Chapter 9 — Mine
1580 Words
Chapter 9 — Mine
The room felt ice-cold.
Not because of the rain outside.
Not because of the air conditioning humming softly through the safehouse.
Because the entire world had just learned about Maya Verma.
And worse—
They learned she mattered to Mihir Raichand.
Maya stared at the tablet screen in silence.
Photo after photo.
Mihir touching her face.
Protecting her.
Looking at her like she was important.
Like she belonged beside him.
Her chest tightened painfully.
“This is bad,” she whispered.
“No,” Mihir said coldly.
“This is war.”
The dangerous calm in his voice sent chills through the entire room.
The security officer standing nearby visibly swallowed.
Mihir looked terrifying when angry.
Not loud.
Not emotional.
Controlled enough to become lethal.
Maya tore her eyes from the tablet. “The internet’s already spreading it.”
“Then we erase it.”
“You can’t erase the internet.”
Mihir looked at her sharply. “Watch me.”
Before Maya could respond, Mihir walked toward the central monitor station and activated AstraVex emergency protocols instantly.
Multiple screens lit up across the room.
Cybersecurity teams connected worldwide.
Executives appeared through encrypted calls looking panicked.
“Sir, media outlets are requesting statements—”
“Reject everything.”
“Social platforms are trending your relationship globally—”
“Shut it down.”
“Sir, the stock market—”
“I don’t care about the stock market.”
Silence.
Every executive froze.
Because Mihir Raichand always cared about business.
Always.
But right now—
His eyes remained locked on Maya.
Only Maya.
And suddenly every person in that room understood something terrifying.
This wasn’t a scandal.
This was personal.
Mihir’s voice dropped dangerously low.
“Find Raghav.”
The command echoed through the room like a death sentence.
“Every account. Every contact. Every server.”
One executive hesitated carefully. “Sir… authorities are recommending we avoid direct retaliation—”
Mihir interrupted coldly.
“He threatened her.”
Silence again.
Then the connection ended instantly.
Maya stared at him quietly.
“You’re scaring billionaires.”
“They’ll recover.”
“No, seriously. One man just crossed himself.”
Mihir ignored that and turned toward another screen.
Maya watched him carefully.
Sharp jaw.
Dark eyes.
Bandaged shoulder beneath his black shirt.
Protective rage radiating from every movement.
And suddenly her heartbeat betrayed her again.
Because a terrifying thought entered her mind.
He really cares about me.
Not temporarily.
Not casually.
Deeply.
Dangerously.
Maya looked away quickly.
That realization felt far too big.
—
An hour later, the safehouse atmosphere remained tense.
Security systems upgraded.
External communications blocked.
Naina asleep upstairs after finally calming down.
Meanwhile Maya sat alone near the massive living room windows, laptop balanced across her knees while rain shimmered against the glass outside.
She hacked automatically.
Mindlessly.
Trying not to think.
Which failed immediately.
Because all she could think about was Mihir.
The almost kisses.
The confessions.
The way he took a bullet for her without hesitation.
The way he said:
You matter to me.
Maya groaned softly and covered her face with both hands.
This was catastrophic.
She didn’t fall for people.
People left.
People disappointed.
People became vulnerabilities.
And Mihir?
Mihir somehow bulldozed through every wall she built around herself.
A warm mug suddenly appeared beside her laptop.
Maya looked up.
Mihir stood there quietly holding coffee.
In one of his sanitized personal mugs.
Of course.
“You made coffee?” Maya asked suspiciously.
“I supervised coffee.”
“That sounds more accurate.”
Mihir sat beside her carefully.
Close enough that their shoulders almost touched.
Neither moved away anymore.
Progress.
Maya accepted the mug slowly.
Then blinked after taking one sip.
“This is actually good.”
“I’m offended you expected otherwise.”
“You alphabetize sanitizers. I assumed your coffee tasted emotionally unavailable.”
A quiet laugh escaped him.
Maya’s heart instantly malfunctioned again.
She hated how much she liked making him laugh.
Mihir studied her face carefully after a moment.
“You’ve been quiet.”
“I’m processing.”
“That sounds dangerous.”
“It is.”
Silence settled softly between them.
Comfortable now.
Too comfortable.
Maya stared at the rain outside while softly asking—
“Does it bother you?”
Mihir frowned slightly. “What?”
“That everyone knows about me now.”
His answer came instantly.
“No.”
Maya blinked.
“Not even a little?”
“I’m angry they endangered you.”
Not the publicity.
Not the scandal.
Her safety.
Always her safety.
Maya looked down at her coffee quietly.
Nobody had ever prioritized her like this before.
Mihir noticed the emotion flickering across her face.
Then carefully—
“You’re not alone anymore.”
