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"W-What are you doing?" Yunah stammered, confusion tangling with fear as she tried to pull her hand back. "Why won't you let me take the call?"
Noah's grip didn't loosen. His eyes—dark, unreadable—stayed locked on her face, sharp enough to make her breath hitch.
Then, as if a switch flipped, he blinked and released her wrist.
"Ah—sorry." He stepped back at once, his voice calm, controlled, almost too polished. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Yunah rubbed her wrist, still stunned.
"It's just… that was Ashish," Noah continued smoothly. "My uncle. Earlier, when you were asleep, I couldn't find my phone, so I used yours to call him. He's probably returning the call now." He gave a casual shrug. "I'll explain. No big deal."
It was a lie—clean, effortless.
"Oh… o-okay," Yunah murmured, still unsettled. She handed him her phone without thinking.
"I'll be quick," Noah said, already turning away. He stepped out of the car, putting distance between them as if nothing unusual had happened.
Yunah watched him go, one hand pressed to her chest. Her heartbeat was erratic, loud in her ears—still racing from the way he had held her wrist, from the cold intensity in his eyes. She didn't understand it. The fear. The pull. The strange flutter that refused to settle.
What was that feeling? She asked to herself.
Taking a long, steady breath, she pushed the door open and stepped out. She smoothed her hair, straightened her dress, and forced her expression back into place.
Then she walked towards the group in the distance—towards the laughter, the chatter, the illusion of normalcy—leaving the unanswered questions pounding quietly inside her.
******************
Meanwhile, on the other side, Noah answered the call. The moment he brought the phone to his ear, his expression hardened—dark, lethal—like he could reach through the line and strangle the man on the other end.
He didn't speak. Not a word. He waited.
The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.
Finally, Gaurav broke it.
"Hello, Yunah."
"It's not her." Noah's voice cut through the line—low, cold, edged with violence. His jaw clenched hard at the sound of her name on another man's tongue.
A pause. Then, "Who are you?" Gaurav asked, his tone equally flat.
Noah's lips curled into a humorless smile.
"I'm her boyfriend," he said mockingly. "Did you forget? Or are you pretending you don't recognize me?"
A laugh came from the other end—soft, arrogant."You? Her boyfriend?" Gaurav scoffed. "Don't act. I know you're not. She's just trying to make me jealous."
"Jealous?" Noah dragged a hand through his hair, temper snapping. His grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"You must really enjoy living in delusion." His voice dropped even lower. "Yunah and I are together. And this is the last warning you'll ever get." He leaned slightly forward, as if Gaurav could see him."Don't contact her. Don't try to meet her. Do nothing." A dangerous pause. "Otherwise, you'll regret it. I swear."
Before Gaurav could respond, Noah ended the call. His chest rose and fell sharply. If the conversation had gone on even a second longer, he knew he wouldn't have been able to control himself—and Yunah could never find out about this.
He blocked the number without hesitation, took a slow, steady breath, and schooled his expression back into calm.
Then he turned and walked towards the tent, carrying the storm inside him where no one could see it.
*******************
Yunah approached everyone slowly, absently twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. Nervous. She already knew Serena wouldn't miss the chance to tease her—after all, the camping trip had been her idea, and she'd slept through most of it while everyone else did the work.
"Oh, look who finally decided to wake up," Serena announced the moment she noticed her. "Her Highness graces us with her presence after a very beautiful sleep."
Yunah forced a sheepish smile. Everyone was seated on a mat, munching on evening snacks except Ivan and Nerav. They both were grilling meat. All eyes casually drifting towards her.
"I think I… slept a little too long," Yunah admitted, scratching the back of her head. "Sorry about that. But—" she narrowed her eyes at Serena, "—why didn't you wake me up?"
Serena puffed her cheeks, folding her arms. "Because your knight in shining armour strictly ordered me not to."
