Chapter 3
— The Heir's Game
Alya couldn't sleep all night. Arshaka's words kept echoing in her head. I came back to see you. Alya tried over and over to convince herself that the man wasn't Ronan. But the harder she tried to forget Arshaka's gaze, the more clearly his face appeared in her mind. As a result, her work that morning was a mess.
"Alya, you said the source's name wrong." Lovi stared at her in surprise. Alya quickly corrected herself. "Sorry. I didn't get enough sleep." "Not enough sleep, or is someone on your mind?" Alya shot her a sharp look. "Don't start." Lovi snickered.
That's when Alya's phone vibrated. One message came in. Arshaka: Meet me after work. Alya typed quickly. Alya: Can't. The reply came only a few seconds later. Arshaka: That's an order. Alya let out a long sigh. The next message made her expression turn serious. Arshaka: There's a traitor in my group. I want you to find him. Alya stared at the screen for a long time. She should have refused. But her curiosity and journalistic instincts made her interested instead.
That night, a black car picked Alya up. The car stopped in front of a building that looked like an ordinary warehouse from the outside. The moment the door opened, Alya realized the place wasn't a warehouse. The sound of punches came from one side of the room. Several men were practicing boxing. In another corner, a few people were playing cards and pool. Their eyes immediately turned toward Alya. Alya walked with her head held high despite feeling uncomfortable. Several men even started whispering.
"Who is she?" "The new girl?" "She's got guts, coming in here."
Alya held back her irritation. Two men walked toward her.
"Hey, pretty. Who are you looking for?"
Alya took a step back. But before the situation could get worse, she saw someone standing on the upper floor. Arshaka. The man leaned against the metal railing with a cold expression. His gaze made the two men immediately back off.
Alya approached Arshaka. "I'm here. Now explain this traitor to me." Arshaka slowly descended the stairs. "You talk too much." "I'm not one of your henchmen." "Not yet."
Alya snorted. Several henchmen turned their attention back to them. One of them gave a quiet laugh.
"Boss, who's she?"
Alya knew she was in a dangerous situation. Within seconds, an idea came to her. She grabbed Arshaka by the lapel and pulled him closer.
"He's..."
Alya paused for a moment.
"...my man."
The room suddenly fell silent. Arshaka raised an eyebrow. Alya knew she had to make her claim look convincing. So she gave Arshaka's lips a quick kiss. It lasted only a moment. Alya immediately pulled away.
"There. Now they believe me."
But Arshaka merely gave her a faint smile.
"You think that'll satisfy me?"
Before Alya could answer, Arshaka leaned in and returned her kiss, holding it longer. Alya was startled and quickly pushed against his chest after a few seconds. Cheers immediately filled the room.
"WOOO!" "The boss finally has a woman!"
Alya's face flushed with embarrassment and irritation.
"Arshaka!"
The man only smiled smugly.
"Don't start something if you're not ready to deal with the consequences."
Alya turned her face away. In her heart, she swore she would get revenge. But her task wasn't over yet.
She picked up a pool cue. "Let the game begin."
Alya surveyed the entire room. One by one, people began to play. Alya deliberately showed off her fairly impressive pool skills. Her movements were calm, her eyes constantly watching the balls' reflections and the reactions of the people around her. Every so often, she made a move that looked almost seductive—not because she wanted to attract attention, but to test their reactions. One man whistled. Another laughed. Even Arshaka seemed to be watching her with an unreadable look.
But Alya paid them no attention. She was looking for one person. Someone who didn't react. One by one, they took the bait. Only one man in the corner of the room remained calm. He didn't look at Alya. He didn't laugh. He wasn't affected in the slightest.
Alya's instincts immediately kicked in. Him.
Alya glanced at Arshaka. "That man."
Doni, who had been standing beside Arshaka all this time, immediately moved. Several henchmen surrounded the man. The man's expression changed. Arshaka smiled coldly.
"How did you know?"
Alya answered calmly. "Everyone here is afraid of you. They always watch your every move. But he doesn't."
Arshaka looked at the man. Doni found a secret phone in his pocket.
Who knew what would happen to the traitor?
The atmosphere instantly turned chaotic and tense when a bullet lodged itself in the traitor's head. Bang... game over.
Aaaah! Alya crouched down, covering her ears with trembling hands.
"You're fucking crazy, Shaka," Alya said softly.
The real game was only just beginning...
It was late at night when Alya returned to her apartment. She had just opened her bedroom door when she sensed someone behind her. Alya turned around. Arshaka.
"How did you get in?" "I have my ways." "You're crazy."
Arshaka stepped closer. "I warned you. Don't try to distance yourself from me."
Alya backed up until her back touched the wall. "I'm not afraid of you." "You should be."
Arshaka stared intently at her. Alya tried to hold on to her courage, but her heart was pounding. The man moved closer and kissed her forehead, then stopped right in front of her face.
"From now on, you're in my game."
Alya was about to answer when she heard the front door open.
"Alya?"
The voice made Alya's body freeze. Rehan.
Arshaka turned toward the door. A few seconds later, Rehan appeared and saw them. His expression immediately changed.
"Alya...?"
Alya was speechless. Arshaka, however, calmly walked out of the bedroom. He stood directly in front of Rehan. He made no attempt to hide. He showed no fear. His gaze was cold and challenging.
"So you're Rehan?"
Rehan looked at him in confusion. Alya quickly stepped between them.
"Arshaka, leave."
But Arshaka only smiled.
"Why?"
He glanced at Rehan.
"Looks like we need to introduce ourselves."
For the first time, Alya realized that the secret she'd been hiding all this time was on the verge of falling apart. And Arshaka clearly had no intention of letting it remain a secret.