Chapter -4 The forgotten saviour

Chapter -4 The forgotten saviour

Adrian Blackwood was not a man who believed in fate.

Yet, from the moment he saw Tanisha Agnihotri, something inside him recognized her.

Something long buried.

Something that had haunted him for years.

He leaned back in his office chair, staring at the blurry image on his screen—a security footage still from five years ago.

A young girl.

Drenched in rain. Blood splattered on her clothes.

His blood.

His fingers curled into a fist as the memory surfaced.

That night.

---

Flashback: Five Years Ago

Adrian had been 14 years old. A boy forced to grow up too fast.

His father had been assassinated, and he had been next on the hitlist.

That night, his car had been rammed off a bridge.

He had crawled out, bleeding, barely able to move.

Footsteps.

A group of men had followed him, their voices cold. "Finish him off."

He had thought it was over.

Until she appeared.

A girl, no older than ten, had stepped out of the shadows.

Eyes cold. Expression unreadable.

Before anyone could react, she had taken down one man with a knife to the throat.

Another with a single, brutal twist of his wrist.

The rest? They ran.

She had turned to Adrian, expression still blank. "Can you walk?"

He had been too stunned to answer.

She had clicked her tongue. "Tsk. What a hassle."

Then, she had hoisted him up on her back—a child carrying a dying teenager—and dragged him into an abandoned warehouse.

She had stitched his wound. Fed him. Kept him alive for three days.

And then she disappeared.

---

Back to the Present

Adrian's eyes darkened.

She had saved him. And then, she had forgotten.

But he never had.

He had searched for years, trying to find the girl with those sharp, fearless eyes.

And now, she stood before him—completely unaware of who he was.

Tanisha Agnihotri.

His heart clenched.

He had fallen for her back then. A foolish boy's admiration for the girl who had saved him.

But now?

Now, it was something else.

An obsession.

A need to claim her.

To make her remember.

---

The gala was filled with the elite. But Adrian only saw her.

Tanisha stood in a silver gown, completely at ease among the wolves.

His lips curled. Of course she was.

She had always been meant for this world.

He moved toward her. "We need to talk."

She raised a brow. "Do we?"

He leaned closer, whispering in her ear. "I remember you."

A flicker of confusion crossed her face.

Adrian smirked. "But you don't, do you?"

Tanisha's sharp gaze met his. "Should I?"

Adrian chuckled. "I'll make sure you do."

Because Tanisha Agnihotri belonged to him.

She just didn't know it yet.

---

Adrian is determined to make Tanisha remember.

The soft melody of a waltz played in the background, but Tanisha had little interest in the glitz of the evening. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the various elites vying for attention.

Then, her gaze settled on Adrian Blackwood.

He was already watching her.

Amusement flickered in his dark eyes as he approached, exuding an air of absolute confidence.

Adrian: "You haven't asked why I remember you."

Tanisha took a sip of her champagne, unfazed.

Tanisha: "Because I don't particularly care."

Adrian's smirk widened.

Adrian: "Liar."

Before she could respond, he extended a hand.

Adrian: "Dance with me."

Tanisha tilted her head.

Tanisha: "I don't recall agreeing."

Adrian leaned in slightly, his voice lowering.

Adrian: "And yet, you haven't refused."

She narrowed her eyes, but before she could protest, he had already taken her hand and led her onto the dance floor.

---

Adrian's grip was firm but respectful as he guided her across the ballroom.

Adrian: "Still not remembering anything?"

Tanisha gave him a cool smile.

Tanisha: "Should I be flattered that the great Adrian Blackwood is so fixated on me?"

Adrian chuckled.

Adrian: "It's not fixation. It's gratitude."

Tanisha arched a brow.

Tanisha: "Gratitude?"

He leaned closer, his breath brushing her ear.

Adrian: "You saved my life."

For the first time, Tanisha hesitated.

Her grip on his shoulder tightened slightly.