"Did he…?" Yunah murmured under her breath, her thoughts drifting the moment Noah's face flashed in her mind.
"What are you thinking so hard about?" Serena asked, waving a hand in front of Yunah's face.
Yunah shook her head lightly. "Nothing." Then, as if remembering something, she added, "I heard Sharon da came late too…"
"Yeah," Sharon said as he stepped out of the van, hands tucked into his jacket pockets, his gaze landing on Yunah.
"Then how about this," Yunah said, straightening up. "Sharon da and I will grill the meat for everyone—to make up for our absence earlier."
Serena's face lit up instantly. "Awesome!" She clapped her hands. "Then both of you, get to work."
"So… we're finally free?" Ivan asked, eyes shining as sweat trickled down his forehead. He and Nerav had clearly suffered at the grill.
"Yeah," Serena replied casually.
"Are you sure you two can handle all of that? There's a lot," Nerav said, peeling off his food gloves.
Yunah nodded, smiling softly. "Don't worry. We've got it."
"She's right," Serena added confidently, glancing at Nerav. "You have no idea how dangerous these two are when it comes to cooking."
"Well then…" Nerav shrugged. "All yours."
Ivan and Nerav gladly abandoned their posts, while Yunah and Sharon stepped in.
"Wahhh, this is heaven," Ivan sighed as he collapsed into a foldable chair. Then he glanced around. "Wait—where's Noah?"
"There," Nerav replied, nodding towards the path. "He's coming."
The moment Noah appeared, Nisha rushed towards him, a sly smile playing on her lips.
Serena's expression shifted instantly—something about it felt off.
"This girl really has no shame," Serena muttered into Nerav's ear. "Your brother looks completely uninterested, yet she keeps throwing herself at him."
Nerav scoffed softly, glancing at Serena, but she didn't notice—her attention was fixed on Noah and Nisha.
"Noah," Nisha asked sweetly, her voice overly gentle, "where have you been?"
Noah didn't respond.
In fact, he didn't even hear her. His entire focus was locked onto Yunah—laughing, smiling brightly as she chatted with Sharon while grilling meat beside him. His jaw tightened. His fist clenched. Jealousy flared sharp and sudden. Without sparing Nisha a glance, Noah walked past her, straight towards Yunah and Sharon. The possessive weight of his glare didn't go unnoticed—everyone felt it, especially Sharon.
Nisha stood frozen, embarrassment burning her cheeks.
"Poor thing," Serena whispered, loud enough for Nerav to hear.
"I know," Nerav replied quietly, watching Noah. "My brother's attention has already been claimed. Once that happens… there's no turning back. He won't look at anyone else again."
******************
Noah walked straight towards Yunah and Sharon, who were laughing over something, standing a little too close for his liking.
Without warning, Noah stepped right between them—childish, blatant, and completely unapologetic—forcing space where there hadn't been any a second ago.
"What the—" Sharon muttered, clearly offended, shooting Noah a sharp glare.
Noah didn't even acknowledge him.
To Noah, Sharon didn't exist. He was air.
"Di," Noah said smoothly, turning only to Yunah as if nothing had happened. He held out her phone with a faint, almost smug smile. "Your phone."
"Oh… thank you," Yunah said, taking it. She glanced at his face—then at his eyes. "Did you finish talking?"
"Hm." Noah nodded obediently, like a kid waiting for approval.
Nerav, watching from a distance, stared in disbelief."I refuse to believe that's my rebellious younger brother," he muttered, rubbing his face. "What the hell happened to him…"
Yunah smiled, wiping sweat from her forehead with the hem of her sleeve. "Do you want some grilled meat?"
"No."
Before she could react, Noah pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gently dabbed the sweat from her face—slow, careful, intimate.
The entire campsite went quiet for half a second.Yunah's heart slammed against her ribs, loud enough she was sure someone could hear it. Warmth bloomed in her chest. Butterflies spiraled wildly in her stomach.
