The next morning, Aaradhya Sharma arrived at Rajvansh Group at 8:43 AM.

Ten minutes earlier than usual.

Not because Rudra had asked her to.

Because after yesterday's threat, she had barely slept.

STOP DIGGING OR REGRET IT.

The words had followed her home.

They had followed her into the bus.

Into the narrow lane outside her house.

Into the bedroom where Kunal slept as if nothing in the world could ever touch him.

Aaradhya had spent half the night staring at the ceiling, wondering who had left the note.

And why.

She entered the executive floor quietly.

Arjun stood near the security desk.

His eyes immediately moved toward her.

“You're early.”

Aaradhya gave a small nod.

“I couldn't sleep.”

Arjun studied her face for a second.

“You should be careful.”

She looked at him.

“About what?”

“Everything.”

Before she could ask more, the elevator doors opened.

Rudra stepped out.

Black suit.

Black shirt.

Cold expression.

His gaze landed on Aaradhya.

Then on Arjun.

Then back to her.

“You're early.”

“Good morning, sir.”

“That wasn't an answer.”

“I came early because I had work.”

Rudra's jaw tightened.

“You had work yesterday too.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you still finished your shift at seven.”

Aaradhya hesitated.

“Yes.”

Something in his eyes changed.

Not anger.

Something harder to identify.

“You're not staying late today.”

She blinked.

“Sir?”

“You heard me.”

“But the acquisition report—”

“Can be finished tomorrow.”

“But the client—”

“I said you're leaving at seven.”

His tone ended the discussion.

Aaradhya lowered her eyes.

“Yes, sir.”

Rudra walked past her.

Then stopped.

“Have you eaten?”

She froze.

“No.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Why?”

“I wasn't hungry.”

“That's a lie.”

Aaradhya looked at him.

He looked directly into her eyes.

“Eat breakfast.”

“I'll eat later.”

“Now.”

“Sir, I have—”

“That's an order.”

She swallowed.

“Yes, sir.”

Rudra walked into his office.

Aaradhya stared after him.

She didn't understand him anymore.

Yesterday, he had been the man who wanted her gone.

Today, he was ordering her to eat.

She didn't know which version frightened her more.

At 9:15 AM, the executive floor became a battlefield.

The acquisition negotiations had suddenly changed.

The company Rajvansh Group was attempting to acquire had demanded a higher valuation and threatened to walk away.

Rudra called an emergency meeting.

Board members.

Legal advisors.

Finance heads.

Senior executives.

And Aaradhya.

She sat quietly at the far end of the table with her notebook open.

Rudra stood at the head.

“We have three hours.”

The room went silent.

“Either we close this deal today,” he continued, “or we walk away.”

One executive cleared his throat.

“Sir, their revised valuation is unreasonable.”

“Then make them reasonable.”

“Sir, they've already rejected—”

“I didn't ask what they rejected.”

Rudra's voice was calm.

That was what made it dangerous.

“I asked what you are going to do about it.”

Nobody answered.

Aaradhya kept writing.

Numbers.

Terms.

Percentages.

Liabilities.

Then her pen stopped.

She looked at one page.

Read it again.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Sir?”

Every head turned toward her.

Rudra looked at her.

“Yes?”

She hesitated.

“The liability clause.”

The legal head frowned.

“What about it?”

Aaradhya pushed the document forward.

“This clause says the acquired company retains responsibility for all pending environmental penalties.”

“Yes.”

“But the appendix says those penalties transfer to the buyer after acquisition.”

Silence.

The legal head grabbed the document.

His expression changed.

“That can't be—”

“It is.”

Aaradhya pointed to the paragraph.

“Page forty-seven. Clause 8.3.”

Rudra walked around the table.

He took the document.

Read it.

His face became colder.

“How much?”

The finance director calculated quickly.

“Approximately eighty-seven crores.”

The room erupted.

One mistake.

Eighty-seven crores.

Rudra's eyes lifted.

“Who approved this?”

Nobody spoke.

He looked around the table.

“I asked a simple question.”

Still silence.

Then Rudra looked at Aaradhya.

“How did you find it?”

She shrugged slightly.

“I read the appendix.”

Something almost like admiration flickered in his eyes.

Almost.

Then disappeared.

“Good.”

One word.

But Aaradhya felt it.

Coming from Rudra Rajvansh, it was practically praise.

The meeting continued.

And this time, nobody interrupted Aaradhya when she spoke.

At 12:38 PM, Aaradhya finally returned to her desk.

Her head was pounding.

She reached into her handbag.

Her fingers touched the small strip of painkillers.

She pulled it out.

One tablet.

She stared at it.

Then swallowed it with water.

“Don't.”

She nearly dropped the bottle.

Rudra stood behind her.

Aaradhya turned.

“Sir.”

His gaze fell on the medicine.

“What is that?”

“Nothing.”

“You just took something.”

“It's a painkiller.”

“Why?”

“I have a headache.”

Rudra's eyes remained on her.

“You have headaches every day?”

“No.”

“Then why do you carry painkillers?”

“I get headaches sometimes.”

He didn't believe her.

She knew it.

But he didn't push.

Not yet.

Instead, he took the strip from her hand.

Aaradhya stared at him.

“Sir?”

He read the label.

Then looked at her.

“How many have you taken today?”

“One.”

“Today?”

“Yes.”

“And yesterday?”

She looked away.

Rudra's expression hardened.

“Aaradhya.”

“One.”

