A silent billionaire.
A woman trained to kill.
When power marries danger, love turns lethal.
The first rays of morning sunlight slipped through the curtains, casting a soft golden glow across the bedroom.
I had barely slept.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face from last night-the fear in her eyes, as though something inside her had shattered beyond repair.
I slowly turned toward the other side of the bed.
She was still asleep.
Curled beneath the blanket, her breathing had finally steadied. A few strands of hair rested across her face, and faint traces of dried tears still marked her cheeks.
The doctor had assured us that she was physically fine.
It wasn't her body.
Something had deeply shaken her, and until she recovered, I wasn't supposed to pressure her with questions.
Yet one thought refused to leave my mind.
Yesterday, she had been smiling, and minutes later, she couldn't even stand.
What had frightened her so badly?
She had looked at me as though she wanted to say something, but in the end, only four words escaped her lips.
"I want to go home."
Carefully, I brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.
"I don't know what you're fighting," I murmured quietly. "But you won't have to face it alone."
Her expression relaxed slightly, and she drifted into a deeper sleep.
Quietly, I stood.
Whatever had broken her yesterday...
I would find it-not because I needed answers, but because I never wanted to see that fear in her eyes again.
I knew exactly what it felt like to live with the horrors of the past because I was still fighting my own.
Without making a sound, I left the room and headed to the office.
The office kept me occupied with meetings, contracts, and endless discussions, but my thoughts kept drifting back to her more often than I cared to admit.
More than once, I found myself glancing at my phone, relieved each time there were no calls from the mansion.
By the time my final meeting ended, it was already afternoon.
"I'll finish the remaining reports tomorrow," I said, closing the file.
Daksh looked up.
"You're leaving already, sir?"
"I have somewhere I'd rather be."
A few minutes later, my car was already heading toward Rathor Mansion.
Somewhere during the drive, I realized something that almost made me smile.
Before Trishika entered my life, Rathor Mansion had never truly felt like home.
It had simply been a place where I slept.
Most nights, I stayed at my private residence or buried myself in work until midnight. Even when I returned, I rarely spent time with my family.
But somewhere along the way, that had changed.
Now I found myself returning home whenever I had the chance.
Whether it was because of Trishika or the chaos she had brought into the house, I couldn't say.
All I knew was that Rathor Mansion no longer felt like just another mansion.
Somehow, it had started feeling like home.
By the time I returned to the mansion, the atmosphere had become peaceful again. The servants moved quietly through the hall, preparing for lunch, while laughter occasionally echoed from somewhere deeper inside the house.
As I climbed the stairs toward our room, I found myself glancing in every direction. If she was feeling better, she could be anywhere in the mansion.
Though I secretly hoped she would be in our room, it wasn't because I was truly eager to see her. I simply didn't want to admit that I looked like a desperate husband wandering around the mansion searching for his wife.
With that thought, I opened the bedroom door and froze. Several old photo albums were scattered across the bed.
I barely spared them a second glance before loosening my tie and walking straight to the wardrobe to change into something more comfortable. After a long morning at the office, all I wanted was a quiet lunch with my family.
But just as I was about to close the wardrobe door, a soft giggle reached my ears, followed by another, then full-blown laughter.
Slowly, I turned around.
Trishika was lying comfortably across the bed with one of the albums resting on her lap. She wasn't even trying to hide her amusement anymore. Her shoulders trembled with laughter, and the mischievous smile spreading across her face immediately made me suspicious.
She slowly lifted her eyes to meet mine before looking back at the photograph, only to laugh even harder.
It felt as though she was comparing me to something-or worse, judging me. I disliked both possibilities.
"What are you looking at?" I asked cautiously.
"Oh... nothing."
"I know that tone."
I tilted my head slightly.
That woman was definitely comparing me to something.
She bit her lower lip, trying-and completely failing-to stop herself from laughing again.
I narrowed my eyes and walked toward the bed.
"Who's in the picture that's making you laugh so much?"
