Chapter 4

It started with a whisper.

A feeling.

That eerie prickle at the back of Malishka's neck as she walked home from work.

At first, she brushed it off. Big city. Late hour. Probably just her imagination.

But when it happened again the next night, and again after that—her instincts screamed louder.

Someone was watching her.

---

KnightCorp – The Next Morning

"Why are you looking like a horror heroine who just survived a haunted house?" Rhea asked, sliding into the seat next to her.

"I…" Malishka hesitated. "I think someone's following me."

Rhea's laughter vanished. "Wait, what? Are you serious?"

Malishka nodded. "I haven't seen anyone clearly, but there's this... presence. I know it sounds stupid."

"It doesn't," Rhea said firmly. "Have you told anyone else?"

"No. And definitely not Rivan."

"Why not him? He'd go full 'CEO-Turned-Avenger' mode!"

"That's exactly why," Malishka said. "I don't want to give him any reason to think I need him."

Rhea raised a brow. "You mean besides the part where someone might be stalking you?"

Malishka stayed silent.

Truth was—she didn't trust herself around Rivan.

Because no matter how much she denied it, one look, one word, and her carefully built walls began to tremble.

---

Elsewhere – A Hidden Surveillance Room

A wall of screens glowed in the dark.

One showed Malishka entering the office. Another showed her building's entrance. A third—a long zoomed-in shot of her walking home.

"Too close," Rivan muttered, his voice low.

Aaryan leaned against the wall behind him, arms crossed. "You've got eyes on every corner of her life, yet she doesn't even know you're watching."

"She doesn't need to know," Rivan replied. "She just needs to stay alive."

"She's not your pawn, bro. She's your past."

"No," Rivan corrected. "She's mine. And someone's already noticed that."

---

Later That Day – KnightCorp Boardroom

Malishka stood before a group of executives, delivering her first presentation.

Her voice was steady, her points sharp. She had prepared all night.

But as she turned the last slide, her eyes met his.

Rivan.

Leaning back in his chair, watching her like she was more than the subject of a business meeting.

Like she was his obsession.

The room clapped.

Rivan didn't move.

But as everyone stood to leave, he walked up to her, slow and deliberate.

"That was impressive," he said.

"I didn't do it for your approval," she replied, holding the file tightly.

His lips curved. "But you got it anyway."

Before she could respond, a voice broke through.

"Mr. Knight," said a woman in a tight red dress, walking in with the confidence of a queen. "So good to see you again."

Malishka's eyes narrowed slightly.

The woman turned to her. "And who's this?"

"Malishka Kapoor," Rivan said smoothly. "One of our brightest additions."

"Bright and beautiful," the woman said, smirking. "I'm Kiara. Old friend of Rivan's."

"Pleasure," Malishka said, her voice cool.

Rivan didn't stop Kiara's flirtatious touch on his arm.

And something inside Malishka snapped.

---

After the Meeting – Balcony

She stepped outside to catch her breath, the cold wind helping her hide the heat rising to her cheeks.

And of course—

He followed.

"I didn't know Kiara would show up," he said calmly.

"She seemed comfortable touching you," Malishka replied without looking at him.

"Jealous?"

She turned to him sharply. "No. But apparently I should be worried about women crawling all over their bosses."

He moved closer, eyes dark. "You think I'd let anyone crawl near me if I didn't want to make someone else react?"

She blinked.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked. "You broke me once. Now you show up in my life, play mind games, and expect what? That I'll fall again?"

"I expect nothing," he said. "But I never stopped watching you. And now... someone else is too."

He handed her a photo.

Grainy.

A figure in a hoodie, standing near her building's gate.

"I've increased your security. Don't argue," he said before she could speak. "You think I'm dangerous? They're worse."

Her voice trembled slightly. "What did you get me into, Rivan?"

He looked away.

"You were already in it. The day you said yes to me in college."

---

That Night – Knight Mansion

Siyana danced into the hall in bunny slippers, holding a bowl of popcorn.

"Bhai! Movie night?"

Rivan glanced at her and smiled softly. "Sure. Pick something where people don't die in the end."

"Ugh, you and your sad endings," she pouted.

As she skipped away, Raunak Knight entered.

"You really brought her back into your orbit," he said without greeting.

"I had no choice."

Raunak sipped his drink, eyes gleaming. "Choices make us human. No choices make us monsters."

"I'm not a monster," Rivan said, his voice icy.

Raunak smiled.

"No. But you're mine. And in our world, love is a weakness you bleed from."