Chapter 251: Checkmate?

Naina was speechless.

Throughout her entire performance, anxiety had sat heavy in her chest — not because of stage fright or the audience’s expectations. Those she could handle. This wasn’t her first time under the lights, and she was confident in her craft.

The real reason was the empty seat in the front VIP row.

She had specially reserved it for someone she wanted to impress.

When the lights first came up, her heart had jolted. Aisha was there with their bodyguard, but the seat beside her — the one meant for Rohit — was empty. He had come specifically to watch her perform... and now he was nowhere to be found.

It felt absurd.

Still, she had no choice but to go on. Her eyes kept drifting back to that empty chair between songs. Every time the lights shifted, she half-expected to see him there. He never appeared.

When the final notes faded and the audience rose in applause, Naina smiled and bowed with practiced grace. Inside, she was furious.

At the stage exit, a line of guests was already waiting to greet her. She was in no mood for any of them.

She called her event manager over, ignoring the people trying to speak to her.

"Kamran. Cancel the rest of the schedule. I want to go home."

Kamran’s face fell. Managing the guests was already difficult enough — now this.

Before he could begin dispersing the crowd, a foreigner stepped forward with smooth, deliberate confidence.

"Hello, Ms. Naina. I know this might be a little rude of me to interrupt, but after travelling halfway across the world and still failing to get even a moment of your attention... don’t you think it would be a waste to leave empty-handed? Two minutes of your time. I promise it will be worth it."

The people around them exchanged glances. The man’s brazen yet polished manner made it hard to push him away immediately. Everyone waited for Naina’s response.

She sighed and rubbed her temple.

"Fine. You can have five minutes while we walk. Who are you, and why do you want to meet me?"

Robert smiled, ready to introduce himself—

A staff member who looked more like a professional bodyguard hurried up and whispered urgently into Naina’s ear.

"Madam... something’s gone wrong. Your friend has been caught in a serious situation with a female staff member."

Naina’s face drained of color. She gripped the man’s shoulder.

"What are you saying? Take me there. Now."

She pushed past him and ignored everyone else, following him toward the corridor. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Behind her, Robert watched her leave with clear irritation. He turned back to his two companions, who were still smiling.

"Why do you both look so happy? She left immediately."

Shreyash, still holding his phone, answered with a satisfied grin.

"The prey has been trapped. It’s gone even better than we expected."

Akhilesh looked a little uneasy but kept the smile on his face. He had already heard what happened in the last fifteen minutes. Whether it was truly in their favor was still uncertain, but he played along.

Robert’s mood lifted the moment he noticed a section of the audience beginning to move toward the far corner of the hall.

"Is this what we were waiting for?"

Shreyash nodded and patted his shoulder.

"I told you, brother. Once I make a promise, I find a way. The deal is done."

Akhilesh joined in, clapping Robert on the other shoulder.

"Let’s go. We shouldn’t miss the show."

Shreyash shook his head.

"I can’t. You two go ahead. I’ll handle things from here."

Amid the host’s repeated calls for the audience to remain seated and maintain decorum, the three exchanged knowing looks. Then Robert, followed by Akhilesh, left the stage area and headed toward the corridor where Rohit’s situation was still unfolding.

***

Aisha was growing increasingly uneasy.

She knew Rohit well enough by now. He could be reckless, opportunistic, and driven by lust — but he was never senseless. Missing an entire performance just to help some random woman made no sense. Something had gone wrong.

She turned to Kuldeep and kept her voice low but firm.

"Sir, please go and find out about Rohit. Something is definitely wrong. He wouldn’t miss the whole show just to help some unknown woman. And why did she specifically ask him instead of you? It’s not like you’re any less capable."

Kuldeep was in a difficult position. Rohit had given him clear instructions: stay with Aisha and protect her. Building trust with the young master was part of his mission. He trusted Rohit’s abilities, but the situation was starting to feel like a deliberate trap — and he couldn’t tell whether the real target was Rohit or Aisha herself.

If he left her unguarded and something happened, he would fail both his duty and his mission.

He tried once more, as patiently as he could.

"Madam, please. I understand you’re worried, but you have to trust him. Young Master specifically ordered me to stay with you. I cannot leave you alone."

Aisha’s expression hardened. She looked at him as if she wanted to cut him down with her eyes alone.

"Oh? So now you’re scared?" she said coldly. "No wonder he went alone and left you here. He probably knew you’d just become a burden. Do you really think I need protection sitting in the middle of a crowded auditorium? Or is this just another excuse to avoid doing anything useful?"

Kuldeep’s jaw tightened. The armrest under his hand creaked under the sudden pressure.

He forced his voice to remain polite.

"Ma’am... please."

Aisha leaned in slightly, her tone dropping into a low, cutting whisper.

"What? How much more shameless can you get? All you need to do is go check on him while I stay right here. Or are you really that much less of a man than him?"

That finally got to him.

Kuldeep exhaled slowly, barely controlling his temper.

"...Very well. I’ll go look for him. But promise me you’ll stay here and not move until I return."

Aisha’s expression softened at once. She let out a quiet breath of relief as she watched him stand and leave.

The performance had already ended. The host was still speaking, trying to keep the audience seated before the next act. People were beginning to move around more freely.

Sitting alone now, Aisha found herself thinking bitterly. Why was it always so difficult to get people to listen when she asked nicely? Apparently being soft only made others ignore you. Sometimes being cold and sharp was the only way to get anything done. The world might call her mean for it — but she didn’t care. Not as long as Rohit was safe.

She shook her head with a small, ironic smile. It was strange how worried she had become over the same boy she used to look down on. Could something as simple as intimacy really change a person this much?

Just then, a voice spoke from her right.

"Excuse me. Are you looking for Rohit?"

Aisha turned.

A young man was standing near the empty seat that had been meant for Rohit, one hand in his pocket and a faint, confident smile on his face. She didn’t recognize him — but it was Shreyash Mittal, who had deliberately stayed behind to make contact with her while the opportunity was still open.