One night, Aashi woke up in the cold, damp cell of the warehouse she had been held in for years. The flickering bulb above cast eerie shadows along the cracked concrete walls, but something was different. There was no guard by the door. No footsteps echoing in the hall. For the first time, she was alone.

She knew this was her moment.

With her body honed from years of brutal conditioning, she snapped the chains binding her wrists, the metal groaning under the force of her strength. A slow exhale steadied her mind. The rage that had been simmering for so long now burned like an inferno within her.

She moved like a phantom through the corridors, silent as death. The first man she encountered barely had time to register her presence before she struck—one swift motion, and his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. He collapsed without a sound.

The next two weren't as easy. They fought back, but she was faster, stronger. A blade stolen from one of them found its way into their throats, silencing their gurgled screams. Blood splattered across her face, warm and familiar. It didn't faze her. It fueled her.

With each step, she became the nightmare they had created.

She made her way to the control room, finding a set of keys and the electrical panel. The moment she flipped the emergency override switch, alarms blared through the warehouse. Chaos erupted. Men stormed the halls, weapons drawn, but she was already among them, slicing through flesh, shattering bones.

Gunfire rang out, bullets whizzing past her, but she danced between them, using the bodies of her enemies as shields. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as she set fire to the chemical storage room, watching as flames consumed the place that had been her prison.

As she walked out into the cold night, the warehouse behind her a roaring inferno, she didn't look back. There was only one thing left to do—hunt down every last one of them.

Dead Rose had begun her revenge.

Her search led her back to the only family she had left.

After digging through underground networks, stolen files, and whispers from the criminal underworld, she finally found him—her elder brother- Abhiyansh Singhania, once the boy she adored, now the infamous mafia king of Italy and the CEO of a multi-million-dollar empire. He had built his kingdom from blood and power, rising to a position untouchable by most.

As she neared the mansion—her childhood home, now fortified like a fortress—an old guard stationed near the entrance spotted her. His aged, weathered face contorted in shock, recognition sparking in his eyes. His hands trembled as he reached for his earpiece.

"She's here," he whispered into the device, voice laced with disbelief. "Our Capo's sister... Aashi... she's alive."

Within seconds, the estate came alive with movement. Shadows shifted behind windows, guards positioned themselves, and whispers ran like wildfire through the halls. Somewhere deep inside, her brother,Abhiyansh—the ruler of this empire—was being informed.

When he finally stepped out onto the grand staircase, his expression was unreadable. He looked at her, scanning every inch of the sister he had lost.

"Aashi," he finally spoke, voice cold.

A lump formed in her throat. She had expected warmth, happiness, the embrace of family. Instead, his cold demeanor hit her like a slap. Shock and hurt twisted inside her, but she didn't let it show.

"I prefer Dead Rose now," she replied, voice empty.

He exhaled sharply, then turned. "You can stay," he said. "But don't think for a second that you're the same girl who left this house."

She forced a smirk. "I don't."

Without another word, he walked inside. She followed, but something inside her felt heavier than before.

She hadn't come back for a reunion.

She had come back for vengeance.

Aashi stormed through the mansion, her steps purposeful, her mind racing. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but something inside her told her there was a missing piece—something she had yet to uncover. Room after room, hallway after hallway, she searched, ignoring the watchful gazes of the guards who dared not stop her.

Then, she found it.

A door, slightly ajar, led to a dimly lit room filled with photographs—photographs of someone who was part of her soul. Her twin brother,Ayaan Singhania.

Her breath hitched as her gaze locked onto the bed in the center of the room. And then, her heart shattered.

He lay there, motionless, his once vibrant face now pale and drained, attached to machines that monitored his weak but steady heartbeat. Wires snaked around his arms, his chest rising and falling in slow, fragile movements.

She took a step forward, then another, before sinking onto the chair beside him. Gently, she took his cold hand in hers, her fingers trembling. "What happened to you?" she whispered, voice barely audible. No answer came, only the steady beeping of the heart monitor.

And then, rage replaced sorrow.

Her brother had never been weak. He had been strong, fierce—someone who fought beside her, not someone who lay in a bed, lifeless. Someone had done this to him. Someone had put him in this state.

She would find out who.

With newfound fury coursing through her veins, she stood abruptly, her fingers tightening into fists. She turned on her heels and stormed out of the room, her destination clear.

Her elder brother had answers.

Reaching his office, she didn't hesitate. With a forceful push, she flung the doors open, the sound of the impact echoing through the vast space.

Abhiyansh seated behind the grand desk didn't even flinch. Instead, he looked up slowly, his piercing eyes narrowing in irritation. "I don't tolerate disrespect," he said, voice low and dangerous.

She took a step forward, her presence radiating danger. "And I don't tolerate betrayal," she shot back, her voice so cold that for the first time, a flicker of something unreadable passed through his gaze.

For a long moment, silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.

Then, he leaned back, folding his hands together. "So, you've seen him."

Her jaw clenched. "Yes."

His expression remained unreadable. "And?"

"And I want the truth." She moved closer, her eyes burning into his. "What happened to him?"

Another pause. Then, with a slow exhale, he stood, walking around the desk until he was standing directly in front of her. "Are you sure you want to know?"

She didn't blink. "Tell me."

ʕ'•ᴥ•'ʔ

Any guesses who could that person be..?

Comment below.. And do vote the chapter. Let's meet in the next chapter till then Byee Cutoos..