She immediately snapped the album shut.
"It's absolutely nothing."
Now I was even more suspicious.
I reached for the album, but she quickly rolled to the other side of the bed, hugging it tightly against her chest.
"Give me the album."
"I don't think I should."
"Why?"
She cautiously opened the album just enough to peek at the photograph herself while standing on the opposite side of the bed. The very next second, she burst into laughter again.
"I definitely shouldn't."
I lunged for her.
She squealed, slipped off the bed with the album still clutched against her chest, and ran around the room.
"You're not getting this!"
"You're making a terrible decision," I warned, chasing after her. "You haven't even seen the consequences yet."
"But I've already seen something much better."
She finally stopped just long enough to turn the album toward me.
My soul nearly left my body. They were photographs from every stage of my childhood-so embarrassing that I had never dared look through those albums myself.
Maa had always loved capturing every little moment, preserving every memory inside them.
I immediately closed the distance between us.
"Delete that from your memory."
"I absolutely can't," she said, laughing so hard she had to hold her stomach. Then she pointed at the picture.
"Oh my God... look at your face! You were so chubby! You looked like a tiny potato."
"The proper word is a healthy child."
"There you are... your first day of school."
I glanced at the photograph. An oversized school bag rested on my back, my hair was neatly combed, and an oversized pair of glasses sat on my face. I had been a complete bookworm back then, though every now and then I got into a fight-carefully enough that nobody important ever found out.
I had regretted taking that picture ever since. Unfortunately, Maa never listened whenever I refused to be photographed.
Meanwhile, Trishika was having the time of her life.
"Aww... look at little Ranbir. You look so innocent."
She turned another page and completely lost control, laughing so hard she couldn't even finish her sentence.
I started walking toward her again.
She immediately darted behind the sofa, her payal chiming with every step as the delicate sound echoed through the room.
"Stay where you are," I warned. "And hand me the album. You've laughed enough."
She simply stuck out her tongue at me like a naughty little child before opening another page.
I sighed.
"Where exactly did you find this?"
She smiled innocently.
"Maa gave it to me about a month ago."
Then she added with far too much satisfaction,
"She said every new member of the family deserves to know the real Ranbir."
I closed my eyes. Of course she did. Maa loved pulling out my embarrassing childhood memories whenever relatives visited, and I hated it.
"But I guess..." she said, staring at one particular photograph while biting her lower lip to stop herself from laughing, "...I found naked Ranbir."
"What?"
I crossed the distance between us in two long strides. Before she could react, I snatched the photograph from her hand and looked down.
I was probably four or five years old, completely naked. My cheeks immediately burned with embarrassment.
She slowly slipped her index finger between her teeth, biting it playfully as she looked at me with sparkling, mischievous eyes.
Without saying a word, I hurriedly shoved the photograph back into the album. There were simply no words left that could save my dignity anymore.
"Oh... look at this. You got hurt here."
Before I could recover from that trauma, she had already found another embarrassing picture.
I looked at it.
"I fell from a tree," I admitted. "Father told me not to climb it because I was too young, but I climbed it anyway. I was stubborn."
For a brief moment, my smile faded.
The truth was, I hadn't been stubborn enough. Too many wrong decisions, too much destruction, and too much pain had happened because I listened to the people around me instead of trusting myself.
Maybe if I had, things would be different today. Maybe we wouldn't be this rich, but perhaps we'd have something far more valuable-peace of mind instead of guilt, trauma, and sadness.
"If I had a son that stubborn," Trishika said, giving me a sideways glance, "I'd smack his ass every single day for not listening. And I'd never let him become as arrogant as someone I know."
A slow smile spread across my face.
"Well, you'll definitely have a son exactly like me."
I stepped closer until I was standing right in front of her. Gently, I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, clearing it away so I could see her forest-green eyes properly.
"And I'll happily give you one soon, so you can raise him with all your morals and attitude."
I smiled down at her as the color slowly drained from her face. Exactly the reaction I had been hoping for.
