Every breath stood still.
Tears continued to flow from Pakhi's eyes, but her gaze did not drop.
She was looking at the lady officer—with a flicker of hope.
The exit door was now only a few steps away.
Outside, a taxi stood waiting—engine running, driver's seat empty.
Seeing this, the lady officer's eyes widened for a moment.
She understood—this was his escape plan.
Backing away slowly, the man suddenly stopped.
A crazed smile spread across his face.
"Looks like I'm done here."
And before anyone could realize what was happening—
He shoved Pakhi toward the lady officer with all his might.
Pakhi stumbled.
The lady officer immediately rushed forward and caught her.
"Get her back!" the officer screamed.
But by then—
In one leap, the man had reached the driver's seat of the taxi.
VROOM!
The roar of the engine echoed through the lobby.
"STOP!"
"POLICE!"
The other police officers sprang into action instantly.
BANG! BANG! BANG! A barrage of bullets hit the taxi.
Within seconds, the tires were blown out.
The taxi began to swerve.
But the man was not going to stop.
He leaned his gun out of the window and fired backward without even looking.
BANG! The moment the shot rang out, the lady officer didn't waste a second.
She pushed Pakhi away with all her strength.
"MOVE!"
Her voice turned into a piercing shriek.
Pakhi couldn't even regain her balance—
The next moment, she was sent staggering backward until she crashed into the hotel's iron pillar.
THUD! The impact was so violent that darkness clouded her vision.
The bag slipped from her hand.
Her body slowly collapsed onto the floor.
Pakhi had lost consciousness.
The Next Evening,
Far away from the city, a massive mansion stood—
So grand that it looked like an ancient royal estate.
High walls, barbed wire on all sides, and armed guards in black uniforms stationed at every corner.
In their hands were bulletproof guns; in their eyes was the strict training of unquestioning obedience.
This was no ordinary place—
Here, even a breath was taken only with permission.
Within minutes—
The deep hum of engines began to dissolve into the air.
And then—
The massive iron gates of the mansion opened automatically.
CLANG—CLANG. Three to four luxury cars entered—
Shades of black and grey, shimmering, without number plates.
The guards went on high alert instantly.
Some gave hand signals; others took positions around the perimeter.
The cars came to a halt in the open courtyard inside.
The door of the lead car opened.
First, black boots touched the ground.
Then—
A man stepped out slowly.
An expensive suit, a tall stature, and in his stride, there was no arrogance—only authority.
The guards bowed their heads in unison.
"Good evening, sir."
The man walked straight toward the mansion without stopping.
Behind him, other people stepped out of the remaining cars—
All serious, all silent.
Inside the mansion was a vast hall.
High ceilings, light dripping from chandeliers, and old family portraits on the walls.
The man stopped in the center of the hall.
And suddenly, he shouted with all his might—
"SHONA…!"
His voice thundered through the entire mansion.
Every wall, every corner seemed to hurl the name back.
His eyes scanned the surroundings—
Searching for someone.
He stood there for a few seconds.
But the person he was waiting for did not appear.
His jaw tightened.
The next moment, he strode toward the stairs.
"SHONA…!"
His voice was even harsher now.
He stopped in front of his bedroom upstairs.
The door was open.
He went inside—
The room was empty.
The bed looked untouched.
The wardrobe hadn't been opened.
There wasn't a single trace of anyone's presence in the room.
For a moment, disbelief flickered on his face.
Then he pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number.
Switched off. He tried again.
Switched off. Staring at the screen, his eyes grew darker and deeper.
"Impossible…" he muttered through clenched teeth.
Without wasting a moment, he returned to the hall below.
Now, his expression had changed completely—
Not calm, but lethal.
He operated his phone again.
And just then—
A woman appeared, rushing toward him.
It was Miss Mary, the old house servant.
Seeing her, the man asked in a cold but heavy voice—
"Miss Mary…"
"Where is Shona?"
Miss Mary froze for a second.
The panic in her eyes was obvious.
She lowered her gaze.
An abrupt silence filled the hall.
Miss Mary didn't say a word.
Her silence made the air in the hall feel even heavier.
Suddenly—
The man roared.
Hearing the echo of his voice, Miss Mary trembled.
Her hands automatically tightened around a photograph she was clutching to her chest—
But in that jolt, the photo slipped from her hands and fell to the floor.
THUD. The photo flipped over, revealing itself to everyone—
It was a picture of Shona.
Miss Mary seemed to break.
She burst into tears right there.
Just then, another man arrived with quick steps.
His voice rang through the hall—
"Aman…"
"Where is Soniya?"
Aman stopped right there.
He lowered his head.
He didn't speak a single word.
His silence was like a confession.
Seeing all this, the first man became even more agitated.
His breathing grew heavy.
The very next moment,
he pulled a gun from behind his back
and aimed it directly at Aman's head.
He roared—
"Tell me…"
"Where is Soniya?"
Aman broke down.
His eyes filled with tears.
In a trembling voice, he whispered—
"Sir…"
"Madam…"
"…has already left this world."
The moment those words were spoken—
The air in the hall seemed to stand still.
The man stood perfectly motionless for several seconds.
His finger was still steady on the trigger.
But his eyes widened for a split second—
as if his mind was refusing to accept the truth.
"You're lying…"
His voice was hushed, but lethal.
The next instant—
THUD! With all his might, he landed a punch squarely on Aman's face.
Aman stumbled backward.
His lip split open, and a thin stream of blood trickled down to his chin.
But—
He didn't make a sound.
No explanation, no scream.
He simply stood there—
with his head bowed in silence.
Suddenly, another voice echoed through the hall—
"That is the truth, Akash…"