Chapter 18: Not so Wise Decision

The sun hung lazily in the sky, casting an unforgiving heat over the city as Siara Rajawat drove through the quieter lanes, her fingers drumming against the steering wheel. Afternoon traffic was thin in this part of town, and the air conditioning in her car barely kept up with the warmth seeping through the windows. But none of that mattered. Not when her mind was occupied with only one thing.

She had an address.

She should’ve brought backup, logically speaking. But she wasn’t exactly logical when she was pissed

And she was going to get answers.

Her sources had come through quickly, tracking down the waiter who had slipped something into her drink last night. It should have taken longer—bribes, threats, and negotiations usually did—but the moment her men knew she was personally involved, they had worked like their lives depended on it. Which, if she were being honest, wasn't an exaggeration.

Still, as much as she appreciated efficiency, a small voice in her head nagged at her. Maybe she should have waited for her guards. Maybe she should have called someone—anyone—before charging into unknown territory alone.

"Kya zaroorat thi tujhe bina guards ke aane ki? Koi award milne wala tha kya?" she muttered, rolling her eyes at herself. (Why exactly did you come here alone? Were you expecting an award or something?)

But it was too late for regrets.

She slowed down as the address came into view. The house wasn’t exactly a house—it was more of a worn-down structure, tucked between two abandoned buildings like a secret nobody wanted to acknowledge. The walls were stained with time, the metal gate rusted at the hinges. A single bulb flickered outside, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

She exhaled sharply.

"Yeh toh kisi horror movie ka scene lag raha hai." (This looks like a horror movie scene.)

Shaking her head, she pulled over a few meters away and turned off the engine. Instinct told her to approach cautiously, and instinct was rarely wrong. Her sharp eyes scanned the area, taking in the details. It looked deserted at first glance, but something felt off.

And then she saw them.

Men.

Not just any men—guards.

Six of them, dressed in black, standing at different spots around the house, their postures stiff and alert. Their eyes moved over the surroundings in trained patterns, missing nothing.

Her stomach clenched. This wasn’t normal.

Why would a low-level waiter—someone who had been bribed to inject a drug—be under such high security? Unless… he wasn’t being protected.

He was being contained.

Her fingers tightened around the door handle. This just got a hell of a lot more dangerous.

The front entrance was out of the question. She wasn’t stupid enough to take on six armed men head-on, no matter how confident she was in her abilities. She could handle three, maybe four at a time. But this? That too armed?

She needed a different approach.

Taking a deep breath, she slipped out of the car as quietly as possible, keeping low as she moved toward the side of the house. Years of training kicked in, her steps light, movements controlled. She wasn’t a fool; she knew when to fight and when to be invisible.

The back entrance was her best bet.

She pressed herself against the cool brick wall, peeking through a slightly open window. Her heart was steady, her breathing even. But what she saw inside made her blood run cold.

A dim bulb swung lazily from the ceiling, casting flickering shadows over the room. The air was thick with tension, and in the middle of it all stood a man.

His face was hidden by the poor lighting, but his presence alone was unnerving. He was tall, broad-shouldered, standing with a confidence that sent warning signals through every nerve in her body.

And in front of him, tied to a chair, was the waiter.

Siara inhaled sharply.

The man was toying with a knife, flipping it effortlessly between his fingers, his movements slow and deliberate.

“I’ll ask you one last time,” he said, his voice smooth, almost bored.

The waiter whimpered, his head barely lifting. His face was swollen, blood smeared across his cheek, his body trembling.

“I—I don’t know… I was just paid… I don’t know who they were…”

A sigh.

Disappointment.

And then—

A gunshot.

Siara’s breath caught in her throat as the sound echoed through the air. The waiter’s body jerked before slumping forward, lifeless. Blood pooled beneath the chair, dark and unforgiving.

She slapped a hand over her mouth, willing herself to stay silent.

Her heart pounded so hard she swore it would give her away.

Who the hell was this man?

She had expected to find a scared, desperate waiter. Maybe rough him up a little, scare him into talking.

She had not expected to stumble upon a murder.

Her fingers trembled against the wall as she forced herself to stay put. Leaving now would be risky. But before she could make a decision, something made her entire body go rigid.

The man turned slightly.

Not fully.

Just enough.

And even though she still couldn’t see his face, she knew.

He knew she was there.

Her lungs froze.

It wasn’t something she could explain—it was just a feeling. A shift in the air. A weight in his posture. The way his head tilted slightly, like he was amused.

A smirk.

She couldn’t see it.

But she felt it.

Cold. Calculated. Aware.

RUN.

Her body reacted before her mind could process it.

She turned sharply, her sneakers barely making a sound as she bolted toward her car. Every instinct screamed at her to move faster, to not look back.

She didn't check if he was following her.

She didn’t want to know.

Her pulse thundered in her ears as she reached the car, yanking the door open and sliding in, her hands gripping the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white.

The engine roared to life, and without a second thought, she sped away, gravel kicking up behind her.

She didn’t breathe until she was halfway across the city, the adrenaline still burning through her veins.

What the hell had she just walked into?

This wasn’t just about a spiked drink anymore.

This was something bigger.

Darker.

And for the first time in a long time, Siara Rajawat didn’t know if she had just made the worst mistake of her life.