Third person's pov!

Siddharth's heart raced as he drove back to the warehouse.

The revelation of a "quotation" had ignited a fury within him. He needed answers, and he would get them by any means necessary. His mind whirled with the possibilities- who would want to harm Nidhi? And why? He had to protect her at all costs.

Sunny and his men had already restrained the thugs, who now looked terrified, knowing their fate rested in the hands of an enraged Siddharth Singh Raichand.

Siddharth Singh Raichand's final words hung heavy in the air - a chilling promise that their worst nightmare wasn't over.

The silence shattered with the screech of metal as the warehouse door slammed open. Sid stalked in, his face a thundercloud. Gone was the man who had comforted Nidhi; in his place stood a predator, a predator whose prey was trapped and whimpering.

"Let's talk." Sid's voice was a low growl, devoid of any warmth. Burly men, Sunny's trusted enforcers, flanked the men in captive ,their presence adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

The four men huddled together, their eyes darting between Sid and Sunny, who shoved them roughly towards a metal table in the centre of the room.

The men exchanged nervous glances but remained silent. Siddharth's patience was thin. He signalled to Sunny, who stepped forward with a thick, heavy baton. Without a word, Sunny struck the first man across the back. The man screamed in pain, his body convulsing from the impact.

Sid slammed a fist on the table, the metal groaning under the impact.

"Don't waste my time with nonsense. I want answers. Who put the hit on Nidhi?"

The men exchanged panicked looks.

"H-hit? We didn't..." one man began, his voice cracking.

Sid lunged forward, grabbing the man by his shirt collar, hoisting him off the ground.

"Don't play dumb with me! You know exactly what I am talking about. The harassment, the attack... who put you up to it?"

The man choked, his face turning purple.

"W-we... we just... we were told to scare her. N-nothing more." Another man stammered.

Sid's grip tightened.

"Scare her? By what? Holding a knife to her throat?"

The man gasped for breath, managing a weak shake of his head.

"N-no knife. Just... scare tactics. We were... we were paid."

Sid released him with a shove that sent the man sprawling onto the floor. He circled the group like a predator, his movements predatory.

"Paid how? Bank transfer? Cash drop?"

"N-neither." Another man spoke, his voice barely a whisper. "Envelope. Left at my doorstep. Money and a... a picture."

Sid stopped, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.

"A picture?"

"Yes, sir. Of... of the girl. We were told to scare her, rough her up a bit, nothing more. Once someone comes to rescue, we were to runaway.."

Sid's gaze went cold. This wasn't some random act of violence. This was targeted, calculated. His mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle. But the frustrating part was, these men - these lowlifes - were at the bottom of the food chain.They didn't have a name, a face, a voice. They were mere tools.

"Who gave you the envelope?" He demanded.

"We... we don't know, sir. Just a... a drop." The man gestured vaguely.

"A drop? What do you mean?"

"A burner phone. We got a call on that, instructions were given. We were told to leave the envelope at our doorstep when the job was done."

Frustration bubbled up inside Sid. No bank transfers, no traceable calls, no direct contact. This was a ghost operation,designed to leave no trace. He slammed his fist on the table again, rattling the men further.

"There has to be something else! A name, a word, anything!"

The men shook their heads in unison, their fear now tinged with a flicker of defiance. They truly didn't know anything more.

Sid straightened up, his eyes taking on a steely glint. He couldn't get information out of them, but he could make them regret the day they crossed him. With a cold smile, he turned to Sunny.

"Sunny, I want you to make sure these gentlemen here understand what happens to those who mess with people I care about."

Sunny, a man who understood the dark side of Sid's business dealings all too well, nodded grimly. He ushered his men forward, their faces emotionless masks, and they began dragging the whimpering men away.

The warehouse echoed with muffled screams and sickening thuds. Sid stood there, his face unreadable, until the sounds subsided. The silence that returned was thick with unspoken threats and a grim determination.

Siddharth turned away, his mind racing. Whoever was behind this had gone to great lengths to cover their tracks. He took a deep breath, trying to control the rage boiling inside him.

"Sunny," Siddharth said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Arrange round-the-clock security for Nidhi. Undercover. I don't want her to know they are there."

"Consider it done, Sid," Sunny replied, already making mental notes.

Siddharth nodded and then dialled a number on his phone. It was his private investigator who attended the call on the very first ring.

"Arun, I need you to look into something. I will send you the details. It's urgent." Sid ordered coldly.

"Understood, sir," Arun replied. "I will get on it right away."

As soon as Sid hung up the calls, he instructed Sunny to send Arun the entire history of the four men in their captive.

"Sunny, keep them alive. They might be of use sometimes. Keep them locked and give food just enough to survive. Torture them, but they shouldn't be dead." Sid said, his face wild.

"As you want, Sid." Sunny said.

"Make sure no danger comes even a mile around Nidhi." Sid said again and Sunny could actually sense the vulnerability in Sid's voice.

"Sure.."

Sid stormed out of the warehouse, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. He needed a plan, and fast. He pulled out his phone and dialled a number.

"Viren Parikh," a gruff voice answered.

"It's Sid...."

A/N

Here goes the next shot...

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Love,

SF❤️