The words nearly shattered her.
Maya swallowed hard and forced a weak joke instead.
“That sounds suspiciously supportive.”
“It’s disgusting. I hate it.”
She laughed softly despite herself.
Then suddenly her laptop screen flashed red.
Maya’s expression changed instantly.
Mihir noticed immediately.
“What happened?”
Maya sat upright rapidly. “Raghav uploaded another file.”
Mihir’s entire posture sharpened.
“What kind of file?”
Maya opened the encrypted video carefully.
Static flickered.
Then Raghav appeared onscreen.
Scarred face.
Cold smile.
“Good evening, Nyx.”
Maya’s jaw tightened.
Raghav continued casually.
“If you’re watching this, congratulations. You’ve become important enough to ruin.”
Mihir’s expression darkened murderously.
The video shifted suddenly.
Blueprints appeared.
AstraVex headquarters.
Maya’s blood ran cold.
“Oh no.”
Raghav smiled wider onscreen.
“Project Helix will be extracted tomorrow night.”
Mihir stood instantly.
“That’s impossible.”
Raghav continued calmly.
“And if either of you interfere…”
The screen changed again.
Live sniper footage appeared.
Centered directly on the safehouse windows.
Maya froze.
Because someone was watching them right now.
Raghav whispered softly through the speakers—
“I’ll put a bullet through her heart first.”
The screen went black.
Mihir moved instantly.
“DOWN!”
He pulled Maya sharply off the couch just as a sniper bullet exploded through the glass windows behind them.
Shattering everything.
Security alarms screamed again.
Maya hit the floor hard beneath Mihir’s body shielding hers.
Another bullet slammed into the wall inches away.
“Mihir—”
“Stay down.”
His voice sounded lethal.
Security teams flooded the room immediately while gunfire erupted outside the safehouse perimeter.
Maya’s heart pounded violently.
Not from fear.
From realization.
Mihir was covering her completely with his own body.
Protecting her again.
Always protecting her.
The shooting stopped after several seconds.
Silence followed.
Heavy breathing.
Broken glass.
Rain.
Mihir slowly lifted his head slightly. “Are you hurt?”
Maya stared up at him.
Too close.
Far too close.
Rainlight reflected across his face while shards of glass glittered around them.
And suddenly the chaos disappeared again.
Just him.
Just her.
Maya whispered shakily—
“You keep doing that.”
“What?”
“Trying to die for me.”
Mihir’s eyes softened immediately.
“If that’s what it takes.”
Her chest physically hurt hearing that.
“Mihir…”
He looked at her like nothing else in the world mattered.
Then his gaze dropped briefly toward her lips again.
Dangerous mistake.
Because Maya looked at his too.
Neither moved.
Neither breathed properly.
The tension between them became unbearable.
And then—
“Maya!”
Naina’s voice echoed from upstairs.
Both jerked apart instantly.
Maya closed her eyes dramatically.
“This universe is obsessed with interrupting us.”
Even injured and furious, Mihir laughed softly against her shoulder.
The sound sent warmth straight through her chest.
Naina rushed downstairs panicking until she saw them alive.
Then immediately stopped.
And blinked.
Because Mihir was still half lying over Maya protectively on the floor.
Both noticed simultaneously.
Maya coughed awkwardly. “This is not what it looks like.”
Naina raised one eyebrow slowly.
“It looks exactly like what it looks like.”
Mihir calmly stood first before helping Maya up carefully.
His hand lingered around hers a second longer than necessary.
Naina definitely noticed that too.
Maya wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
Security officers entered quickly afterward.
“Sir, the sniper escaped.”
Mihir’s expression turned cold again instantly.
“Track every exit route.”
“Yes, sir.”
The officers left.
Silence returned.
Then Maya suddenly realized something.
Raghav’s message.
Tomorrow night.
Project Helix.
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Mihir.”
He looked at her immediately.
“They’re not bluffing.”
“I know.”
Maya stepped closer slowly.
“They’re going after AstraVex directly.”
Mihir nodded once.
“And they’ll use us against each other if necessary.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Real.
Then Maya quietly asked the one question terrifying both of them.
“What if they’re right?”
Mihir frowned slightly.
“What?”
“That we became weaknesses.”
For a moment, Mihir simply stared at her.
Then he stepped closer.
Close enough that her breath caught again.
And softly—
“You’re not my weakness.”
Maya’s heartbeat stumbled violently.
Mihir gently brushed shattered glass dust from her sleeve before finishing quietly:
“You’re the first thing that ever made me want more than survival.”
Silence consumed the room.
Maya looked at him like she forgot how words worked.
And Mihir realized something terrifyingly simple.
He was already gone.
Completely.
Hopelessly.
In love with her.
- Writer
