The ride back to Lotus Crown Villa in the cab was quiet, the city lights passing by in a soft, blurred glow outside the windows.

Riya had just ended her call with Alex and placed the phone down on her lap when she noticed Lucy sitting beside her, looking at her with hesitant and worried eyes.

"Big Sister... did I cause any trouble for you or Brother Alex?" Lucy asked softly, her voice filled with guilt as if she has done something unforgivable.

Riya turned toward her and gave a gentle, reassuring smile.

She reached out and held Lucy’s hand warmly. "You didn’t cause any trouble at all. In fact, thank you... If you hadn’t been there tonight, those men would have taken Meera away... You saved her.... I’m really grateful to you."

Lucy’s shoulders relaxed just a little, but the worry in her eyes did not completely disappear.

She still looked uneasy, as if she felt she had brought unnecessary complications into their lives.

"The police are already following the trail," Riya continued in a calm and steady voice.

"They have the van’s license plate number and everything else they need. The culprits will be caught soon. And don’t worry.... I spoke to Alex and mentioned the situation to the officer, but I made sure your name stays out of it as much as possible. No one will bother you about what happened tonight."

Lucy looked at her for a long moment, searching Riya’s face.

Then she nodded slowly and turned her gaze back toward the window, watching the passing lights of the city. Even though she tried to hide it, a trace of unease still lingered on her delicate features.

Riya squeezed her hand once more, offering silent comfort as the cab moved through the quiet late-night streets.

----------

When they finally reached the villa, Alex was already waiting near the entrance, leaning against the door frame with his phone still in his hand.

He had just finished speaking with Sahil Sinha, his trusted lawyer.

"Handle this matter thoroughly," Alex had told him firmly, his tone leaving no room for carelessness. "I want to know exactly who is behind this attack. Every detail, every connection. Send it all to my phone within two hours."

He had barely put the phone down when he saw Riya and Lucy walking up the path toward the house.

Lucy was walking with her head slightly lowered, looking as if she had done something wrong and was expecting to be scolded.

Alex looking amused tried to tease her.

He crossed his arms and put on a serious expression as they came closer.

"So..." he said in a low, deliberately stern voice, "you went out for one night and ended up beating five men on the street? Lucy, what were you thinking? Do you even know how dangerous that was?"

Lucy stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened and quickly filled with tears. She bit her lower lip hard, trying her best not to cry, but a few drops still escaped and rolled down her cheeks.

"I... I’m sorry, Brother Alex..." she whispered, her voice coming out small and unsteady. "I didn’t want them to take Sister Meera.... I only wanted to protect her... I didn’t mean to cause any problems...I only..."

Before she could finish, Riya shot Alex a furious glare.

"Alex!" she snapped, her eyes flashing with clear anger. "What are you doing? Can’t you see she’s already feeling bad enough?"

Riya immediately stepped forward and pulled Lucy into her arms, gently stroking her back in a comforting manner. "It’s okay, Lucy. Don’t listen to him. You did nothing wrong tonight. You were very brave."

Alex stood there completely dumbfounded, blinking in surprise. He had only been teasing her lightly to break the heavy tension of the evening. He never meant to actually scold her especially after everything that had happened.

But Lucy’s tears had come so quickly and so easily that he was left speechless, caught completely off guard.

He was still not used to this new dynamic between the two of them.

Riya gave him one last sharp, warning look before guiding Lucy inside the house. "Come on. Let’s go inside. You must be exhausted after tonight."

The door closed behind them with a firm bang, clearly showing how angry she was.

Alex remained standing outside for a moment, feeling somewhat helpless. He scratched the back of his head and let out a long, tired sigh.

Just then, his phone vibrated. He opened the WhatsApp message from Sahil. A detailed file had been attached.

He opened it and began reading through the information carefully.

Sahil had been extremely thorough, as always. The report was clean, well-organized, and pulled from multiple reliable sources. He had clearly started working the moment Alex called and had not waited for the full two hours.

Alex scrolled slowly, taking his time with each section. There was mention of a girl at the top... the intended victim, Meera... Alex frowned slightly. He felt like he had seen her somewhere before, but he couldn’t quite remember where or when. He set that thought aside for now and continued reading.

The name that truly mattered appeared further down.

The main perpetrator behind the kidnapping plan was Rahul... the son of a rising politician with strong connections in Maharashtra. The background report was detailed: his family’s wealth, his history of suppressed cases, and his known reputation for trouble.

By the time Alex finished reading the entire file, his expression had turned cold.

Handling a politician’s son would be troublesome... but it was not impossible.

He immediately dialed Sahil’s number again. The call connected right away. After giving clear instructions about how he wanted the matter handled, Alex spoke in a calm but decisive tone.

"....I want them exposed by tomorrow morning."

He ended the call and stood there for a moment in the quiet stillness outside the villa. After a long pause, he finally turned and walked inside the house.