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I have to face Vishnu and stop this game we’re playing before it drives us both mad. I need to act. I have to do something.

Suddenly, the lights flicker once, twice, and then the room is plunged into darkness. I freeze, my heart thumping in my chest. What the...?

I look around in panic and suddenly it hits me. This is it. My moment. My chance.

The lights are out, and the CCTV cameras will be down. I remember the building’s security backup—the power returns in three seconds, but the cameras? They’ll take at least a minute to reboot and start recording again. It is the perfect chance. I can slip out, unseen and unnoticed.

I’m not sure if it’s fate or just a stroke of luck, but I’m not going to waste this opportunity. I can’t. This might be my only shot to get away from Abhay’s ever-watchful eyes and finally confront Vishnu face-to-face.

I take a deep breath, the plan forming rapidly in my mind. It’s risky, maybe even reckless, but I don’t care anymore. I need to see him. I need to stop this before it drives us crazy.

I wipe my face with a tissue, adrenaline already rushing through my veins.

Now.

I step out of the washroom, moving cautiously. Abhay, who is still near the boutique entrance, is momentarily distracted, as if he, too, is unsettled by the power outage. His attention shifts to his men just for a moment, and that’s all I need. I see my chance. He’s not looking in my direction.

Without hesitation, I slip behind a nearby pillar that divides the restrooms from the boutique’s reception area, holding my breath. My heart is pounding so loudly that I fear someone might hear it.Stay calm, Simran. I silently will myself to be still. Abhay glances back towards the washroom, checking, but I’m safely hidden. As soon as his gaze shifts elsewhere, I act.

I make my move, quickly and quietly, slipping through the side door of the boutique. The guards at the entrance are still caught up in conversation, distracted by the power cut. No one notices me.

Perfect.

I can’t believe it worked. The cameras are still rebooting, and I’m outside. Free. There’s no turning back now.

The cool air hits me as I step into the corridor, refreshed, filling my lungs with much-needed resolve. I quickly make my way through the back of the building, avoiding the usual exits where Abhay’s men might still be stationed.

This is it. This is my only chance to confront Vishnu, and I’m going to take it. There’s no turning back now. I need to see him. I know he will be with Veer at this hour, not knowing I am coming for him. I also know he’ll be furious that I’ve ambushed him like this. But then again, what choice has he left me?

CHAPTER 11

VISHNU

I return to the apartment after leaving Veer in Claire’s care for his afternoon nap. The moment I step in, I feel it. Something is off. I can’t explain it, but it’s like a knot in my chest that just won’t loosen. As I cross the room, one of my men monitoring the CCTV footage of Simran’s boutique looks up and calls out, “Boss, there was a power outage at the boutique.”

I freeze mid-step. “What? How long was it out?”

“Only three seconds before the backup kicked in,” he says, turning the laptop towards me. “But the cameras… they’re still rebooting.”

An uneasy sense of dread churns within me. I don’t like this. Something about it feels wrong. I grab my phone, my fingers already hovering over Abhay’s contact to check on Simran, when it starts ringing in my hand.

It’s Abhay.

Before I can say a word, his panicked voice cuts through the line.

“Vishnu, Simran’s not in the boutique.”

It feels like the ground beneath has been ripped out. I grip the phone tighter, my heart thundering in my chest.

“What do you mean she’s not there?”

“She went to the washroom right before the power outage, but it’s been ten minutes, and she still hasn’t come back. I checked. She’s not there, Vishnu. She’s gone.”

“What the hell, Abhay!” I roar, pacing the room as rage and panic twist together inside me. “How did you lose her?”

“The cameras were down during the reboot,” Abhay says, his voice strained. “We don’t know where she went. I’m looking into the building’s footage now, and my men are already searching for her.”

“Sir!” One of my men, monitoring the building’s footage here, suddenly shouts. “There she is!”