"Isn't that a beautiful future, Trishika?"
She dropped the album onto the floor and spun around, trying to run out of the room, but the giggles escaping her lips gave her away.
She barely managed two steps before I caught her wrist. With one gentle tug, I pulled her back until she was standing directly in front of me, her laughing face only inches from mine.
"So..." I murmured, raising an eyebrow. "Where are you running now? What's the need to look at Ranbir's childhood pictures when Ranbir is standing right in front of you?"
She tried to hide her smile.
Sliding one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back, I lifted her into my arms. She let out a surprised squeal before laughing again.
"Ranbir! Put me down."
I carried her toward the bed while she lightly tapped my shoulder in protest.
"I will... but not before you regret this."
A second later, I gently laid her down on the mattress.
She bounced slightly before looking up at me with suspiciously innocent eyes.
I leaned over her with a small smirk.
"So..." she whispered, trying to sound confident. "You're taking revenge?"
"I am," I said, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear again.
Her heartbeat seemed to pause as our eyes met then I closed the remaining distance and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. It lasted only a few seconds-just long enough to steal the triumphant smile she'd been wearing.
When I pulled away, she smiled as if nothing had happened.
"I don't regret it," she said, still smiling.
Warning: Mature content (18+).
Hearing her words, I smiled and, grasping the hem of her saree, slowly slid it up to her knees.
The smile on her face didn't waver in the slightest, so I gently moved my hand around her knees and slowly guided it upwards until I reached the edge of her undergarments-yet, the smile remained.
"Don't scare me, Ranbir. I must confess... I don't regret it. In fact, I think I enjoyed it," she said before placing both hands on my chest and suddenly pushing me away.
Taken aback by the sudden shove, I stumbled backwards and fell onto the bed.
She didn't waste a single moment. With a victorious smile, she climbed on top of me. She placed one hand on my chest and the other gently against my cheek.
I could feel my skin melting beneath the warmth of her touch.
She smelled like fresh jasmine flowers. Her hair cascaded around us as she leaned down until only a breath separated our faces.
"Look at you... so quiet the moment I backed you into a corner. I think I've managed to shock you," she said.
"You think you can control me?" I asked.
"I know exactly what I've done. I've caged a wild animal, and now I make the rules," she replied.
"Go ahead," I said, holding her gaze. "Do your worst. I won't break."
"You wear confidence so well... I wonder if you'd wear my lipstick on your smile just as beautifully," she said.
Biting her lower lip, she slowly closed the distance and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against mine.
Now my lips carried the sweet taste of her glossy lipstick, its flavor lingering between our tongues.
When she finally pulled away, her eyes sparkled with quiet triumph as she remained above me, looking far too pleased with herself.
"Careful. Getting this close to the fire usually leaves people burned," I said.
"I've never minded the heat," she replied, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Especially when it's coming from you."
She kissed my neck and trailed the tip of her tongue down over my shirt, moving all the way to my pants, right above my cock. That touch and the sensation of her tongue made my body heat up, and my cock began to harden.
Her hands moved to undo the belt and lower the zipper slightly. My breathing quickened, and there was a distinct intensity on his face.
"You're trying very hard to stay in control," she said with a smirk and she was winning.
Finally, she unzipped it all the way. My cock was already jutting up, hardening from the heat of her actions.
"You always act so composed. I wonder how long that lasts when it's just the two of us." She said.
She ran her tongue across her palm, wetting her fingers with saliva and gently touched my cock. The sensation of her touch sent a chill down my spine.
"You pretend you're impossible to distract, yet one smile from me and you forget the rest of the world, don't you?" she said, leaning a little closer to my face.
"Tell me... is that true?" she whispered.
"Yes," I admitted with a teasing smile. "But don't mistake distraction for surrender."
She bent down and took my cock into her mouth. Her hair fell over her face, covering it.
The heat and wetness of her tongue made my cock even harder.
