The explosion shook the entire hotel.
Glass windows rattled violently while frightened guests screamed and rushed toward the exits.
Smoke spread across the lower floors.
Aryan immediately moved Nithya away from the terrace entrance.
"Stay here."
Nithya looked at him sharply.
"No."
Aryan knew that answer already.
"You're impossible."
"So are you."
She quickly checked the security communication on her phone.
"Rohan?"
His voice came through immediately.
"Sir! The main lobby is blocked. We have multiple attackers inside the building."
Aryan's expression became cold.
"How many?"
"At least twenty."
Nithya looked toward Aryan.
"This isn't an attack."
Aryan nodded.
"It's a distraction."
Suddenly another explosion echoed from the opposite side of the hotel.
The lights went out.
Complete darkness covered the ballroom.
For a few seconds, nobody could see anything.
Then emergency lights turned on.
Red.
Dim.
Unsettling.
Aryan immediately held Nithya's hand.
"Stay with me."
This time she didn't argue.
They moved through the crowd toward a private corridor while Aryan's security team formed a protective circle around them.
As they reached the staircase, Nithya suddenly stopped.
Aryan turned.
"What?"
She pointed toward the floor.
A small black device blinked beneath a table.
"Another explosive."
Aryan immediately ordered everyone back.
"Move!"
The security team rushed the guests away.
A few seconds later, the device exploded.
The blast shook the corridor but caused no serious injuries.
Aryan looked at Nithya.
She remained calm.
"You saw it."
"Yes."
"Good."
She looked at him.
"You trust me."
"Completely."
That answer came instantly.
They finally reached a secure underground parking area.
Several black vehicles waited there.
Rohan ran toward them.
"Sir! We found something."
He handed Aryan a tablet.
A live security recording showed Lucien leaving the hotel through a private entrance ten minutes before the first explosion.
Nithya's eyes narrowed.
"He planned everything."
Aryan's expression remained cold.
"Of course."
Rohan continued.
"But there's something else."
He switched to another camera.
A man wearing a hood entered the hotel shortly before Lucien left.
His face was hidden.
Nithya stared at the screen.
"I know that movement."
Aryan looked toward her.
"Who?"
She paused.
Then her expression changed completely.
"Someone from my past."
The car became silent.
Aryan's eyes sharpened.
"Name."
Nithya didn't answer immediately.
She continued watching the recording.
Finally she whispered,
"Vikram."
Aryan frowned.
"Who is Vikram?"
Nithya looked at him seriously.
"He was one of the people who helped build Devil's first network."
Rohan looked shocked.
"But you said your old network was destroyed years ago."
"It was."
Nithya's voice became colder.
"Vikram disappeared."
Aryan understood immediately.
"And now he's working for Lucien."
Nithya nodded.
"Yes."
Aryan stared at the screen again.
Lucien had not simply attacked them.
He had found someone who knew Devil's old network.
Someone who understood her weaknesses.
Someone who knew her history.
This was no longer simple rivalry.
It was personal.
Aryan looked at Nithya.
"Why didn't you tell me about him?"
Nithya lowered her eyes for a moment.
"Because I thought he was dead."
Aryan's expression softened slightly.
Then he gently touched her shoulder.
"You don't have to hide your past from me."
Nithya looked up.
"I know."
Suddenly Rohan's phone rang.
He answered immediately.
His expression changed.
"Sir…"
Aryan turned.
"What?"
Rohan swallowed.
"We just received a message."
"From whom?"
"Lucien."
He handed the phone to Aryan.
The screen showed a single message:
"Eagle, tonight was only a warning. Next time, I won't attack your empire."
Aryan's eyes narrowed.
Another message appeared.
"I'll attack your heart."
Nithya read it too.
For a moment, she remained completely silent.
Then Devil's cold smile appeared.
Aryan noticed.
"What?"
Nithya looked directly at him.
"He thinks I'm your weakness."
Aryan's expression became deadly calm.
"Let him think that."
Nithya's smile grew slightly.
"Because he doesn't know…"
She stepped closer to Aryan.
"…that I'm also your strongest weapon."
Aryan smiled.
"Exactly."
The car doors closed.
Eagle and Devil were no longer running from Lucien.
They were hunting him.