Tanisha: "I think I'd remember something like that."

Adrian: "Not if you never thought it was important."

Tanisha studied him. He wasn't lying.

Had she saved him?

She had helped many people in the past, but most were forgettable.

Adrian wasn't.

And that unsettled her.

Tanisha: "You're awfully persistent."

Adrian: "I get what I want."

Tanisha: "Dangerous mentality."

Adrian: "You'd know."

The music slowed, and he spun her before pulling her closer.

Adrian's lips brushed against her ear as he whispered—

Adrian: "I'll make you remember, Tanisha."

---

As soon as the dance ended, Tanisha gracefully stepped away, her expression unreadable.

But before she could say anything, Sinnea appeared.

Dressed in an elegant gown, her smile was warm—too warm.

Sinnea: "Sister! You looked so beautiful dancing."

Tanisha suppressed a sigh. The fake enthusiasm was exhausting.

Tanisha: "Flattery doesn't suit you, Sinnea."

Sinnea pouted playfully.

Sinnea: "Why must you always be so cold? I was just admiring my elder sister."

Adrian, still standing beside Tanisha, observed the exchange with mild amusement.

Adrian: "Elder sister?"

Sinnea turned to him, smiling sweetly.

Sinnea: "Yes! Tanisha and I are family, though she just returned. I'm so happy to have her here."

Adrian glanced at Tanisha.

Adrian: "Family, huh?"

Tanisha held back a scoff.

Sinnea looped her arm through Tanisha's, her grip just a little too tight.

Sinnea: "By the way, sister, I heard Mother and Father have prepared a surprise for you! I thought we could open it together."

Tanisha's gaze sharpened. Sinnea never did anything without a reason.

---

Tanisha followed Sinnea to the private lounge, where Lucas and Meera Agnihotri stood with warm smiles.

A mountain of designer boxes and jewelry cases filled the table.

Meera: "We wanted to welcome you properly, sweetheart."

Lucas: "Only the best for our daughter."

Tanisha nodded, taking in the extravagance. They were truly trying to dote on her.

But Sinnea?

Sinnea's lips curled as she picked up a velvet box.

Sinnea: "This one is special, isn't it, Mother?"

Meera smiled. "Yes, it's a custom piece."

Sinnea opened it dramatically, revealing a delicate diamond necklace.

Sinnea: "I thought it looked familiar… Oh! It's just like the one Father gave me last year!"

A murmur spread through the guests nearby.

Tanisha's eyes flickered to her father. Was this a coincidence?

Sinnea covered her mouth in mock surprise.

Sinnea: "Oh dear, did I ruin the moment? I only meant that we're so alike—Father must have thought of us the same way."

A subtle manipulation.

A single seed of doubt.

The crowd's whispers grew.

"Did they just reuse the same gift?"

"Maybe they still favor Sinnea."

Tanisha remained expressionless.

Sinnea was good. Too good.

But she had underestimated her.

Tanisha turned to her father, watching his expression carefully.

Lucas frowned. "What nonsense. This was custom-made for Tanisha."

But the damage was done. Doubt had been planted.

Tanisha's lips curled.

Two could play this game.

She reached for the necklace, then—

Snapped it in half.

Gasps filled the room.

Sinnea's eyes widened. "Sister—"

Tanisha: "Ah. My mistake."

She dropped the broken diamonds onto the table.

Tanisha: "I don't like wearing used things."

A deadly silence followed.

Lucas and Meera looked shocked.

Sinnea's expression twisted for half a second before she forced out a laugh.

Sinnea: "S-Sister, I didn't mean—"

Tanisha tilted her head. "Didn't you?"

Sinnea's fingers clenched.

Tanisha had publicly turned her trap against her.

And Adrian?

He was smirking.

Adrian: "Interesting."

He had just witnessed exactly why Tanisha Agnihotri was not a woman to be toyed with.

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