Nisha, watching from across the mat, stiffened. The affection, so open and effortless, burned. Hurt twisted into anger as she turned sharply and walked away.
Ivan noticed immediately. He followed after her without a word.
"L-let me do it myself," Yunah said softly, cheeks flushing as she took the handkerchief from Noah's fingers. She quickly wiped her face herself, avoiding his gaze.
Noah just smiled. He reached for the grill tongs, stepping closer. "I'll help."
"No," Yunah said gently but firmly, stopping him. "You should go sit. Sharon da and I are handling this—to make up for our absence earlier."
Noah didn't move.
Instead, he stepped exactly between Yunah and Sharon again, claiming the space like it was his rightful place.
"Don't worry, Di," he said casually, already flipping the meat on the grill. "I'm helping because I'm bored." He smirked slightly. "And I'm pretty good at this."
Sharon's jaw tightened. His glare burned straight into Noah's back, irritation and offense written all over his face.
Noah didn't care.
He never even looked at him.
----------------------------
A Few Hours Later.
Laughter, music, and clinking glasses filled the campsite. Everyone was drunk on warmth—on food, on wine, on the careless joy of the night.
Yunah was in the middle of it all. She danced freely to the loud music, a glass of wine in her hand, Serena beside her—laughing, spinning, completely drunk. Yunah's smile was radiant, unguarded, brighter than it had been in a long time.
Across the clearing, Noah sat back in his chair, silent. His eyes never left her. Every laugh. Every movement. Every careless sway of her hair—he watched it all, affection softening his sharp features. For him, the noise faded. There was only Yunah.
After a while, the dancing caught up to her. Breathless and flushed, Yunah dropped into the empty chair beside Noah, chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath.
Noah turned to her immediately. "Tired?" he asked, his voice gentle, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Yeah…" Yunah laughed softly, wiping her forehead. Her gaze drifted back to Serena, who was still dancing wildly, wine sloshing dangerously in her glass.
"Want some water?" Noah asked, his eyes still fixed on her face.
"No," Yunah shook her head and reached into her pocket, frowning.
"What are you looking for?" Noah asked, curious.
"My phone…" She stood up, patting the back pocket of her jeans. "I think I left it inside the tent earlier."
"Oh." Noah rose slightly. "Want me to get it for you?"
"No, it's fine," Yunah said quickly. "I'll go."
She headed towards the tents, steps a little unsteady from the wine. The rows of fabric blurred together, shadows shifting in the low light.
Distracted, she stopped at the wrong tent.
Just as she reached for the zipper—
A voice cut through the night.
Sharp. Cold. Familiar.
"Do you think I'm a fool?" Sabin's voice snarled from inside. "I saw everything earlier. The way you were seducing that guy." His tone dropped, dangerous. "What is it now, huh? You interested in younger men?"
"Ah—!" Preeti cried out in pain.
Yunah froze.
"Sabin, please…" Preeti sobbed, her voice shaking with terror. "I swear nothing is going on. I don't even know him. Please—"
"Lie as much as you want," Sabin snapped.
"When we get back, I'll make you tell the truth."
Yunah stood rooted to the spot, blood rushing in her ears.
Her cousin. Her friend is being mistreated or might also be the victim of domestic violence.
Her hands curled into fists. Every instinct screamed at her to rush in, to slap Sabin, to pull Preeti out—but her mind held her back. She had only heard voices. No proof. Acting recklessly could make things worse. Her chest tightened painfully.
Just as she decided to retreat—
Movement.
The rustle of fabric.
Sabin was coming out.
Panic shot through her veins. Yunah turned quickly to leave—
Her foot caught on something as she stumbled and fell hard with a thud.The sound echoed through the campsite like a gunshot.
"Who's there?" Sabin barked, unzipping the tent aggressively.
Yunah stayed frozen on the ground, heart pounding violently, breath trapped in her chest because of the fear of getting caught.