Third person's pov!

The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled Sid's penthouse suite as Sunny and Arun walked in, their faces etched with concern.

Since the warehouse incident, a tense calm had settled over them. They knew Sid wouldn't rest until he found the mastermind behind the attack on Nidhi.

Sid looked up from the file he was studying, his jaw clenched tight.

"Any leads?" He asked, his voice devoid of warmth.

Sunny shook his head.

"Nothing concrete yet, Sid. We have questioned our network, but nobody seems to know anything about a 'burner phone' operation."

Arun, ever the strategist, pulled up a chair and sat down.

"However," he began, his voice low, "I might have something."

Sid's gaze snapped towards him, a flicker of hope igniting in his dark eyes.

"What is it, Arun?" Sid asked, leaning forwards.

Arun cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully.

"Sandeep Dutta."

Sid frowned. The name vaguely echoed in his memory.

"Sandeep Dutta? Who is he? Why does that name sound familiar?" Sid asked, trying to skim through his memories to find out who he was.

"A man was spotted in one of the CCTV camera images. Following him, took us to Sandeep Datta. A property dealer." Arun said.

"Property Dealer? Sandeep Dutta?" Sid felt as if he knew him, but couldn't figure out who.

"Sandeep Dutta runs a real estate agency in partnership with Viraj Parikh." Arun said and Sid's eyes widened in horror.

"Viraj?" Sid couldn't believe his ears.

"Well," Arun continued, "it seems Viraj has been visiting the Vyas house quite frequently lately. He has been helping Nidhi's family with the property sale."

Sid's frown deepened. Viraj? Helping Nidhi's family? This was a new twist he hadn't anticipated.

"Helping them with the sale?" He asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

"Yes," Arun confirmed. "Apparently, he is quite knowledgeable about land deals and has been offering his expertise free of charge."

Sid slammed his fist on the table, the sudden movement rattling the coffee mugs.

"Free of charge? Why would he do that? Viraj never does anything for free. He is greedy for money. He has even lied to me many times and looted money from me. I turn a blind eye only because Viren jiju is very fond of him." Sid said furiously.

"That's the question, isn't it?" Arun said, his gaze unwavering. "There is more to this than meets the eye."

"There is something else, Sid. Apparently, a while back, Viraj had expressed interest in Nidhi... marriage, to be precise." He paused for a moment, then hesitantly added.

The air crackled with tension. Sid's jaw clenched so hard his teeth seemed to grind together. Marriage? Viraj wanting to marry Nidhi? His Nidhi

"Marriage?" He growled, his voice dangerously low.

"The family refused, obviously." Arun said. "But that doesn't explain the recent visits or the goons sent after Nidhi."

Sid stood up abruptly, knocking over his chair in the process. Papers fluttered to the floor, the noise barely registering in his mind.

"Goons with burner phones?" He spat, his voice filled with rage. "Helping Nidhi's family? What kind of twisted game is he playing?"

He stormed across the room, his anger palpable. He grabbed a crystal flower vase from his desk and flung it across the room. It shattered against the wall, spraying shards of glass everywhere.

Sunny and Arun flinched at the sudden outburst, but they remained silent, understanding the storm brewing within Sid.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Sid tried to regain control. He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident.

"How could he?" Siddharth spat, his voice shaking with fury. "He sent those goons after Nidhi just because her family refused his proposal?"

Arun took a deep breath before speaking again.

"We are not entirely sure of his motive yet. It could be more than just a rejected proposal. We are having Viraj followed to find out his intentions. If it was a simple attempt to play knight in shining armour and impress Nidhi, why go through the trouble of using burner phones and avoiding any traceable transactions? There is something bigger at play here."

Siddharth tried to control his breathing, forcing himself to think rationally despite the anger clouding his mind.

"What do you think his purpose could be?"

"We are still piecing it together," Arun replied. "The use of burner phones and anonymous transactions suggests a deeper, more calculated plan."

Siddharth's jaw tightened.

"I want to know everything about Viraj's movements. I want to know who he meets, where he goes, and what he does. Leave no stone unturned."

"We are on it. We will get to the bottom of this." Arun nodded.

Sunny leaned forward, his expression serious.

"Sid, we need to keep a close eye on Nidhi. She's at the centre of this, and whoever is behind it won't stop until they achieve their goal."

Siddharth nodded, his determination hardening.

"I won't let anything happen to her. Increase the security around her. I want round-the-clock surveillance. And make sure it's discreet. She can't know."

"Understood," Sunny said.

Siddharth took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. The revelation about Viraj had shaken him, but it had also given him a renewed sense of purpose. He would protect Nidhi at all costs and find out why Viraj was targeting her.

"Keep me updated," Siddharth said, his voice firm. "I want to know every development, no matter how small."

Arun and Sunny nodded, rising from their seats.

"We will keep you informed, Sid," Sunny said.

"One more thing, Sid.." Arun began to say and Sid listened to him.

"Mukul contacted me and said he wants to meet me urgently. I went there and found three others with him. Ansh, Bhavna and one Mr Lakshit Mittal." Arun said and Sid frowned wondering why they wanted to meet Arun.

"What did they want?" Sid asked.

"Lakshit Mittal is a close family friend of the Vyas family.." Arun said and Sid rolled his eyes.

"I know.." Sid said with disinterest.

"Well, Mr Mittal already suspected some foul play. He was suspicious about Viraj and he shared it with Bhavna. Bhavna went to Mukul and Ansh for help. They were scared to come to you directly since Viraj was your cousin. They wanted me to do a discreet investigation and get some proof before they approach you. In fact, it is their suspicion that helped me connect the two incidents. I was not supposed to tell you, bound by confidentiality. But I am letting you in because all of you have a single goal. Protecting Nidhi from Viraj." Arun said and Sid sucked in a sharp breath.

He understood this was not a small issue. He has a premonition that something bigger lies beneath the surface.

As they left, Siddharth sat down at his desk, his mind whirring with thoughts. He knew the road ahead would be challenging, but he was prepared to face it head-on. Protecting Nidhi and uncovering the truth were his top priorities, and he would stop at nothing to achieve them.

He picked up his phone and dialled Viren Parikh's number once again.

"Viren jiju, it's Sid."

"Tell me, Sid."

"Remember what I told you last week? I have updates on it. I don't know how you would take it, but we need to talk immediately. Can we meet?" Sid asked.

"Sure. I will fly over tonight. I was planning to come to meet Jeevika. We will talk tonight.." Viren said.

Siddharth ended the call and leaned back in his chair, his mind already strategizing the next steps.

He knew that every moment counted, and he had to stay one step ahead of whoever was trying to harm Nidhi.

The battle had intensified, but he was ready for the challenge.

A/N

Here goes the next shot..

Please do vote and comment...

Love,

SF❤️