Her palm covers the rest, unable to take it all in, she tries to draw more of it inside her mouth. Her palm and mouth move in unison around my cock, stripping me of all control. I bite my lip to steady my trembling voice, but a husky moan escapes me nonetheless.
My head fell back against the mattress, and my eyes rolled back beneath my eyelids. Everything around me slowly began to fade until nothing remained but darkness... and her, the only thing still within my sight.
Inside her mouth, she swirled her tongue around, playing over every part of my cock. She nipped my cock with her teeth, and my eyes went wide with pleasure.
I couldn't see her face because it was hidden beneath her hair. I reached up, gathered the strands together, and gripped them firmly-just enough to keep them out of the way, not enough to hurt her. Even so, I was sure a few strands had slipped free from my grip and fallen against her shoulder.
She sucked even harder, yet a portion of it remained outside her grasp. Her movements grew more rapid, and her head bobbed vigorously up and down.
My cock swelled up significantly, and when she gave a hard thrust, it somehow slid all the way into her mouth.
I could feel the intense pressure of her mouth with every movement she made. The veins on my cock stood out, thick and clearly visible.
I reached the very brink of cumming, and a loud moan escaped my throat. My cock squeezed out every last drop of semen from me until I was completely drained.
She pulled my cock out; the semen practically burst from her mouth, and the thick fluid began to flow, slowly trickling down her chin. She stuck out her tongue and started slapping the cock against it.
"Look at me, Ranbir. I want all of your attention... not because I need it, but because I enjoy stealing it."
"I noticed," I said, a slow smile tugging at my lips. "The problem is... you never have to steal it. You already have it."
She quickly took a deep, heavy breath and steadied herself. Moments later, a wicked smile spread across her face once again as she bit her lower lip.
She lifts herself up slightly and slips her hand beneath her saree, shifting her thigh, she slides the garment down and off her body. I lift my hips, eager to join with her, but she keeps just out of reach, teasingly holding me off.
I couldn't understand what was happening to me. Somehow, she kept finding her way into my thoughts. For a man who had always been in control, she had quietly become my biggest blind spot.
A quiet laugh escaped me at the thought. What would happen the moment she realized that the first time she saw me wasn't the first time I had seen her?
I had known the truth all along, and judging by the way her investigative mind worked, it was only a matter of time before she uncovered it herself. This time, I couldn't-and didn't want to-hide it anymore.
"You keep pretending you're the one with all the power."
I smiled slowly.
"I'll let you keep believing that... for a little while."
"Let me take the lead today," she whispered, her voice soft, seductive, yet unmistakably commanding. "I give the orders, Ranbir Singh Rathor. You follow them."
A slow smile spread across my lips as I held her gaze.
"As you wish, Trishika Singh Rathor," I murmured. "Today, I'm entirely at your mercy."
For once, I was more than willing to surrender the lead.
"So now you're entirely at my mercy," she continued, a triumphant smile playing on her lips. "And we both know you don't want me to stop."
She held my gaze for a heartbeat before adding in a quieter voice,
"And I admit... I have no intention of stopping... because I'm not done with you yet."
She positioned herself over me, and I felt my cock touching her pussy.
I held my cock and began rubbing it against her cunt. Finally, she lowered her hips slightly . Her breathing quickened, and a soft moan escaped her pink, glistening lips.
Finally, she took my cock in her hand, adjusted herself, and lowered her hips onto it.
I was partially inside her, and the movement drew a soft, sharp sound from her throat. I gripped her throat, tilting her neck back, and as she rode up and down on my cock, I groaned at the sensation of it sliding within her smooth warmth.
My head tilts back, and I grip her hips tightly with my other hand. Her hips would probably be bruised, the deep imprint of my fingers still visible against her skin.
She delivers a powerful thrust, and now my cock slides completely inside her while she rests her weight on my stomach. She is breathing heavily, and I am trembling beneath her.
The sensation of her pussy wrapped so tightly around me sends a strange shiver and a wave of pleasure coursing through my entire body.
