Arjun didn't reply to the unknown number immediately.
She asked for time to release something.
He read it twice.
Then he typed.
Arjun:
What does she have?
There was a longer pause this time.
Then:
Unknown:
Screenshots. Edited chats.
Arjun's jaw tightened slightly.
He already expected that.
Selective context. Cropped messages. Half conversations.
He locked his phone and leaned back on the couch.
If she had something powerful, she would've used it already.
If she was waiting, it meant she was calculating.
At 7:12 a.m., his phone buzzed nonstop.
Sameer.
"Check Twitter," Sameer said the moment Arjun answered.
Arjun opened the app.
There it was.
A thread.
Posted from Riya's account.
Screenshots of WhatsApp messages.
His name visible.
His photo visible.
Highlighted lines:
If you don't do this, I'll take action.
You know what I'm capable of.
Don't test me.
Arjun stared at the screen calmly.
He remembered those messages.
They were from the loan confrontation.
But in the full chat, they were preceded by:
Withdraw the forged application.
I am submitting formal objection.
She had cropped those.
Sameer's voice came through the phone again.
"Bro, it looks bad," Sameer said.
"I know," Arjun replied.
"She posted caption: 'This is what control looks like.'"
Arjun closed the app.
"Don't react," he said.
"Are you serious?" Sameer asked.
"Yes."
"Why?" Sameer pressed.
"Because she wants panic," Arjun replied.
By 9:30 a.m., the screenshots had spread across multiple platforms.
Comments divided again.
He sounds threatening.
Why is she releasing this now?
Where is the full chat?
Arjun opened his WhatsApp calmly.
He scrolled to the exact conversation.
He took full screenshots.
Every message.
Every timestamp.
No edits.
He sent them to his lawyer first.
Then to the journalist from yesterday.
Then he posted a single line on his own account.
Context matters.
And attached the full chat thread.
No long explanation.
No emotional caption.
Just proof.
Within twenty minutes, people started comparing both versions.
Side-by-side screenshots appeared online.
Users pointing out cropping.
Timestamp gaps.
Missing lines.
The narrative shifted again.
Riya's thread started filling with comments.
Why did you cut the first messages?
This changes everything.
Show full chat.
Her post stayed up.
But comments grew harsher.
Arjun put his phone down.
He went to work.
At 12:11 p.m., his manager called him in.
"We're getting inquiries," the manager said.
"I responded publicly," Arjun replied.
"I saw," the manager said.
"You handled it cleanly."
Arjun nodded once.
"This ends soon," the manager added.
"Yes," Arjun replied.
At 2:36 p.m., his phone rang.
Riya.
He stared at the screen for three seconds.
Then answered.
"You posted full chat," she said immediately.
"Yes," he replied.
"You humiliated me," she snapped.
"You cropped first," he replied calmly.
"You could've called me," she said.
"You didn't call me before posting," he replied.
Silence.
"You're enjoying this," she said again.
"No," he replied. "I'm correcting lies."
Her breathing grew heavier.
"They're attacking me online," she said.
"You started it publicly," he replied.
"You could delete yours," she demanded.
"No."
"You're cruel," she whispered.
"I'm transparent," he corrected.
Silence.
Then her voice changed.
"I still have something," she said quietly.
Arjun didn't react.
"What?" he asked.
She hesitated.
"Private photos," she said.
The air felt colder.
Arjun didn't move.
"What kind?" he asked calmly.
"Intimate," she replied.
There it was.
Blackmail.
"You won't," he said.
"You don't know that," she replied.
"If you do, that's a crime," he said.
"You already filed," she said. "What's one more?"
Arjun's tone stayed even.
"If you release anything private, I file immediately."
She didn't speak for several seconds.
"You think I won't?" she whispered.
"I think you want control," he replied.
Silence.
Then she hung up.
At 4:02 p.m., his phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
Unknown:
She's bluffing.
Arjun typed.
Arjun:
How do you know?
Pause.
Then:
Unknown:
She doesn't have anything real.
Arjun frowned slightly.
Arjun:
Explain.
The reply came quickly.
Unknown:
She edited old photos before. Same pattern.
Arjun leaned back.
If she had something real, she would've hinted at it earlier.
This was fear talking.
At 6:45 p.m., a notification popped up.
Riya had deleted her Twitter thread.
Her Instagram post disappeared.
Within minutes, a new post appeared.
A short statement.
Emotions escalated things beyond intention. I request privacy while legal processes continue.
No accusations.
No blame.
Just retreat.
Arjun stared at it for a moment.
His phone buzzed again.
Sameer.
"She folded," Sameer said.
"For now," Arjun replied.
"Bro, this is over," Sameer insisted.
Arjun didn't respond.
Because experience had taught him something.
It only ends when someone accepts loss.
And she hadn't accepted it yet.
At 8:19 p.m., Inspector Rao called.
"We've received her withdrawal request," he said.
Arjun nodded slowly.
"And?" he asked.
"We're proceeding with forgery investigation regardless," the inspector replied.
"Understood," Arjun said.
"She's attempting compromise," the inspector added.
"Too late," Arjun replied.
At 9:52 p.m., there was a knock on his door.
He wasn't expecting anyone.
When he opened it, Vikram stood there.
Looking exhausted.
"What do you want?" Arjun asked.
"To talk," Vikram said.
Arjun stepped aside.
Vikram entered slowly.
"She's losing everything," Vikram said.
"She made choices," Arjun replied.
"She says you pushed her," Vikram added.
"She recorded herself planning," Arjun replied calmly.
Vikram ran a hand through his hair.
"She thought you wouldn't fight back," he admitted.
"I know," Arjun said.
"She's not stable," Vikram said.
"She wasn't stable when she forged," Arjun replied.
Silence.
Vikram looked at him carefully.
"You've changed," he said.
"Yes," Arjun replied.
Vikram exhaled.
"There's something you should know," he said.
Arjun didn't move.
"What?" he asked.
Vikram hesitated.
"She didn't just do this for relocation," he said quietly.
Arjun's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Explain," he said.
Vikram swallowed.
"There was debt," he said.
Arjun stared at him.
"What kind of debt?" he asked.
"Personal," Vikram replied.
"How much?" Arjun asked.
Vikram looked down briefly.
"More than you think."
Arjun felt something shift.
"How much?" he repeated.
Vikram looked up slowly.
"Ten lakh," Vikram said quietly.
Arjun stared at him.
Because that meant—
This wasn't just manipulation.
It was desperation backed by financial collapse.
And if she was drowning in debt…
She might still have one final move left.