Serene Hope Hospital. Neuro Floor.
The air in the hallway was cold—too cold for a spring night. But it wasn't the AC that made Dr. Vashti Dhiman shiver.
It was the thought that someone had been watching her for months.
Feeding Maya with scraps of her life. Sending threats. Plotting in the shadows.
"Dr. R."
She didn't know who he was. But now, she was done playing soft.
---
She barged into the on-call room where Shabd Heer was pacing, his phone still clenched in his hand from the threatening call.
"He called me too," he said before she even spoke.
"Distorted voice. Said we'd lose more than our careers if we keep digging."
"Let him try," she hissed. "I'm not afraid anymore."
Shabd stepped closer. "Vashti—this is big. We don't know who he is, or how far his reach goes."
She met his eyes. "Then we start with what we do know. Maya. Armaan. The photos. Who has access to the surveillance files? Who can enter our offices without raising suspicion?"
Shabd's jaw clenched. "Someone high up."
"Someone who knows how to stay clean."
They stared at each other, the silence between them not heavy—but electric.
"We're going after him," Vashti said. "Together."
He nodded. "Together."
---
Later That Night
The plan was risky. But it was the only way.
Vashti accessed the hospital server from the private diagnostics room—Shabd kept watch outside. They had one goal: trace the IP of the email sender who leaked the photo of them.
What they found made Vashti's blood run cold.
Access granted from inside Serene Hope's Executive Department.
Not just anyone.
The Board of Directors.
"There's a mole at the top," she whispered.
---
Meanwhile…
In an underground office inside the restricted Records Wing, a man in a charcoal suit stood over a glowing monitor. His face was hidden beneath shadows.
He watched Vashti's login activity live.
Dr. R.
"She's bolder than I thought," he muttered. "Just like her father."
He smiled.
Cold. Calculated. Deadly.
"It's time she learns what her family owes me."
---
Back in Vashti's apartment
Shabd leaned against the kitchen counter, staring at her.
"You really won't let this go, huh?" he asked.
"No," she replied. "Not when it's about us."
He walked up, close enough for her to hear the hesitation in his breath.
"Vashti... when this is over, I'll have something to tell you."
Her heart stopped. "What?"
He smiled softly. "Not now. Not when you're about to go to war."
She wanted to push. Scream. But instead, she reached up and fixed the collar of his shirt.
"You better not die before saying it," she said, voice shaking.
He caught her hand. "Not a chance. I haven't even kissed you yet."
Then he left.
And Vashti stood frozen.
Because for the first time, he sounded like a man who was finally choosing her.
--