"Look at you... the man who controls everything has finally run out of moves. You always loved giving orders. Tell me... how does it feel to be the one receiving them?" she continued. "Am I pushing you too far?"
A faint smile tugged at my lips.
"Neither," I replied, holding her gaze. "I'm simply curious to see how far you're willing to go before you realize I've been letting you win."
With every passing moment, her movements grew more intense. She was doing exactly as she pleased, my entire body was at her mercy.
My eyes rolled back, and for a moment, it felt as though I could see the entire universe before me, even though I had never been interested in astronomy.
"God... now we're finally having a conversation on equal terms," she said with a satisfied smile. "I like this version of you-quiet, watching, wondering what I'll do next."
I slid my hand under her blouse and inside her bra until it fully reached her breast. My palm completely cupped and squeezed her breast, making her moan even louder.
I specifically touched and pressed her nipple; the sensation gave me immense pleasure, yet I regretted that I couldn't take that lovely little nipple into my mouth, twirl it, or give it a gentle nip with my teeth. Although my mouth yearned to take it but I remained under her control.
Every movement involved a powerful thrust of her hips. I am about to cum again. As she pulled my cock out, my semen gushed out from inside her, and the thick fluid spread around my cock.
Slowly, she moved away from me and sat on the edge of the bed, her breathing still fast. Mine was just as unsteady.
I reached for her hand so that I could gently pull her back toward me and wrap my arms around her once more. The moment had already passed, but I still wasn't ready to let her go. I wanted to hold her a little longer, keeping her close against me.
...................................
But a knock echoed through the room.
"Trishika, beta... lunch is ready," Maa called from outside.
Trishika froze for a second before quickly reaching for her saree. She hurriedly adjusted the pleats, draped the pallu over herself, and wiped her skin with the small towel lying beside the bed.
Another knock followed.
I knew Maa would start worrying if no one answered.
"She's busy," I called out.
There was a brief pause before Maa spoke again.
"Ranbir? You're inside? When did you come home? Both of you come downstairs for lunch."
Then her voice softened.
"What are you doing, beta? Is Trishika feeling alright?"
"Yes, Maa," I replied casually. "She's just settling her saree."
The words left my mouth before I realized what I had said.
Trishika's jaw dropped. She slowly turned toward me, fixing me with a murderous glare. Every trace of mischief vanished from her face, replaced by pure embarrassment as her cheeks turned a deep shade of red.
She marched toward the door, still glaring at me, yanked it open, and walked out without saying a single word.
I couldn't help but smile.
A few minutes later, I got dressed and headed downstairs to the dining room.
The entire family had already gathered around the table.
Throughout lunch, Trishika never looked at me, or perhaps she simply didn't have the chance.
Everyone kept asking about her health, making sure she was feeling better.
After lunch, I wanted to speak to her before leaving for work, but she was already surrounded by my sisters, laughing and chatting about one thing after another.
Seeing her smile like that, I decided not to interrupt. As I turned to leave the mansion, she finally looked up, and our eyes met for only a brief moment.
A small smile curved her lips, and I found myself smiling back before quietly walking away.
I made my way to the farmhouse, and all six of us quickly gathered inside the private strategy room we occasionally used for confidential meetings. A large digital map covered one entire wall.
Daksh placed a thick file on the table in front of me.
"Valentino Ravello is leaving the country for a few days," he began. "Before he leaves, he wants this shipment transferred to our custody."
I opened the file.
With the war approaching, I needed to replenish our stockpile. I had ordered military-grade explosives, illegal weapons, and several other supplies from Valentino Ravello.
Since he was leaving the country-whether for a few days or several months-he wanted to deliver half of the shipment now. The remaining half would arrive later, as requested.
Due to the increasing number of robberies involving high-value cargo, we had deliberately divided the order into two separate shipments. Even so, today's delivery was too important to take any chances with. The security had to be flawless.
