The night air in Mumbai was unusually heavy, thick with the residue of violence. Abhay Rajpoot stood on the balcony of his penthouse, the city lights flickering below him like distant stars. In his hand, he clenched the bullet with the chilling message carved into its shell:
"WE'RE WATCHING."
His mind was a battlefield—rage, betrayal, and an unfamiliar ache he couldn't ignore. Ruhi. She wasn't just a pawn anymore. She was something else—something he couldn't control, and that made her dangerous.
But first, the Americans needed to pay.
[Scene 1: The Gathering Storm]
Abhay called an emergency meeting at one of his underground safe houses. The room was dimly lit, filled with his most trusted men—Raghav, his right-hand man, and Vikram, the tech genius who managed surveillance operations.
Abhay's voice was cold and sharp. "Find out everything about Project Ghost. Who sent him, how he got here, and who's pulling the strings."
Raghav nodded. "We've traced some of the attackers. They're mercenaries from different countries—paid professionals."
Abhay's eyes darkened. "Americans."
Vikram hesitated before speaking. "There's more. We intercepted a signal from their communication devices. It's encrypted, but there's a name that keeps popping up—'The Ascendant Program.'**"
Abhay clenched his fists. "They're not just observing me. They're planning something bigger."
[Scene 2: The Confrontation with Ruhi]
Later that night, Abhay returned home, his mind clouded with rage and suspicion. Ruhi was waiting, her expression tense.
Without a word, Abhay grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his private room. He slammed the door shut, the echo vibrating through the walls.
"What do you know about 'The Ascendant Program'?" he demanded, his eyes burning into hers.
Ruhi's face paled for a split second, but she quickly masked her fear. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Abhay's grip tightened. "Don't lie to me!"
Ruhi yanked her hand free, her own anger flaring. "I didn't sign up for this either, Abhay! You think I wanted to be a pawn in their game?"
Abhay stepped closer, their faces inches apart. "Then tell me the truth. Why did they send you?"
Ruhi's eyes filled with both defiance and sadness. "Because they're afraid of you. Afraid of what you're becoming. They think you're the key to something bigger—something beyond human."
Her words hung in the air like poison.
Abhay's voice dropped to a whisper, filled with venom. "And what about you, Ruhi? Are you afraid of me?"
Ruhi's answer came not with words but with actions. She reached out, cupping his face, her thumb gently tracing the scar near his jaw.
"No," she whispered. "I'm afraid of how much I care about you."
Before Abhay could react, she pulled him into a kiss—fierce, desperate, and filled with the confusion of love and betrayal.
[Scene 3: Retaliation Begins]
The next day, Abhay was back in control—not of his emotions, but of the war he was about to start.
Using Vikram's intel, he tracked down a hidden American surveillance outpost in Delhi—a covert base disguised as a diplomatic office.
Abhay didn't come with an army. He was the army.
Dressed in black, armed with futuristic weapons from the system shop, and fueled by rage, he infiltrated the facility with surgical precision. No mercy. No survivors.
He left one man alive—just enough to deliver a message.
Abhay grabbed the bleeding agent by the collar, pulling him close. His voice was ice-cold.
"Tell your bosses… I'm done playing defense. You came to my country, targeted me, tried to control me. Now I'm coming for you."
He shoved a small device into the agent's pocket—a tracker. "Run back to them. Let them know the hunter is now the hunted."
[Scene 4: The Aftermath and a Fragile Peace]
Later that night, Abhay returned home, blood splattered on his shirt. Ruhi was waiting, her face a mixture of fear and relief.
He didn't say a word. He just collapsed onto the couch, exhausted—not physically, but emotionally.
Ruhi sat beside him, gently taking his hand.
"You can't fight the whole world alone, Abhay."
Abhay's eyes softened, just for a moment. "I don't need the world. I just need to know who I can trust."
Ruhi squeezed his hand. "Then trust me."
For the first time in days, Abhay allowed himself to close his eyes, not because he felt safe, but because he finally realized—he wasn't alone.
—End of Chapter 29—