CHAPTER 42 — THE FIRST FRACTURE
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Night had settled over Thomson House.
The grand mansion, which looked flawless in daylight, now stood under a dim glow of artificial lights—
Quiet…
But not peaceful.
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Inside, silence moved like a shadow.
Every corridor…
Every room…
Held something unspoken.
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And in the middle of it all—
Krrish sat alone in his room.
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His eyes were open.
Focused.
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He wasn't resting.
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He was listening.
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The faint sounds of footsteps outside…
The distant murmur of voices downstairs…
Even the subtle shift of air through the vents—
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Nothing escaped his awareness.
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"Patterns…" he whispered.
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"Everything follows a pattern."
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And patterns—
Could be broken.
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The Beginning of Disruption
Krrish slowly stood up.
His body still resisted, muscles protesting even the smallest movement.
But compared to before—
He was improving.
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Not fast.
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But enough.
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He walked toward the door and opened it slightly.
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The hallway was empty.
Dimly lit.
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Perfect.
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He stepped out quietly, closing the door behind him without making a sound.
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Each step was careful.
Measured.
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Not because he feared being caught—
But because he wanted to observe without being noticed.
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As he moved down the corridor, his eyes scanned everything.
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The placement of cameras…
The timing of the guards…
The movement of the staff…
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Everything was being recorded—
Inside his mind.
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"Security is not for protection…"
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"It's for control."
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He stopped near the staircase.
Voices were coming from the living room below.
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Familiar voices.
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Krrish leaned slightly closer—
Listening.
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The Conversation Below
"…He's acting strange."
It was Liya's voice.
Soft… but filled with unease.
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"I told you something was off," another voice responded.
Shane.
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Krrish's expression didn't change.
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"He's not the same Leo."
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A pause.
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"Or maybe…" Shane continued,
"…he's finally trying to act like someone he's not."
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A faint smirk appeared on Krrish's face.
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"Good…"
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"They've noticed."
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Because noticing was the first step—
Toward doubt.
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And doubt—
Was the seed of collapse.
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"What do you think he'll do?" Liya asked.
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Shane chuckled softly.
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"Nothing."
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"Because that's what he always does."
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Silence followed.
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Krrish's eyes darkened slightly.
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"Expectation confirmed."
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"They believe I'm harmless."
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Perfect.
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The First Move
Krrish turned away from the staircase.
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He had heard enough.
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Now—
It was time to act.
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Not loudly.
Not directly.
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But precisely.
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He walked toward the study room.
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A place rarely used at night.
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The door was slightly open.
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Inside—
Documents.
Files.
Records.
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"Jain Thomson's domain…"
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Krrish stepped inside quietly.
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His eyes moved across the room—
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Organized.
Clean.
Structured.
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But even the most structured systems—
Had weak points.
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He walked toward the desk.
Opened a drawer.
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Files neatly stacked.
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Financial records.
Contracts.
Personal notes.
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Krrish picked one file and opened it.
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His eyes moved quickly across the pages.
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"Business transactions…"
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He flipped another page.
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Then—
He paused.
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A detail.
Small.
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But significant.
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"Interesting…"
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A faint smile appeared.
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"Hidden transfers…"
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Money moving between accounts—
Quietly.
Unnoticed.
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Or at least—
That's what Jain believed.
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Krrish closed the file slowly.
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"Pride… built on secrets."
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And secrets—
Were weapons.
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Planting the Seed
Krrish didn't take the file.
Didn't destroy it.
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Instead—
He moved one page slightly out of alignment.
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Just enough—
For someone observant to notice.
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But not enough—
To look like a mistake.
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"Subtlety…"
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"Is more powerful than force."
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Because a missing file creates panic.
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But a misplaced detail—
Creates suspicion.
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And suspicion—
Spreads.
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He closed the drawer and stepped back.
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Everything looked normal again.
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Except—
It wasn't.
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The Unexpected Encounter
As Krrish turned to leave—
The door creaked slightly.
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Someone was outside.
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A maid.
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She froze the moment she saw him.
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"Sir…?"
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Fear.
Immediate.
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Krrish looked at her calmly.
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"No need to be afraid," he said softly.
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But his tone—
Didn't match Leo's usual behavior.
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The maid hesitated.
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"You're working late," Krrish continued.
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She nodded quickly.
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"Y-yes, sir…"
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Krrish stepped closer.
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Not aggressively.
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But intentionally.
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"What's your name?"
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"…Anita."
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Krrish observed her carefully.
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Nervous.
Submissive.
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"Anita…"
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He repeated her name slowly.
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"Tell me…"
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"Do people here feel safe?"
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The question caught her off guard.
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"…I—I don't understand, sir…"
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Krrish smiled faintly.
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"That's fine."
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He stepped back.
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"You don't have to answer."
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And that—
Made it worse.
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Because now—
She would think about it.
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Question it.
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"Go back to your work," Krrish said calmly.
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She nodded quickly and left.
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But her mind—
Was no longer at ease.
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Chain Reaction
Krrish returned to his room.
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Closed the door.
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Sat down slowly.
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His body was tired.
But his mind—
Was active.
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"First seed planted."
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He leaned back, closing his eyes.
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"Now…"
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"Let it grow."
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Because tomorrow—
Jain would notice the file.
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He would question the staff.
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Suspicion would rise.
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Blame would spread.
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And slowly—
The system would begin to crack.
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Meanwhile…
Downstairs—
Shane sat alone in the living room.
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A glass in his hand.
Eyes thoughtful.
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"Something's off…"
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He couldn't explain it.
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But he felt it.
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A shift.
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And Shane trusted his instincts.
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He stood up suddenly.
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"Let's see…"
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He walked toward the study.
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Opened the door.
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Everything looked normal.
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Until—
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His eyes landed on the desk.
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A file.
Slightly out of place.
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Shane frowned.
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"…That's odd."
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He stepped closer.
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Picked it up.
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Opened it.
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His eyes scanned the contents.
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Then—
They narrowed.
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"Hidden transfers…"
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A slow smile appeared on his face.
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"Father…"
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"Looks like you've been hiding things."
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The First Fracture
Upstairs—
Krrish opened his eyes slowly.
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A faint smile appeared.
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He didn't need to see it.
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He already knew.
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"It's begun."
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The first crack had formed.
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Not through force.
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Not through confrontation.
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But through—
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precision.
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And this was only the beginning.
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Because once a system starts breaking—
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It doesn't stop.
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It collapses.
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Piece by piece.
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From the inside. 🔥