THE NIGHT SHE WAS TAKEN

The distance between them lasted exactly two days.

For Aradhya, they felt longer.

Something had changed that day. Alessio’s words kept echoing in her mind—“Stay away. It’s not safe.”

But what did that even mean?

She sat in her room that evening, her books open in front of her, yet unread. Her thoughts were elsewhere—on a man who appeared out of nowhere and turned her peaceful world upside down.

“He’s hiding something,” she whispered to herself.

Not just something small.

Something dangerous.

And yet… despite everything, she wasn’t afraid of him.

She was afraid for him.

Across the city, Alessio stood in a dark warehouse, his patience wearing thin.

“You lost them?” his voice was dangerously calm.

One of his men lowered his head. “They disappeared after yesterday, boss. But we’re sure they’re still in the city.”

Alessio’s eyes hardened.

“They won’t leave,” he said coldly. “Not until they get what they want.”

“And what is that?” another man asked carefully.

A brief silence.

Then Alessio spoke, his voice quieter—but far more lethal.

“Me.”

But deep down…

He knew that wasn’t entirely true anymore.

Night fell.

The streets grew quieter, the air colder.

Aradhya stepped out of her tuition class, wrapping her shawl tightly around herself. The road ahead was dimly lit, with only a few streetlights flickering.

She checked her phone.

No messages.

For a brief moment, disappointment crossed her face.

Then she shook it off.

“Why am I even thinking about him?” she muttered softly.

She began walking.

Unaware that she wasn’t alone.

A car engine started in the distance.

Slowly.

Quietly.

Following.

Halfway down the street, Aradhya felt it.

That strange feeling.

As if someone was watching her.

She stopped.

Turned around.

Nothing.

The road was empty.

Her heart beat a little faster.

“Don’t overthink,” she told herself, trying to stay calm.

She turned back—

And froze.

A black car stood just a few feet away.

The door opened.

Two men stepped out.

“Aradhya Arora?” one of them asked casually.

Her grip tightened on her bag.

“Yes…?” she replied hesitantly.

The man smiled.

But there was no warmth in it.

“Come with us.”

Her heart dropped.

“I—I think you’ve got the wrong person.”

“No,” the other man said, stepping closer. “We don’t make mistakes.”

Panic began to rise inside her.

She took a step back.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The men exchanged a glance.

Then—

Everything happened too fast.

One of them grabbed her wrist.

She gasped, struggling.

“Let go of me!”

Her voice echoed in the empty street—but no one came.

Fear gripped her now.

Real.

Sharp.

Dangerous.

“Boss was right,” one of them muttered. “She’s important.”

That single sentence sent a chill down her spine.

Boss?

Important?

Before she could react further, a hand covered her mouth.

Her world blurred into chaos.

Across the city—

Alessio’s phone rang.

He picked it up instantly.

“Boss,” his man’s voice came through, urgent. “They made a move.”

Alessio’s heart stopped.

“Where?”

“Near the college area.”

A pause.

Then the words that changed everything—

“They took the girl.”

Silence.

Deadly silence.

For the first time in years…

Alessio Russo lost control.

The phone slipped slightly in his grip as a storm of emotions crashed inside him—rage, fear, something deeper he refused to name.

“Find them,” he said, his voice dangerously quiet.

“We’re trying, boss—”

“TRY HARDER!” he roared.

The entire room fell silent.

His men had seen him angry before.

But never like this.

Never this… personal.

Alessio grabbed his coat and moved toward the door with unstoppable force.

“They want me?” he said coldly. “Then they’ll get me.”

His eyes darkened.

“But they made one mistake.”

He stepped out into the night.

“They touched what’s mine.”

The drive felt endless.

Every second stretched into torture.

His mind replayed every moment with her—

Her smile.

Her voice.

Her stubbornness.

The way she saw something human in him… when no one else ever had.

And now—

She was in danger because of him.

“I told you to stay away…” he whispered, his jaw clenched.

But deep down, he knew the truth.

He had failed.

The car came to a sudden stop outside an abandoned industrial area.

One of his men turned to him.

“We tracked them here.”

Alessio stepped out slowly.

The air was thick with tension.

Danger surrounded the place like a warning.

But he didn’t hesitate.

He walked forward.

Alone.

Inside the dark building, Aradhya sat tied to a chair, her heart racing uncontrollably.

Tears blurred her vision—but she refused to let them fall.

Stay strong, she told herself.

Footsteps echoed.

The door creaked open.

A man stepped in, smirking.

“Don’t worry,” he said casually. “Your friend will be here soon.”

Her breath hitched.

“Alessio…?”

The man’s smile widened.

“Oh, he’s definitely coming.”

Outside—

Alessio reached the entrance.

His expression was calm again.

Cold.

Deadly.

The mafia leader was back.

But this time—

It wasn’t just about power.

Or revenge.

It was about her.

He stepped into the darkness.

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