The silence in the safe house was louder than any gunshot.
Meera Verma stood still near the stairs, her heartbeat uneven.
Kabir Rajvansh wasn't where he should have been.
That alone was enough to make her uneasy.
A few minutes ago, he had left with his men.
Only for "ten minutes," he said.
Only to "confirm the perimeter," he said.
But in Kabir's world… ten minutes could mean everything.
Meera walked slowly toward the window.
Outside, guards stood at a distance.
Too far to feel protective.
Too calm to feel safe.
Something felt wrong.
Then she heard it.
A faint sound from upstairs.
A door.
Opening.
Meera froze.
"…Kabir?" she called softly.
No answer.
Her fingers tightened around the railing as she climbed the stairs.
Step by step.
Slower.
Quieter.
The upper hallway was dark.
Too dark.
The kind of darkness that didn't belong in a "safe house."
And then—
A shadow moved.
Meera's breath stopped.
A man stepped out.
Not Kabir.
Not his men.
Someone else.
He looked at her like he had been waiting.
"Meera Verma," he said slowly.
Her name again.
But this time… it wasn't fear.
It was confirmation.
She stepped back instantly.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled slightly.
"Someone your protector forgot to protect you from."
Her heart dropped.
"No… Kabir would never—"
The man interrupted.
"Oh, he knows."
A pause.
"But he's too busy surviving outside to save you right now."
Meera's eyes widened.
That sentence hit harder than any threat.
Because it meant—
Kabir wasn't here.
And the safe house wasn't safe.
Downstairs, suddenly—
A loud crash echoed.
Gunfire outside.
Chaos returning.
Kabir was under attack.
Meera's breath trembled.
She turned toward the stairs.
"Leave me alone!" she shouted.
But the man only stepped closer.
Slow.
Controlled.
Confident.
"You don't understand," he said.
"This isn't about killing you."
A pause.
"It's about breaking him."
Meera's voice shook.
"Why me?"
The man tilted his head.
"Because you are the only thing he refuses to lose."
Her stomach tightened.
Everything suddenly made sense… and nothing did.
Downstairs, the gunfire intensified.
Kabir was fighting somewhere outside.
And she was here.
Trapped.
The man took another step.
Meera backed up until her back hit the wall.
Her hands shook.
But her eyes didn't drop.
"Don't come closer," she whispered.
The man smiled.
"You think he will reach you in time?"
A pause.
"Let's see how strong his love really is."
And at that exact moment—
A loud explosion shook the building.
The lights flickered.
The safe house… no longer felt like a house.
It felt like a trap.
Far outside…
Kabir Rajvansh's eyes darkened completely as he saw the smoke rise.
His voice dropped dangerously low.
"…They're inside."
And for the first time…
his calm broke.
Not as a mafia boss.
But as a man who realized the one thing he tried to protect…
was already in enemy hands.
To be continued… 💔