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Suddenly, a low grunt from a nearby room made her tense. The semi-dark glow from inside cast moving shadows on the floor.

Oh God. The thief was lifting something heavy.

She positioned herself before the half-open door, gripping the bat tightly.

One.

Two.

Three!

With a kick, she burst into the room, raising the bat mid-air.

“FREEZE, YOU—”

“What the F*ck?!”

The room flooded with light, and Nandini froze in sheer horror.

Standing in the middle of that room was definitely not a burglar.

It was Shaurya Ahuja.

Shirtless. Only in his joggers.

His sculpted abs glistened under the dim lights, his arms flexed from where he had been mid-pushup, and his skin glistening with a sheen of sweat.

Heat crept up her neck. Good Lord!

His furious glare flicked from the bat in her hands to her stunned, guilty expression.

“You? What the hell are you doing in my house? With that?” he barked, gesturing to the bat.

Nandini lowered it instantly, her tongue refusing to work.

“I…” She swallowed hard. “I thought… you were a thief.”

Shaurya ran a hand through his hair, visibly trying to control his temper. “A thief? In my own damn house?”

She nodded frantically, stepping back. “I’d seen you driving out a few hours ago. And then, I saw a shadow entering your house, that too from the back door. So obviously, I thought—”

“You thought it was a thief? Seriously?” he snapped.

“How would I know it was you? Your whole house was plunged into darkness. Even your car wasn’t parked outside. I thought you were still out.”

“My car is at the service centre. I took a cab home.”

“How was I supposed to know that?” She huffed, trying to regain some dignity. “But why did you enter through the backdoor?”

“Because my main door keys are in my car!” His hands clenched into tight fists. “And so what? It’s my house. I can enter from wherever I damn well please!”

“Fine. But you didn’t even turn on the lights after getting in. Who does that?!”

“I like working out in dim lighting. Gosh,” he shook his head in exasperation. “I can’t believe you broke into my house in the middle of the night?”

Her jaw dropped. “And I can’t believe you do push-ups in near darkness. I mean… seriously?”

Shaurya took a step forward. She instinctively stepped back.