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"Auntie, have you lost your mind?!"
Yogesh stormed in, his voice slicing through the chaos. He planted himself firmly in front of Yunah, blocking her from the woman. "How dare you attack someone like that?"
Behind him, Noah said nothing. He gently brushed his fingers over the angry red marks on Yunah's neck—slow, careful, almost reverent. But his eyes… they were lethal. Dark. Murderous. They promised one thing very clearly: this won't be forgotten.
Arav's wife pushed herself up from the cold ground, rage burning in her eyes as she faced Yogesh. "And who are you?" she spat. "Another one of this whore's little playthings?"
The moment the word left her mouth, something inside Noah snapped. His jaw tightened. His fist clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.
"What the hell—" Yogesh exploded. "I can't believe this psycho woman!" He fumbled for his phone, fury shaking his hands. "I'm calling the police."
Yunah's gaze drifted upward to Noah. He stood on her side like a wall—silent, restrained, holding back a storm powerful enough to destroy everything in its path. One hand still hovered near her bruised neck, gentle despite the rage consuming him. The other remained clenched, trembling with barely contained violence.
She noticed.
Slowly, she reached back and placed her hand over his fist.
"I'm okay," she whispered, looking up at him.
His eyes softened instantly. The tension in his hand eased under her touch."I know," he replied quietly. Then, after a brief pause, his voice dropped lower. "But I'm not okay with seeing you hurt. Not again."
"You whore!" Arav's wife screamed, completely unhinged. "Not satisfied with older men, now you're seducing younger ones too?!"
"Watch your mouth." Yunah snapped. She stepped forward, her voice cold, steady—dangerously calm. Noah shifted behind her like a knight unsheathing his sword, ready to act the second things turned ugly."You're wrong," Yunah continued, her eyes locking onto the woman's. "I don't know where your husband is. But yes—I did meet him. At Paradise Hotel."
Yogesh stiffened.
"He tried to sell me out in exchange for the investment to someone," Yunah said flatly. "I managed to escape. Your husband literally tried to abuse me."
The words landed like gunshots in Yogesh's chest as he got dumbfounded in shock.
"If you don't believe me," she added, unwavering, "check the CCTV footage from that day."
"W-What…?" Yogesh whispered, staring at her in disbelief. His chest tightened, breath turning heavy. So much pain… and I knew nothing. The guilt crushed him.What kind of brother am I if I couldn't even protect her? Yogesh cursed himself.
"No—no, you're lying!" Arav's wife screamed, clawing at her own hair. "My husband isn't like that!"
Sirens approached.
The police arrived quickly, restraining her as she continued shouting. Yunah gave her statement calmly, her voice steady despite everything. Yogesh stood beside Noah, silent, still processing the truth he'd just learned.
"Don't question her," Noah said quietly, watching Yunah from a distance. His hands slid into the pockets of his black trousers.
"What do you mean, don't question her?" Yogesh snapped, turning to him. "I'm her brother. Don't I have the right?"
"You do," Noah replied evenly, meeting his gaze. "But asking her will only hurt her more. Do you know why she hid it from you?"
Yogesh stayed silent.
"Because shame is heavier than pain," Noah continued. "Because remembering it hurts more than staying quiet. Do you want her to relive that humiliation? To feel exposed again?" He paused, then added firmly,"What's gone is gone. Focus on what comes next. Make sure this never happens to her again."
Yogesh exhaled slowly.
He wanted answers—but more than that, he wanted his sister safe. Happy. Free. If staying silent meant she felt secure enough to open up someday… then he would wait.
"What are you two talking about so seriously?" Yunah asked, walking back toward them after finishing with the police.
"Nothing," Yogesh replied quickly, forcing a smile. "Just… Independence Day stuff."
"Oh." Yunah frowned slightly, sensing the tension—but let it go. "Let's go."
She walked ahead.
Yogesh and Noah followed her—one as her brother, the other as her shield—both silently vowing the same thing.
No one touches her again.
***************
On the Way.
Yunah sat in the front passenger seat, Noah beside her at the wheel. Yogesh occupied the back seat.
The car was wrapped in silence.
Only the distant horns, the rush of passing vehicles, and the hum of the engine filled the dark night as city lights streaked past the windows. The kind of silence that wasn't empty—just heavy.
Yunah glanced at the rearview mirror, catching Yogesh's reflection. Her fingers curled nervously in her lap.
Noah noticed immediately.
He spared her a brief glance while driving, his brows drawing together as he read the tension written all over her face.
She inhaled, then exhaled sharply.
"Uh… ahem." She cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "Yogesh…"
"Hm?" he responded, calm and steady.
"Don't you…" Her voice wavered for a second before she pushed through it. "Don't you have anything you want to ask me?"
There was a pause.
"I do," Yogesh replied simply. No hesitation. No anger. "But I won't."
Yunah stilled.
"I want you to tell me when you're ready," he continued, his voice firm but gentle. "Not because I forced you. Not because you felt cornered. When you feel safe enough to share." He paused, then added softly,"I'll wait."
The words hit her harder than any question ever could.
Yunah went quiet. Her eyes burned as tears gathered, threatening to spill. She hadn't realized—not really—that her little brother had grown up like this.
