HIS POV — RISHABH
The phone rang once.
That was enough.
Riya never called me.
Not like this. Not this late. Not with silence screaming on the other end.
I was already on my feet when the call cut off.
"She's in danger."
The words left my mouth before my mind could stop them.
My driver didn't ask questions. He never did when my tone dropped like that. The engine roared to life, the city blurring past the windows as my jaw clenched tighter with every second.
He's here. He knows. Help me.
Three lines.
No panic in the typing. No extra words.
That terrified me more than screaming ever could.
Riya only went calm when she was cornered.
I pulled out my phone and called her back immediately.
No answer.
Again.
My grip tightened until the phone creaked slightly under my fingers.
"Track her phone," I said sharply into my comm. "Now."
A pause. Then— "Location confirmed. Apartment. Same building as before."
Of course it was.
Alex.
I had felt it the moment I saw him tonight—the way his eyes lingered half a second too long, the way his hand stayed just a fraction closer to Riya than it should have. He didn't look like a boyfriend.
He looked like a man checking his possession.
"Increase speed," I ordered quietly.
The SUV surged forward.
I pictured her apartment. The narrow kitchen. The counter she always leaned against when she was tired. The window she forgot to lock sometimes.
And I imagined him there.
Too close.I arrived at her building and cut the engine.
Too fast.
Too quiet.
I looked up instinctively.
Second floor.
Her window light was on.
My jaw tightened.
She never kept the lights on this late unless she was anxious—or waiting.
I got out of the car, my footsteps sharp against the concrete as I entered the building. The corridor smelled stale. Empty. No voices. No movement.
Wrong.
I took the stairs two at a time.
Second floor.
Riya's front door was closed.
My hand was already on the door handle.
Unlocked.
That alone sent a warning straight down my spine.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The apartment lights were dim. Too dim. Shadows clung to the corners like they were hiding something. I scanned the room instinctively—sofa, table, window, hallway.
Nothing broken.
Nothing out of place.
Which was worse.
Then I saw movement.
Alex walked out of the kitchen slowly, like he owned the space.
Like he'd been expecting me.
"You," I said.
The word came out flat. Dangerous.
Alex smiled calmly. Not nervous. Not surprised.
Behind him—
Riya.
She stood near the counter, wrapped in herself, shoulders drawn in. Her face was pale, eyes dull, like she was looking through the room instead of at it.
My chest tightened.
"Riya," I said softly, immediately shifting my focus to her. "You okay?"
For a second, she didn't answer.
Didn't move.
Then her eyes lifted to mine.
And shattered.
Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Her knees wobbled slightly, like she'd been holding herself together by force alone.
Alex shifted, subtly stepping into my line of sight.
"She's fine," he said smoothly. "Just overwhelmed."
I took one step forward.
Alex didn't move away.
I stopped—not because of him.
Because Riya flinched.
That tiny movement did something ugly to my control.
"Riya," I said again, slower this time. "Look at me. You're safe."
Her fingers curled into the fabric of her sleeve. She nodded once.
Barely.
No words.
That nod told me everything.
I straightened.
My voice dropped.
"Move," I said to Alex.
His smile thinned. "You don't get to walk into my relationship and make demands."
I laughed once.
Short. Cold.
"You don't get to stand between me and someone who's scared of you."
Silence stretched.
The air felt tight. Loaded.
Riya's breath hitched behind him.
That was it.
I took another step forward.
"This ends now," I said quietly. "Step away from her."
Alex's eyes darkened.
But for the first time—
He hesitated.
And I knew.
Alex didn't move. He stood his ground, but I could see the slight tension in his shoulders—the way his weight shifted to the balls of his feet. He was deciding whether to fight or to play the victim.
I didn't give him the chance to choose.
I bypassed him entirely. I didn't go for the man; I went for the woman. I reached out, my hand hovering just inches from Riya's arm. I wouldn't touch her—not yet. Not while she looked like a deer staring into the headlights of a predator.
"Riya," I said, my voice vibrating with a restraint that cost me everything. "Walk to the door. My car is outside. Don't look back."
"She's not going anywhere," Alex snapped, his hand shooting out to grab my shoulder.
It was the mistake I was waiting for.
I didn't think. I reacted. I grabbed his wrist in a grip that would leave bruises for weeks and twisted it back. I stepped into his space, my face inches from his.
"You made a mistake coming back here tonight," I growled, low enough that only he could hear. "I've been looking for a reason to break you, Alex. Don't give me one in front of her."
Riya gasped, her back hitting the counter. "Stop! Both of you, stop!"
But Alex wasn't looking at Riya anymore. He was looking at me, a twisted kind of recognition in his eyes.
"You're just like me, aren't you, Rishabh?" he hissed through the pain. "You don't want to save her. You just want to be the one holding the leash."
Do you want the next part to be a physical fight between them, or should Riya intervene and surprise both of them?