His eyes narrowed.

He placed the strip on her desk.

“Eat.”

“I will.”

“Now.”

She obeyed.

Again.

Rudra watched until she opened the lunch box.

Only then did he leave.

But he carried the question with him.

Why did she need painkillers so often?

At 3:20 PM, Arjun entered Rudra's office.

“We found something.”

Rudra looked up from his laptop.

“What?”

“The temporary access card.”

“Go on.”

“It wasn't randomly created.”

Rudra leaned back.

“Whose authorization?”

“Someone inside the company requested it.”

“Name?”

Arjun placed a file on the desk.

“Riya Sethi.”

Rudra's eyes hardened.

“Her?”

“Yes. But there's a problem.”

“What?”

“She denies requesting it.”

Rudra opened the file.

Riya had been working in the company for two years.

Clean record.

No disciplinary actions.

No suspicious financial activity.

Nothing.

“Could she be lying?”

“Possibly.”

“Could someone have used her credentials?”

“More likely.”

Rudra closed the file.

“Find out who.”

Arjun nodded.

Then paused.

“There is something else.”

“What?”

“The temporary card was created the same evening the stolen acquisition file was accessed.”

Rudra's fingers tightened around the pen.

“And?”

“The card gave access to the executive floor.”

A dangerous silence filled the room.

“Who was working beside Aaradhya that evening?”

Arjun hesitated.

“Several people.”

“Then check all of them.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And Arjun?”

“Yes?”

Rudra's voice dropped.

“Don't tell Aaradhya yet.”

Arjun looked surprised.

“Why?”

“Because whoever is doing this wants her frightened.”

He looked toward the glass wall.

Aaradhya was sitting at her desk.

Working.

Quietly.

Alone.

Rudra's jaw tightened.

“I won't give them that satisfaction.”

At 6:52 PM, Aaradhya shut down her computer.

She looked toward Rudra's office.

He was still working.

She quietly packed her things.

At exactly 7:00 PM, she stood.

Rudra looked up.

“You're leaving.”

“Yes, sir.”

He glanced at the clock.

7:00.

Exactly.

“Arjun will walk you downstairs.”

Aaradhya frowned.

“Sir, that's not necessary.”

“It wasn't a request.”

She sighed.

“Yes, sir.”

They walked toward the elevator.

For some reason, Rudra followed.

Aaradhya looked at him.

“You're coming too?”

“I happen to be going downstairs.”

She didn't believe him.

Neither did Arjun.

The elevator doors opened.

The three stepped inside.

Silence.

Then Aaradhya's phone rang.

Her face changed instantly.

The name on the screen was enough.

Kunal.

Her fingers trembled.

She declined the call.

It rang again.

Declined.

Again.

Her breathing became uneven.

Rudra noticed.

“Answer it.”

“I can't.”

“Why?”

“I'll call later.”

The phone rang again.

Rudra's eyes remained on her.

“Who is it?”

“My husband.”

The elevator suddenly felt smaller.

Aaradhya looked down.

Rudra said nothing.

But he remembered.

One month married.

Husband unemployed.

She needed the job.

And now she looked terrified simply because he was calling.

The elevator reached the lobby.

Aaradhya stepped out quickly.

“I'll take an auto.”

Arjun nodded.

“I'll wait.”

“You don't need to.”

“I know.”

He still followed.

Rudra remained inside the elevator.

Watching.

Aaradhya walked toward the road.

She didn't notice the black motorcycle parked across the street.

The rider wore a helmet.

He watched her.

Then raised his phone.

Clicked a photograph.

Rudra saw it.

His expression changed instantly.

“Arjun.”

Arjun turned.

Rudra stepped out of the elevator.

“Don't let her move.”

Arjun immediately looked toward Aaradhya.

The motorcycle started.

Rudra's voice became deadly.

“Get him.”

Arjun ran.

The motorcycle sped away.

Aaradhya turned in confusion.

“What happened?”

Rudra reached her.

“Stay here.”

“Sir?”

“Don't move.”

His eyes were scanning the road.

For the first time, Aaradhya saw something she'd never seen in him before.

Fear.

Not for himself.

For her.

A few minutes later, Arjun returned.

“He got away.”

Rudra's jaw clenched.

“Did you see his face?”

“No.”

“Number plate?”

“Covered.”

Rudra looked toward the road.

Then at Aaradhya.

“From now on, you don't leave this building alone.”

She stared at him.

“Sir, I can't afford—”

“I didn't ask what you can afford.”

His voice was sharp.

“You will have security until I say otherwise.”

“I don't need—”

“You do.”

Aaradhya went silent.

An auto-rickshaw stopped near the gate.

Arjun opened the door.

Aaradhya looked at Rudra.

For a second, neither spoke.

Then she quietly got inside.

The auto drove away.

Rudra watched until it disappeared into traffic.

Only then did he turn to Arjun.

“Find that man.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And find out who sent him.”

Arjun nodded.

Rudra looked once more at the empty road.

His hands curled into fists.

He had spent weeks trying to push Aaradhya out of his life.

Now someone else was trying to pull her into danger.

And for reasons he couldn't explain...

Rudra Rajvansh suddenly wanted to stand between her and the entire world.

Not because she was his employee.

Not because she belonged to his company.

And definitely not because he cared.

At least, that was what he told himself.

But somewhere deep inside him, a dangerous thought had already taken root.

If someone wanted to hurt Aaradhya Sharma...

They would have to get through him first.