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"What happened? Who's texting you this late?" Yunah asked, her eyes narrowing with a sudden, sharp curiosity.
"It's just my Uncle Ashish," Noah replied. His face was a mask of perfect composure as the lie slipped out. "He wants to discuss something with me." He stood up, his fingers tightening around the phone. "I'll be right back. I just need to take this quickly."
He started to step away, but Yunah's voice stopped him cold.
"Do you really need to walk away just to talk to your uncle?" she asked, her suspicion flaring. "Are you sure it's him?" She gave him a look that clearly screamed she wasn't buying his sudden need for privacy.
Noah felt a flicker of nerves, but he buried it deep. "It's really is him, Di," he insisted, his voice smooth and convincing. "I just didn't want to disturb you. He usually calls me to complain about his wife, and I didn't want you to have to listen to his venting."
Yunah paused, studying him for a long beat before her expression softened. "It's okay," she said. "I don't mind."
"Then..." Noah sat back down, his pulse racing. He couldn't risk looking at her as he dialed the number. "I'll just take it here."
He prayed for the call to go to voicemail, but Ashish was the ultimate professional. He was Noah's right hand for a reason—he never missed a call. It rang twice before the line clicked open.
"Hello, Young Master," Ashish's voice came through, calm and respectful as always.
Noah stiffened, clearing his throat to mask the tremor in his voice. "Uncle Ashish? You wanted to talk? Did Auntie cause trouble again?" He forced an awkward, slightly annoyed tone.
On the other end, Ashish froze. "Young Master... are you alright?" he asked, genuine concern breaking through his professional exterior. He had never heard Noah sound so... strange.
"Ah! So she did cause trouble. What was it this time?" Noah let out a forced, nervous laugh, glancing toward Yunah. "My aunt is at it again," he whispered to her, a signal to Ashish that they were being overheard.
Ashish caught on instantly. He suppressed a smile at his young master's uncharacteristic fumbling and got straight to the point.
"Yunah's father caused a massive scene at a casino in Darjeeling. He provoked members of the Eagle's Claw." He paused, his voice turning grimmer. "And he's already drained every cent from the card you gave him."
"Oh... is that what happened?" Noah forced another laugh, though his eyes remained cold and lethal. "I'll call you back when I have a free moment, Uncle. I'm a little busy right now."
"Understood, Young Master. But regarding the money... do you want me to keep funding him or cut him off?"
"A gift? That's perfect. Just give it to her," Noah replied casually, his words a coded instruction to pay off the trouble. "I'm hanging up now. Goodnight, Uncle."
He ended the call and let out a long, slow sigh.
"Are you two really that close?" Yunah asked, watching him with a soft, curious expression.
"Yeah... very close," Noah stammered, his heart finally slowing down.
"I can tell," Yunah said with a small, innocent smile. "The way he complains about his wife to you... it's sweet."
Noah stared at her. Her innocence was a physical weight in his chest. He was lying to her, tricking her, and manipulating the reality around her—and yet she believed every word. A flicker of guilt touched him, but it was quickly swallowed by his resolve. He would go to any length, tell any lie, and burn any bridge to keep her by his side.
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While Noah and Yunah remained locked in their own world, oblivious to the camp around them, Serena and Nerav sat back, nursing their beers and observing the spectacle.
"Doesn't it bother you?" Serena asked, tilting her head toward Nerav. "Your younger brother is clearly falling for a woman five years his senior. You don't have a problem with that?"
Nerav let out a short, dry scoff before taking a slow sip of his beer. "No," he replied, his voice steady and certain. "If she's the one who finally makes him happy, I have zero objections."
Serena blinked, caught off guard by his modern outlook. A small, impressed smile tugged at her lips. "Wow... you're actually a remarkably decent brother, aren't you?"
Nerav offered her a soft, effortless smile. "I have my moments."
Serena turned her gaze back to the couple in the shadows, a thought finally clicking in the back of her mind. "You know... I've been meaning to tell you something since we got here."
"Oh? And what's that?" he asked, his tone laced with a hint of playful curiosity.
"I kept thinking you looked familiar," Serena said, taking a casual swig of her beer. "I just realized—you're a dead ringer for the Chairman of N&N Enterprises, Nerav Shrestha. It's almost uncanny."
Nerav let out a low, melodic laugh. He found it endlessly entertaining that she was staring directly at the man she was describing and still hadn't connected the dots.
"Oh? Is that so?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Totally," Serena replied quickly, her mind still not quite there. "By the way, I actually never got the chance to ask you your name. What is it?"
Nerav paused for a heartbeat, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Nerav."
"Oh, Ne—" Serena started to repeat it, but the name caught in her throat. The gears in her head ground to a screeching halt as the realization hit her like a physical blow. She jolted upright, her beer nearly sloshing over the rim of the can.
"You..." she stammered, her voice rising in sheer disbelief. "No way. Don't tell me... You actually are Nerav Shrestha? The Chairman of N&N enterprises...."