The mansion felt colder than usual that night.
Not because of the weather.
Because suspicion had entered the house.
Aryan stood inside his office staring at the file Rohan had given him. Photos of unknown guards. Secret movements. Hidden connections around Nithya.
Nothing matched the life of an ordinary student.
Aryan's instincts never failed him.
And right now, those instincts were telling him one thing clearly.
Nithya was dangerous.
Across the hallway, Nithya sat near the bedroom window quietly reading.
At least that's what it looked like.
In reality, her mind was completely focused on Aryan.
He noticed too much.
Faster than expected.
Devil had spent years hiding from governments, mafia networks, and intelligence agencies.
But Eagle was different.
Sharp.
Calculating.
Patient.
And now…
Suspicious.
Her phone vibrated softly.
Viraaj.
"Ma'am."
"Tell me."
"Eagle's men are investigating your background again."
Nithya smiled faintly.
"I expected that."
"Should we erase more traces?"
"No."
Viraaj sounded surprised.
"You want him to find clues?"
Nithya closed her book slowly.
"I want to see how close Eagle can get."
The next morning, Aryan personally accompanied Nithya to university again.
The atmosphere inside the car remained tense.
Finally Nithya spoke first.
"You've been unusually quiet."
Aryan kept his eyes on the road.
"I'm thinking."
"Dangerous activity?"
"Usually."
Nithya almost smiled.
That answer sounded too honest.
After a few moments, Aryan suddenly asked,
"Where did you learn to fight?"
Straight question.
Direct attack.
Nithya calmly looked outside the window.
"Self-defense training."
"That wasn't self-defense yesterday."
Silence.
Aryan continued,
"You disarmed a grown man in three seconds."
Nithya looked at him finally.
"And you counted the seconds?"
Aryan's expression remained unreadable.
"I observe everything around me."
That much was obvious.
At the university, things became even stranger.
Students openly stared now because rumors about the garden incident had spread quickly.
Some whispered about gang connections.
Others believed Aryan was secretly a government official.
Nobody knew the truth.
Not even close.
During lunch break, Ji-Hoon sat beside Nithya nervously.
"You're becoming famous here."
"That sounds unfortunate."
Ji-Hoon laughed awkwardly.
"People are scared of your husband."
Nithya calmly opened her juice bottle.
"They should focus on exams instead."
Then Ji-Hoon lowered his voice carefully.
"But honestly… I think people are starting to fear you too."
For a second, Devil almost smiled.
Smart boy.
Meanwhile, inside a hidden underground location, the eastern alliance leader looked furious.
"Idiots," he snapped.
"Four trained men failed against one girl?"
One injured member lowered his head fearfully.
"She wasn't normal."
The leader's eyes darkened.
"And Eagle arrived too quickly."
Another member spoke carefully.
"We think she has her own protection network."
Silence filled the room.
Then slowly…
The leader began smiling.
A dangerous smile.
"Interesting."
He leaned back in his chair.
"So Eagle's wife has secrets."
That evening, Nithya returned to the mansion earlier than usual.
The moment she entered, she noticed Aryan sitting alone in the living room with whiskey in his hand.
Rare.
He usually worked instead of drinking.
"You look stressed," she said calmly.
Aryan looked at her quietly.
"You look too calm."
Nithya sat across from him.
"Someone in this marriage should stay calm."
Aryan almost smiled faintly.
Almost.
Then his expression turned serious again.
"Who protects you?"
Direct question again.
Nithya leaned back comfortably.
"People loyal to me."
"That answer isn't enough anymore."
Nithya studied him carefully.
His suspicion had grown stronger now.
Good.
Interesting games only begin when both sides realize the other is hiding something.
Aryan stood slowly and walked toward her.
The atmosphere instantly became heavier.
"Tell me the truth, Nithya."
His voice was low.
Dangerously calm.
Nithya looked up at him without fear.
"Can you handle the truth?"
Aryan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yes."
For one dangerous second…
Devil almost revealed herself.
But before either could continue, alarms suddenly echoed through the mansion.
Red emergency lights activated instantly.
Guards rushed through the hallways.
Rohan's voice came through the security speakers:
"Security breach. East perimeter attacked."
Aryan's expression changed immediately.
Cold.
Deadly.
Eagle awakened completely.
He grabbed a gun from the hidden drawer beside the wall and turned toward the entrance.
Nithya stood up instantly.
"You're under attack?"
Aryan loaded the weapon calmly.
"Yes."
Outside, gunshots suddenly echoed through the night.
The eastern alliance had finally made their move.
And for the first time…
Eagle and Devil were about to fight on the same battlefield.