I silently studied the route marked on the digital map. Something about it immediately bothered me. The route was too predictable and unnecessarily long. Anyone expecting the convoy would have more than enough time to prepare an ambush. Why had Valentino chosen this route?
"We don't trust this route either, sir," Daksh said, as though reading my thoughts.
"We're changing it." I picked up the marker and drew a red line across the map. "We'll use this one instead. It passes through the forest and is much shorter."
"We should call Velvet Viper," Nishant said. Almost immediately, Reyansh and Kartik nodded in agreement.
"So do I," Sameer added. "She's handled far more dangerous operations than this. If she's leading security, our chances of success will improve significantly."
Without wasting another second, Kartik opened the encrypted communication portal we always used whenever we needed to contact Velvet Viper.
Maybe she had designed it herself, or perhaps someone from her team had. The only thing we knew for certain was that the network was unlike anything we had ever encountered.
Every message was end-to-end encrypted, routed through countless anonymous servers, and automatically erased the moment it was delivered. Even our best cybersecurity experts had failed to trace its origin.
I knew Velvet Viper wasn't working alone. Someone had to handle intelligence, communications, logistics, and the constant flow of information surrounding her.
She had a team. That much was obvious, but beyond that, I knew nothing-and honestly, I didn't want to know. The portal was the only bridge connecting us to Velvet Viper, and she had designed it in a way that ensured it could never be traced back to her.
I knew Velvet Viper wasn't working alone. Someone had to handle intelligence, communications, logistics, and the constant flow of information surrounding her.
She had a team. That much was obvious, but beyond that, I knew nothing-and honestly, I didn't want to know. The portal was the only bridge connecting us to Velvet Viper, and she had designed it in a way that ensured it could never be traced back to her.
"Should I send the request?" Kartik asked.
"We're only asking for assistance," Reyansh said. "She's never left a mission unfinished."
The room turned toward me, and after a brief silence, I gave a small nod.
"Send it."
Honestly, I didn't want her help right now. I already had my own plan, and I knew it would work under any circumstances.
Kartik quickly typed the request, asking for her assistance.
The encrypted window fell silent. A few seconds later, a reply appeared.
Not available today.
Before I could stop him, Kartik immediately typed another message. Another reply appeared almost instantly.
My health isn't good. Find someone else.
"That's unusual. She's never refused before," Sameer murmured.
"We should ask again," Nishant said, looking toward me.
Kartik's hand moved toward the keyboard once more.
"No."
My voice stopped him.
Everyone looked at me, but I had already made my decision. I closed the file in front of me before speaking.
"She already gave her answer."
My gaze swept around the room.
"For months, she's completed every assignment we've given her. Not once has she abandoned a mission. Not once has she failed us. Not once has she complained."
I sat in the chair facing the screen, my eyes lingering on her reply as the message slowly began to disappear.
"If she's saying that she's unwell, then that is her answer," I continued. "She's risked her life for our missions more times than any of us can count. The least we can do is respect her decision."
I leaned back in my chair.
"She's not a machine we switch on whenever we need her. She's human, and like the rest of us, she deserves the chance to rest."
The room fell silent. They seemed lost in thought but eventually accepted my decision, however reluctantly. Whether they wanted to argue or not, my decision wasn't going to change.
Kartik slowly withdrew his hand from the keyboard, and Reyansh let out a quiet sigh.
"I guess you're right."
For a brief moment, my eyes remained fixed on the encrypted screen. Instead of sending another mission request, I typed only four words.
Take care of yourself.
The message was delivered, but no reply came from the other side. I had expected as much, so I simply closed the communication portal.
"We'll handle this ourselves. Prepare the convoy."
I rose from my chair, my eyes settling on the newly marked route across the digital map.
"If someone wants this shipment, they'll have to come through us first."
I called Valentino Ravello and informed him about the change in the route.
He told me that the first half of the shipment had already been loaded at his private seaport and was ready to move. From there, I would take over the operation. He had originally chosen the main highway-a long, heavily monitored route that was predictable.
