Morning.

Mehra Mansion.

Zoya poori raat so nahi paayi thi.

Uske table par teen cheezein rakhi thi—

The photograph.

The warning.

And Project V-17.

Teenon ne ek hi question chhod diya tha.

Why her?

Zoya ne coffee ka sip liya.

“Okay, Zoya. Think.”

Tabhi door suddenly open hua.

Kiara entered.

“GOOD MORNING!”

Zoya nearly spilled her coffee.

“KIARA!”

Kiara froze.

“Okay... good morning quietly.”

Zoya glared at her.

“Tumhe knock karna nahi aata?”

“Main best friend hoon. Best friends knock nahi karte.”

“Best friends murder bhi nahi karte.”

“Depends on the situation.”

Zoya sighed.

Kiara ne table par photographs dekhi.

Uska expression immediately serious ho gaya.

“So... Arhaan was here last night?”

“Yes.”

“At midnight?”

“Yes.”

“Alone?”

“Yes.”

Kiara slowly smiled.

“Interesting.”

Zoya stared at her.

“Don't.”

“I haven't said anything.”

“Your face said everything.”

Kiara laughed.

“Fine, fine. But admit it, Mr. Khanna is suspiciously handsome.”

“Kiara.”

“Okay! Suspiciously dangerous.”

“Better.”

Before Zoya could say anything else

The doorbell rang.

Kiara looked at Zoya.

“Please don't tell me it's him again.”

Zoya walked downstairs.

And stopped.

Because it was.

Arhaan Khanna.

Black shirt.

Sunglasses.

Same irritatingly calm expression.

Zoya folded her arms.

“Do you have a hobby?”

Arhaan removed his sunglasses.

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Annoying you.”

Kiara, standing behind Zoya, whispered,

“Oh, I like him.”

Zoya turned.

“Traitor.”

Arhaan almost smiled.

Almost.

Then he handed Zoya a phone.

“Your phone.”

Zoya frowned.

“That's not mine.”

“It is.”

She checked.

It was her phone.

Her eyes widened.

“How did you get this?”

“You dropped it last night.”

“I didn't.”

“You did.”

“I would remember.”

Arhaan leaned slightly closer.

“You were busy staring at me.”

Zoya's eyes widened.

“Excuse me?!”

Kiara immediately covered her mouth to hide her laugh.

Arhaan calmly stepped back.

“I said you were distracted.”

Zoya glared.

“You're impossible.”

“I'm aware.”

Suddenly Arhaan's phone rang.

He answered.

“Speak.”

His expression changed.

“What?”

A pause.

“Where?”

Another pause.

“I'm coming.”

He ended the call.

Zoya noticed.

“What happened?”

Arhaan looked at her.

“Someone broke into your father's old office.”

Zoya immediately grabbed her jacket.

“I'm coming.”

“No.”

Zoya stared.

“That's not a request you get to make.”

“It could be dangerous.”

“It's my father's office.”

“I know.”

“Then I'm coming.”

Arhaan sighed.

Kiara raised her hand.

“I'll come too.”

Arhaan looked at her.

“No.”

Kiara pointed at herself.

“Why?”

“Because you talk too much.”

She gasped.

“That's discrimination.”

Zoya almost laughed.

Almost.

Old Mehra Office

Twenty minutes later, the three reached the abandoned office.

The door was already broken.

Inside, papers were scattered everywhere.

Drawers had been opened.

Files destroyed.

Zoya walked toward her father's old desk.

She touched it gently.

For a moment, her expression softened.

Arhaan noticed.

He didn't say anything.

Then Zoya saw something underneath the desk.

A small metal box.

She pulled it out.

Locked.

Arhaan crouched beside her.

“Give it to me.”

“I can open it.”

“I didn't say you couldn't.”

“Then?”

“I said give it to me.”

Zoya smirked.

“Bossy.”

Arhaan looked at her.

“Stubborn.”

“Annoying.”

“Beautiful.”

Silence.

Zoya froze.

Kiara's eyes became HUGE.

Arhaan himself looked slightly surprised.

He cleared his throat.

“I meant... beautifully stubborn.”

Kiara turned away, trying desperately not to laugh.

Zoya's cheeks warmed.

“Just open the box.”

Arhaan smiled faintly.

“Yes, Ms. Mehra.”

The lock clicked.

Inside was a single USB drive.

And a handwritten note.

Zoya picked it up.

The handwriting was unmistakable.

Her father's.

The note contained only one sentence:

“THE PERSON YOU TRUST MOST WILL BETRAY YOU.”

Zoya's face went pale.

Kiara whispered,

“Zoya...”

Arhaan looked at the note.

Then at Zoya.

And for the first time...

he looked genuinely worried.

Because he knew something she didn't.

The person who had access to all of Zoya's private information...wasn't an outsider.

It was someone inside her own house.

Suddenly the office lights went off.

Kiara screamed.

“WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN?!”

Zoya whispered,

“Kiara, quiet.”

A sound came from the corridor.

Footsteps.

Slow.

Getting closer.

Arhaan immediately stepped in front of Zoya.

“Stay behind me.”

Zoya whispered,

“I'm not scared.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you protecting me?”

Arhaan looked back at her.

“Because I don't want anything to happen to you.”

For a second...

everything went silent.

Then—

CRASH!

The corridor window shattered.

A shadow disappeared outside.

Arhaan ran toward the window.

Zoya followed.

But there was no one.

Only a black car speeding away.

Arhaan looked down.

A small object lay near the window.

A silver pendant.

Zoya picked it up.

Her eyes widened.

Because she recognized it.

It belonged to...someone in her family.

And suddenly the warning made sense.

The enemy wasn't outside.

It was already inside.