The morning started with tension in the air. Not the stormy kind, but the silent pressure that follows whispered secrets and late-night kisses. It was the kind of tension that settles deep in the bones, the kind that lingers in stolen glances and unsaid words.
Zayan Khan entered Khan Global Enterprises early, crisp as always in a charcoal suit. The world outside was still shaking off sleep, but his mind was already racing. Today, his steps were heavier, more deliberate. The usual rhythm of his morning routine felt like background noise compared to the steady thrum in his chest.
The moment the elevator doors slid open, his eyes darted toward her desk—the one she always occupied with her chaotic presence, scribbled doodles, and half-finished notes.
It was empty.
He paused, jaw tightening.
Five minutes later, she rushed in. Damp from the light drizzle outside, hair tousled, cheeks flushed with color from the morning chill. A spiral notebook was clutched to her chest, her bag threatening to slip off one shoulder.
He didn't wait.
"Andaleeb. My office. Now."
The Relocation
She followed, puzzled. "If this is about the coffee I spilled yesterday, I swear Aryan distracted me—"
Zayan didn't look at her. He went straight to his desk, typing something into his laptop. "You're moving floors."
Her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
He finally looked up. "To this floor. Starting today, you'll be working as my temporary personal assistant."
She blinked. "Are you seriously firing me and rehiring me in the same breath?"
He gave a long-suffering sigh. "You're being dramatic. You're not fired. Your role is just shifting. Temporarily. You'll sit at the desk outside my office."
She crossed her arms. "And this shift has nothing to do with the fact that Aleena tried to throw me under the bus yesterday?"
His silence was answer enough.
"This is about protection, isn't it?" she asked, voice softer.
Zayan didn't respond. He only said, "Your system access will be upgraded. Aryan is already setting up your new login."
Andaleeb stood there for a long moment, searching his expression.
Finally, she gave a lopsided smile. "Fine. But I'm still taking my tea breaks. Even if I sit outside your glass fortress."
He almost smiled.
Aleena's Coffee Trap
Later that day, Aleena Hashmi approached with a friendly smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Andaleeb, dear," she said smoothly. "How about a cup of coffee? Just us girls in the executive lounge?"
Andaleeb hesitated. Every instinct told her to decline, but she couldn't find a graceful way out.
"Sure," she said warily.
The executive lounge was minimalistic and sterile. Polished wood. Silver counters. A lingering scent of imported coffee beans.
Aleena poured tea with graceful precision, her every move calculated.
"So," she began, "tell me about your family. Are they in Islamabad too?"
Andaleeb stirred her cup slowly. "Somewhere far. I moved a lot."
Aleena leaned forward. "No cousins? Siblings? You seem… unrooted."
Andaleeb gave a tight smile. "Maybe I'm just hard to track."
They laughed, but the mirth didn't reach either of their eyes.
As they stood to leave, Aleena reached for Andaleeb's empty glass.
"I'll take care of this," she said.
She slipped it into her purse with practiced ease.
Eman & Haroon: Satellite Alert
Back at Zareen's Cafe, a storm was brewing—not outside, but across glowing screens.
Eman and Haroon were deep into satellite diagnostics when the alert flashed.
"Unauthorized biometric scan triggered," Haroon read aloud.
Eman's expression darkened. "Someone accessed her DNA?"
Haroon tapped rapidly on the console. "This wasn't a random scan. It was deliberate. Focused. The glass... it must've been stolen."
Eman paced. "It's Aleena. She's been circling Andaleeb like a hawk. We need to shut this down."
"If we don't act soon, they'll trace her source coordinates. And if they do—"
"We initiate jump protocol," Eman finished grimly.
Haroon hesitated. "Do you think she's ready? To leave him?"
Eman didn't answer. Because they both knew the truth.
She wasn't.
Night Drive, Quiet Promises
Later that night, as rain misted the streets, Zayan pulled up outside the cafe. Andaleeb stepped out, pulling her coat tighter around herself.
She didn't expect to see him.
"Get in," he said, rolling the window down.
She climbed in without protest.
They drove in silence, the city lights blurring past. Finally, Zayan turned off the main road, heading toward the secluded lake.
"You're acting like you're preparing for war," she murmured.
"Maybe I am."
He reached into the glove box and retrieved a velvet box. Inside was a delicate silver bracelet.
"It's a tracker," he admitted. "Styled as jewelry. If something happens, I want to find you."
She stared at it. "Why?"
His eyes were steady. "Because I'm not sure I'd survive losing you."
Her breath caught.
"You don't even know who I am."
"Maybe I don't care."
She slowly extended her wrist. He clasped the bracelet gently, the contact lingering.
In that silent exchange, something settled between them. Not peace, not clarity, but a fragile thread of trust.
Aleena's Discovery
Meanwhile, in her penthouse, Aleena Hashmi watched the screen as data streamed in.
A nervous scientist appeared via holo-link. "The analysis is... unusual."
"Speak plainly," Aleena ordered.
"Her DNA structure doesn't match any human sequence. At least, not fully."
"So she's not human."
"I don't know what she is. But it's not from here."
Aleena sat back, processing the implications. "Perfect."
She ended the call, then picked up a secure phone.
"Sector Nine? I have something you'll want to see."
Her smile was like frost.
"Let the game begin."
End of Chapter 25