I didn't trust that, so I made only one change and informed him accordingly. The convoy would use the forest route instead of the highway.
As the call ended, I quietly memorized one important fact.
Only one person outside this room knew the convoy's new route.
Valentino Ravello.
Sameer finally broke the silence.
"We don't have enough firearms if they attack in large numbers."
He wasn't wrong.
Fulfilling the shortage of weapons depended entirely on the shipment. Right now, if a coordinated assault happened, many of my men would have to fight with nothing but combat knives and their bare hands because we simply didn't have enough firearms.
The few guns and explosives we did have weren't powerful enough to withstand a large-scale attack.
Which meant we couldn't win by matching their firepower. We had to win by controlling the battlefield.
I clapped my hands once, signaling everyone to gather around the table. As they surrounded the digital map, I picked up a marker and drew several lines across the forest route.
"No one breaks formation. No matter what happens, the convoy keeps moving," I said, pausing to meet each of their eyes.
Reyansh folded his arms.
"What if what happened to Valentino's shipment happens to ours?"
"And what if these robbers surround us?" Nishant added. "Our men get killed, and the shipment is gone."
"They won't," I replied with complete confidence. "Because before they can surround us or steal anything... we'll surround them."
He raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
I continued drawing across the map, explaining every stage of the operation. Every possible approach had already been anticipated, and every response had already been calculated before the enemy could make their first move.
"Our objective is simple," I finished. "Protect the shipment first. If the enemy appears, we deal with them afterward."
"Our objective is simple," I finished. "Protect the shipment first. If an assassin appears, we deal with them afterward."
I then explained the original plan-the one that didn't require Velvet Viper's assistance. It ensured the shipment would reach my men safely while also giving us the opportunity to eliminate or capture every attacker, including the assassin, if one chose to appear.
When I finished, I paused, giving everyone a chance to voice any concerns or suggestions.
No one spoke.
They had understood everything from a single explanation, and judging by their expressions, the plan had genuinely impressed them.
This wasn't a mission to overpower the enemy.
It was a mission to outthink them.
"With a plan like this, everything should remain under our control," Kartik said, his eyes fixed on the map.
"We'll execute it exactly as planned," Sameer agreed.
Nishant gave a firm nod.
"Then let's begin."
"Our objective is simple," I finished. "Protect the shipment first. If an assassin appears, we deal with them afterward."
I then explained the original plan-the one that didn't require Velvet Viper's assistance. It ensured the shipment would reach my men safely while also giving us the opportunity to eliminate or capture every attacker, including the assassin, if one chose to appear.
When I finished, I paused, giving everyone a chance to voice any concerns or suggestions.
No one spoke.
They had understood everything from a single explanation, and judging by their expressions, the plan had left them genuinely impressed.
This wasn't a mission to overpower the enemy.
It was a mission to outthink them.
"With a plan like this, everything should remain under our control," Kartik said, his eyes fixed on the map.
"No doubts. No changes," Sameer agreed. "We'll execute it exactly as planned."
Nishant gave a firm nod.
"Then let's begin."
Everyone dispersed to their assigned positions.
If this operation unfolded exactly the way I intended, it would answer far more than just whether the shipment could be protected.
The convoy rolled out from Valentino's private seaport exactly on schedule.
One armored truck carrying the shipment traveled along the main road, surrounded by four black SUVs moving in a staggered formation. Two more identical trucks had been added as decoys, making it impossible for anyone watching from a distance to determine which vehicle actually carried the shipment.
High above us, surveillance drones followed the convoy at different altitudes while thermal cameras continuously scanned the surrounding terrain. Every kilometer ahead had already been inspected, and every checkpoint had been assigned.
The engines echoed beneath the thick canopy as the convoy continued along the main road.
Everything appeared normal.
I leaned forward, my eyes fixed on the drone feed.
They were waiting.
I could feel it and so were we.
Men preparing an ambush always made one mistake-they became too patient.
