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"Mom, who is it?" Yunah called out, her eyes still glued to the Netflix show. She didn't look up until she heard the heavy, rhythmic thud of combat boots on her hardwood floor.
She turned her head, and her blood turned to ice. A group of men were swaggering into her living room as if they owned the air she breathed. Seeing the sheer terror on her mother's face, Yunah's protective instincts overrode her pain. She forced herself up from the couch, her injured leg screaming in protest as she stood as a physical barrier between her mother and the intruders.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Yunah demanded. She was off-balance and limping, but she stepped forward anyway, acting as her mother's shield.
"And who might you be, miss?" The man in the yellow suit asked. His gaze crawled over her from head to toe. "Beautiful..." He didn't wait for an invitation; he simply sat on her sofa, claiming the space. His men fanned out behind him, their hands resting casually near the holstered guns at their waists. Yunah felt a shiver of genuine fear, but she kept her chin high.
"Who I am is none of your business," Yunah snapped, her voice like shards of glass. "Tell us why you're here. We haven't taken a loan from anyone."
"Oh... fiery. I like that," the man said, a sarcastic, oily smile spreading across his face. "We're looking for Mohan. We have some business to settle with him—unfinished business."
"He isn't here," Yunah lied, her face a mask of cold stone. "He hasn't been home in a month. We have no idea where he is or what he's doing. He doesn't even answer our calls. You're wasting your time; go look for him somewhere else."
The man barked out a laugh, lighting a cigarette and blowing a cloud of smoke into the room. "You're a funny girl. Do you really think I'm that stupid? Call Mohan. Tell him I'm waiting in his living room. If he doesn't show, I might have to do something... creative with this house."
"I told you, he doesn't answer!" Yunah grabbed her phone from the sofa and dialed her father's number, clicking it onto speaker. The line rang and rang, echoing through the silent room until the voicemail picked up.
Yunah felt a wave of relief so sharp it made her dizzy."See? He doesn't pick up."
The man in the yellow suit scoffed, dropping his business card on the table. He stood up and began pacing the room, his eyes suddenly landing on a photo frame on the wall. He stared at the family picture and saw Yogesh. "Who's the kid? I only see women here." He stared at Yunah and her mom then at Meena who was standing on the kitchen island silently with her stiff posture.
"He—he's my younger brother," Yunah stammered, the lie catching in her throat. "He's at a hostel in Kalimpong. He stays there full-time." She couldn't let them know about the apartment. If they knew Yogesh was alone in Kalimpong, they might go there tonight.
"Is that so?" The man dropped his cigarette butt on her floor and crushed it under his heel. "Make sure you call me when your father crawls back. I'm leaving two of my men outside. The moment he shows his face, they're going to drag him to me."
"What did he do?" Yunah asked, her voice trembling. "If it's money, I'll—"
"It's not about money, kid," the man interrupted, leaning in close. "Your father messed with the wrong people. Stay out of it for your own good." He turned and walked out, his boots thudding against the porch as his two sentries took their posts outside.
The moment the door shut, Ambika collapsed.
"Mom!"
Yunah and Meena rushed to her side, helping her to the couch. Ambika was sobbing, her hands shaking.
"Your father... he never lets us live in peace," she wailed.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll go to the police tomorrow," Yunah promised.
"No! Don't you dare!" Ambika cried, grabbing Yunah's arm. "They have guns. If you go to the police, they'll kill us all!"
Yunah sighed, her mind racing. "Fine. No police. But I have to go back to Kalimpong tomorrow to check on Yogesh. Meena, can you stay here? I don't want to leave Mom alone with those dangerous men lurking outside."
Meena nodded, though she looked conflicted. "I'll watch her. But Yunah... look at your leg. Can you even walk?"
"I'll manage," Yunah said with a grim, reassuring smile.
Meena gave her a conflicted, heavy look, but she knew Yunah's mind was made up. She gently looped Ambika's arm over her shoulder, helping the trembling woman to her feet. "Come on, Auntie. Let's get you to bed." She guided Yunah's mother to her room, and after ensuring she had finally drifted into a restless sleep, Meena stepped back into the living room, quietly clicking the door shut.
Yunah was still on the couch, her head buried in her hands. She looked small, defeated by a problem she couldn't fight with her fists.
"You should try to sleep too, Yunah," Meena said softly, sitting beside her.
Yunah let out a jagged, frustrated sigh. "How am I supposed to rest with a death threat parked outside our front gate? My dad is a ghost, and those animals are just waiting for a reason to break back in."
Meena bit her lip, hesitating before she spoke. "If the police aren't an option... why don't you fight fire with fire? Hire someone more powerful than them to handle the problem. In this city, money talks louder than a gun. You just pay the right people, and the threat disappears."
Yunah dropped her hands, staring at Meena in utter disbelief."Are you actually suggesting I hire a hitman? Are you kidding me right now?"
"I'm not kidding, Yunah," Meena said, her voice dropping into a serious, low whisper. "I've seen how these things work. You don't have to kill anyone. You just hire a force that makes them realize they're the ones at the bottom of the food chain. One warning from the right people, and they'll never breathe near this house again."
"Threaten them?" Yunah arched a brow, her voice skeptical."Those men looked like they were carved out of stone. Who is going to scare people like that?"
