Ekansh’s POV

A month had passed, but the fire in my chest hadn’t dimmed. If anything, it burned hotter with every second that Dia was gone. Every lead had turned cold, every trail disappeared into nothingness. My men worked around the clock, yet it felt like we were chasing shadows.

Ajay Patel had gone underground, leaving no trace behind. His networks were dismantled, his allies interrogated, yet he was always one step ahead. I barely slept, barely ate. My life revolved around one mission—bringing Dia back. But with every day that passed, my frustration grew, morphing into a dangerous kind of desperation.

Late one night, as I sat in my office, going over yet another useless report, I felt the crushing weight of failure. My fists slammed against the desk, papers scattering everywhere. How had I let this happen? How had I let her slip through my fingers?

Memories of her haunted me—the way she bit her lip when nervous, the quiet strength in her eyes, the softness of her voice when she said my name. She was mine. And I had failed her. The thought made my blood run cold. I had promised to protect her, and now she was suffering because of me.

But I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. I’d tear the world apart if that’s what it took to find her. Ajay thought he could hide, but he didn’t realize one thing—when I found him, there would be no mercy. For him, or for anyone who had dared to hurt her.

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Dia’s POV

I had stopped keeping track of time. Days and nights blurred together in this hellish prison, where pain was my only companion. They didn’t let me heal; they didn’t let me rest. Every time I thought it couldn’t get worse, it did.

Ajay Patel and his men were monsters. They didn’t just want to hurt me—they wanted to break me. My body was covered in bruises and cuts, my mind a storm of fear and despair. But the worst was the violation, the way they stripped me of my dignity and left me hollow.

I tried to hold on to something, anything that could give me strength. But even my memories of Ekansh, the only source of light in this darkness, were fading. I didn’t know if he was looking for me. I didn’t know if he cared.

Some nights, I wished for death. It would be easier than this endless suffering. But a tiny voice inside me refused to give up. I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they had won. I clung to that spark, even as my body betrayed me, growing weaker with every passing day.

When they left me alone, I’d curl up in a corner of the cold, damp room, clutching my knees to my chest. Tears would stream silently down my face, but I wouldn’t let them hear me cry. They could hurt me, but I wouldn’t let them break me completely. Not yet.

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Ekansh's POV

Every morning, I woke up with the same question pounding in my head: Where is she? A month of relentless searching and still nothing. It felt like the world was mocking me, dangling the faintest of clues only to snatch them away.

I stared at the map spread across my desk, red pins marking every place we’d raided, every safe house we’d dismantled. It wasn’t enough. Ajay had planned this too well. He knew how to stay hidden, but he didn’t know me well enough to realize that I wouldn’t stop until I found her.

"Boss, we’re closing in on another lead," Arjun said, walking into the room. His face was etched with exhaustion, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "There’s a property near the outskirts of the city. It’s heavily guarded. Could be something."

I nodded, my jaw tightening. "Get everyone ready. I don’t care how many men we need or how much it costs. We’re hitting that place tonight."

As Arjun left to gather the team, I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. My mind drifted to Dia again—her laughter, her stubbornness, the way she made even this cold, dark mansion feel like home. I couldn’t let myself think of the worst. She was alive. She had to be.

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Dia's POV

I woke up to the sound of the door creaking open, my body instinctively curling tighter against the wall. It didn’t matter how much they had already hurt me—every time that door opened, a fresh wave of fear flooded my chest.

Ajay stood there, his smile sickening. "You’re holding up better than I thought," he said mockingly. "But don’t worry, Dia. I’m not done with you yet."

I wanted to scream, to fight back, but my voice was hoarse, my body too weak to even lift a hand. I felt the sting of tears, but I refused to let them fall. Not in front of him.

"You should be grateful," he continued, circling me like a predator. "Ekansh will come for you, and when he does, I’ll make sure he sees what’s left of you."

His words stabbed at my already fragile resolve. I didn’t know if Ekansh was coming. I didn’t even know if he cared enough to try. But the thought of him gave me a sliver of hope, something to cling to as Ajay and his men tried to destroy me piece by piece.

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I stared at the cracked ceiling of my prison, my mind racing despite my exhaustion. I couldn’t let myself give up—not yet. If Ekansh was out there, searching for me, then I had to hold on.

Somehow, I would survive this. Somehow, I would make it out of here. And when I did, I would make sure Ajay Patel paid for every single thing he’d done.