Zulfishan stood frozen in the center of the room, her eyes locked on the blinking message. Her breath came in shallow bursts as the weight of it sank in.
They had Aabi.
And this time… they wanted her to come alone.
Raheel’s voice broke through the silence. “Zulfishan, look at me. This is a trap. They know you're the key.”
“I know,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm inside. “That’s why I have to go.”
“You’re not going anywhere alone,” Salman insisted. “You go, we go.”
But Zulfishan turned to them, something in her gaze different now. Not panic. Not fear.
Resolve.
“No,” she whispered. “This time, I go alone. That’s the only way they’ll show their hand.”
Raheel grabbed her arm. “Zulfishan—”
She looked at him with quiet strength. “You trust me?”
He hesitated. Then slowly