"Ayy... you really are naive about the world we live in," Meena said, a dark, knowing look crossing her face. "There's a hierarchy to the chaos. At the bottom, you have street thugs like the Black Scorpions. Above them is the Eagle's Claw. But at the very top? There's Shadowveil."
"Shadowveil?" Yunah repeated the name, the word feeling heavy on her tongue.
"They're the elite. The ghosts," Meena explained."Rumor has it the leader is a total psycho—cold, ruthless, and untraceable. No one has even seen his face and lived to talk about it. If you want those thugs out of your house and life, then, he's the only one with enough power to make it happen. I just don't know what his price is."
"And how exactly does a girl like me find a 'ghost'?"
"Wait here." Meena stood up and ducked into the kitchen, returning with her phone. She pulled up a dark, encrypted webpage that looked like it belonged on the deep web.
"Meena... how do you even have access to this?" Yunah's eyes went wide.
Meena offered a small, sly smile. "In my world, you learn how to find protection early. Here." She pointed to a string of digits on the screen. "This is the contact for his right-hand man—the gatekeeper. You have to negotiate the deal through him before the leader even looks at your case."
Yunah stared at the number, her heart hammering against her ribs. She saved it into her phone with trembling fingers, her mind screaming that she was making a deal with the devil. She had no intention of calling it yet, but as she looked toward the window where the silhouettes of the guards lingered outside, she realized her options were disappearing as fast as the light.
*****************
After whispering a strained goodnight to Meena, Yunah limped into her room. Her injured leg buckled slightly, forcing her to sink onto the edge of the bed. In the dim light, the smartphone in her hand felt like a live wire. She stared at the screen, her mind a chaotic battlefield of second thoughts.
Could she really do this? Could she invite a "ruthless psycho" into their lives to chase away the monsters at the door? She took a long, shuddering breath, thinking of her mother's collapsed form and the vulnerability of her "younger brother" alone in the apartment. Even for the father who had failed them, she couldn't stand the thought of a bloodbath. With a trembling thumb, she pressed the dial icon. The ringing was slow, rhythmic, and agonizing. Then, a click.
"Hello," a voice rasped. It was deep, heavy, and carried the cold resonance of someone used to dealing in death.
Yunah froze. The air in her lungs seemed to solidify, trapping her words in her throat. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird.
"Hello? Speak," the voice pressed, the tone sharpening with an impatient, dangerous edge.
"H-hello..." Yunah finally forced out, her voice barely a thread. "Is this... Shadowveil?"
"It is," Ashish replied, his voice terrifyingly calm. "How did you get this number?"
"I... I found it on a website," Yunah stammered, her fingers gripping the phone so hard her knuckles turned white. "I want to make a deal. I need to know... how much does your Leader charge for a contract?"
**************
On the other side of the line, in a room filled with glowing monitors, Ashish's eyes didn't leave his screen. His fingers danced across the keyboard, executing a silent trace. A map bloomed to life, a red dot pulsing over Yunah's home address. When the caller ID finally decrypted and displayed the name Yunah, Ashish's breath hitched. He sat back, completely dumbfounded.
"Miss..." Ashish's voice shifted, the professional coldness flickering for a split second. He stared at the GPS location, realizing the "Sun" of his Master's life was currently calling the underworld for help. "I will have to... consult with my employer. We will contact you shortly."
"Y-yes... thank you," Yunah whispered.
************
The line went dead. Yunah slumped back against her pillows, trembling, unaware that she had just sent a shockwave directly into the heart of Noah's empire.
****************
Ashish bolted from his monitoring station, his professional composure shattered. He sprinted through the reinforced corridors of the command center, his lungs burning. He didn't knock; he didn't wait for clearance. He threw the heavy double doors to the inner sanctum open with a violent thud.
"Pardon the intrusion, Young Master!" Ashish gasped, struggling to catch his breath.
Inside, Noah was leaning against his mahogany desk, his face a mask of cold fury. He was mid-sentence on a high-stakes call with his Italian associates, his voice a low, thunderous growl. At the interruption, he snapped his head toward the door, his eyes flashing with a murderous light that would have made a seasoned killer flinch.
"What the hell do you think you're—" Noah began, his voice dropping into a lethal register.
"Miss Yunah..." Ashish cut in, his voice urgent. "She just called."
The name acted like a physical blow. Noah's hand went limp, and his expensive smartphone slipped from his fingers, clattering onto the desk. The Italian voice on the other end continued to jabber, but Noah didn't hear a word of it.
"Called?" Noah asked, his confusion momentarily overriding his rage."Called where, Ashish? My personal phone is right here with me."
"Not your personal line, sir," Ashish said, his voice dropping into a respectful, measured tone. "She called the Shadowveil encrypted line. She's trying to hire us. She wants to make a deal... and she's asking for your price."
"What?" Noah's voice cracked the silence of the room. He stood up slowly, the shock draining the color from his face."She's trying to hire... me?"
The realization hit him like a tidal wave. If Yunah was desperate enough to call a "ruthless psycho" for hire, it meant she was in a level of danger that his "innocent student" persona couldn't protect her from. The hunter was now being asked by his own "sun" to come out of the shadows.