Without turning back, she shifted her gaze to the window. The city outside glowed in scattered lights, blurred and beautiful. She rolled the window down slowly, letting the cold night air rush in.
The wind brushed against her face, tangling her hair, carrying away the tightness in her chest bit by bit.
Noah watched her from the corner of his eye.
He didn't say anything—didn't need to.
The way she leaned into the wind, the quiet strength in her silence, the softness beneath it all—he took it in, memorizing her like something precious.
The car moved forward, cutting through the night—three hearts heavy with unspoken things, yet somehow… lighter than before.
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At Haven's Appartment.
A few hours later, in the dead of night, Noah quietly slipped out of his room.
Yunah and Yogesh were fast asleep, the apartment wrapped in deep, undisturbed silence. Dressed in a black turtleneck, dark pants, and a black leather jacket pulled snug around him, Noah moved with practiced ease.
He crossed the living room, shadows swallowing his steps as the dim moonlight barely traced his outline. Every movement was careful, controlled—soundless.
Reaching the exit, he turned the handle slowly and stepped outside. The door closed behind him with a soft, deliberate click, leaving the apartment exactly as it was.
Silent. Unaware.
And far from the storm he was about to walk into.
***************
At Shadow Veil's headquarters, Noah strode through the dimly lit corridor, his presence cutting through the shadows like a blade.
Men stationed along the hallway straightened instantly, bowing their heads as he passed. No one spoke. No one dared. His aura alone was enough to silence the air.
At the far end, Ashish stood waiting outside a closed door.
"Where is she?" Noah asked, his voice flat—dangerously calm.
"Inside," Ashish replied, respectful and precise.
Noah didn't say another word. He pushed the door open and walked in.
Arav's wife sat tied to a chair, wrists bound, bruises blooming darkly around her neck and arms—marks far crueler than the ones she had left on Yunah. Noah had made sure of that. Pain repaid. Doubled.
Her head snapped up when she saw him approach.
"Y-You…" she sneered weakly, eyes burning with hatred. "Aren't you that bitch's little boy toy?" Her lips twisted in disgust. "Did she send you to do this to me?"
"No." Noah sat down calmly in the chair opposite her, crossing one leg over the other. His tone was almost gentle. "And don't you ever insult her again." His gaze hardened, voice dropping into something lethal. "Say her name like that one more time, and I'll cut out your tongue."
She flinched.
"D-Do you think you can do whatever you want?" she stammered."I'll report you to the police—"
Noah let out a soft chuckle, amused.
"Auntie," he said lazily, leaning forward and interlacing his fingers, "I think you're confused." His eyes locked onto hers. "Who do you think got you released from the police station earlier today?"
Her face drained of color.
"Y-You… who are you?" Her voice trembled. "My husband—his disappearance… was that you?"
Noah scoffed, crossing his legs again. "Took you long enough to realise." He tilted his head slightly. "Do you have any idea what you did today?" His fingers snapped once.
A man stepped forward holding a tray with black gloves. Noah slipped them on slowly, deliberately."I really wanted to cut off those hands of yours," he continued coolly, flexing his fingers, "but I don't raise my hand against women or children."
Her breathing grew uneven.
"So I'll give you two options."
"O-Options?" she whispered, confused and terrified.
Noah clapped twice.
The door opened.
Two men dragged someone inside and dropped him onto the floor like discarded trash.
The man barely looked human anymore—filthy, broken, eyes vacant. A madman.
"Ar—Arav…" she whispered hoarsely, horror seeping into her voice.
But Arav didn't respond. He didn't even recognize her.
He was already gone.
Her strength collapsed. Tears spilled as she watched the man she once loved reduced to nothing.
"WHY?!" she screamed, thrashing against the restraints. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!"
Noah remained unmoved.
"Calm down," he said coldly. "Your husband isn't worth those tears."
He nodded to Ashish.
Ashish stepped forward, opening a laptop and placing it in front of her.
Videos. Files. Records.
Her husband—cheating, abusing, blackmailing women with MMS videos. Destroying lives. Again and again. Even after marriage. Even after becoming a father.
Her sobs broke into raw, shattered cries—not rage anymore. Just pain.
Noah stood.
"There's one billion dollars in that passbook," he said evenly. "Take it. Leave this country with your son. Everything is already arranged—new identities, safe locations. Your son's education will be sponsored until graduation." He paused, eyes cold."Or…" he glanced at Arav's broken form, "...stay here. With this cheating, half-mad excuse of a husband and rot together."
For a moment, she turned silent. Then finally she decided to go with the first option and choosed herself and her son.
Noah kept his word.
By the time he stepped out of Shadow Veil, everything was done. He slid a lollipop between his lips and tilted his head up, gazing at the star-filled sky.
"This world is full of fake people," he thought quietly. "I've always known that." His grip tightened around the stick."But Yunah…" His eyes softened, conflicted. "I want to trust you. I want to believe you'll love me for who I am… not my power, not my money."
A bitter smile tugged at his lips as he walked toward his car."But even if you love me for money," he admitted to the night, "I'll give it to you. All of it."
He opened the car door.
"Just don't leave me," he whispered. "No matter the reason… stay by my side."