"Increase the drones' altitude," I ordered. "Run a thermal scan every five hundred meters."
"Copy."
The convoy continued moving before leaving the main road and entering the shorter forest route.
Most of the journey would now pass through the forest, with very little time spent on the highway, ensuring the public wouldn't notice anything unusual.
Every vehicle maintained the exact distance from the next as it moved deeper beneath the thick canopy.
Several minutes passed before one of the drone operators suddenly stiffened.
"Movement!"
Kartik's eyes remained fixed on the screens. He was coordinating the entire security operation through encrypted earpieces while five other operators sat beside him, each monitoring a different surveillance feed.
Several drones hovered high above the forest, recording every movement and transmitting live footage onto the ten screens directly in front of me.
From my seat inside the farmhouse, I could see every movement of the convoy, while my men waited outside for the perfect moment.
Before anyone could respond, one of the screens erupted into static.
"Drone Three offline!" one operator shouted.
"Drone Five destroyed!" another voice followed immediately.
Radio chatter exploded across every channel at once.
"Move the remaining drones away from the convoy," I ordered calmly. "Keep them at a safe distance, but don't lose visual contact."
A deafening explosion tore through the trees as one of the escort SUVs was blasted into the air before crashing back onto the road in flames.
Gunfire erupted from every direction as hidden attackers emerged from the forest with terrifying precision. Smoke swallowed the convoy almost instantly while my guards scrambled for cover under the relentless hail of bullets.
Another explosion sent debris raining across the road. One armored SUV rolled onto its side, its windows shattered.
Even through the chaos, I noticed something.
They weren't firing blindly.
They knew exactly which truck carried the shipment.
Only Valentino had known which truck carried the weapons, as his own men had loaded the shipment under his personal supervision. Out of the three trucks, the attackers ignored the other two and targeted the correct one from the very beginning.
Not one of my men assigned to the convoy had been killed yet. They had jumped clear moments before the explosions, exactly as I had instructed them to if this situation ever occurred.
More snipers emerged from deep within the forest.
The evening was becoming both beautiful and bloody.
The remaining two SUVs came to a halt as enemy snipers surrounded the area. My men were disarmed, forced onto their knees, and gathered together with their heads lowered.
I had expected this.
My men had to become the bait if the trap was going to close around our enemies, but I had no intention of letting a single one of them die.
That was why I had relied only on my own convoy, my own drones, and my own men. I had refused Valentino's assistance because I needed people whose loyalty I trusted without question.
The snipers held their positions.
Then I saw her.
Dressed entirely in black from head to toe, her face concealed behind a mask, she stepped onto the battlefield with absolute confidence.
Just as I had anticipated, my men fought with only limited weapons, exchanging fire with the enemy snipers before gradually being pushed back. One by one, the snipers withdrew, leaving the battlefield entirely to her.
They wanted her to enjoy the hunt alone.
She moved through the battlefield with frightening speed.
She wasn't wasting bullets. Every movement she made was precise and calculated.
One of my guards fell before he even realized she was behind him, though I was certain she wasn't killing my men-not yet.
First, she wanted me to witness the loss of the shipment. Only then would she take the lives of my loyal guards.
One of our drones attempted to track her and launch an attack, but with a single shot, she shattered its camera, turning another live feed black.
She advanced through the smoke while her team secured every angle, destroying vehicles, eliminating resistance, and forcing my men backward.
The convoy looked completely overwhelmed. Flames reflected across the armored trucks as my guards fought desperately to slow the attackers.
She never hesitated or took a single step back.
She walked straight toward the largest truck at the center of the convoy-the one any experienced mercenary would assume carried the shipment.
Around her, the battle still raged, but she ignored everything else.
She had reached her objective.
She climbed onto the vehicle, fired a single shot through the locking mechanism, and pulled the heavy doors open.
I signaled one of the operators to switch every available camera to the truck.
She was the star player on this battlefield.
The moment the doors swung open, her eyes widened beneath the mask.
"It's a trap."
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