The heart doesn't always shatter with noise.
Sometimes, it fades—quietly, painfully—in the spaces between words left unsaid.
That's what was happening between Arjun and Sonal.
Ever since he joined RRB Finance, Arjun had started pulling away.
Not abruptly. But deliberately—like a slow retreat masked behind busy schedules and unread messages.
His replies were shorter, colder.
Calls missed. Conversations hollow.
And between the silence and hesitation, the bond that once felt unbreakable began to dissolve… one unspoken word at a time.
Sonal noticed.
Of course, she did.
But she never asked.
Instead, she armored herself with routine—plunging deeper into Brian Pharma's world, shadowing Brian through meetings, press events, and expansion strategies.
Her life spun faster… and somewhere in the blur, Arjun quietly faded from her orbit.
One month.
No real conversations. No warmth. Just formality… like two strangers with a shared past.
And Arjun?
He'd stopped looking back.
Or at least… he thought he had.
---
A Notification That Changed Everything
Monday.
Mumbai.
Corporate stillness wrapped in soft jazz, coffee steam, and spreadsheet silence.
Arjun sat behind his polished desk at RRB Finance Group—calm, composed, methodical.
This was the life he'd fought for—structure, respect, solitude. No emotional chaos. Just clean lines and clean numbers.
His phone buzzed.
> New Email Notification.
Subject: Congratulations – ROXX UK Project Launch | RRB Finance Group
From: David W. | ROXX Corporation UK
He glanced at it. Just another CC'd corporate message. Nothing urgent.
But the name ROXX ticked something in his memory.
He frowned slightly.
He remembered it—vividly.
Boxes marked ROXX being unloaded at a Brian Pharma facility. Months ago. Labeled with bold red stickers: "HANDLE WITH CARE – BIO-MATERIAL."
At the time, he dismissed it as random logistics.
But now… the coincidence was too sharp to ignore.
A chill crawled down his spine.
He opened the email.
> "Warm congratulations to the entire RRB Finance Group for the successful investment in ROXX Corporation's UK BioResearch Hub. We look forward to strategic collaboration and innovative growth ahead."
That was it. Polished. Sanitized. Corporate.
But his instincts flared.
---
The Search That Unraveled Everything
He leaned forward and typed:
> ROXX Corporation UK – BioResearch
Dozens of results flooded the screen—scientific papers, investor news, press releases.
ROXX wasn't just any firm.
It was cutting-edge—bordering on obsession.
Keywords leapt out:
Botanical Rebirth
Ancient DNA Revitalization
Synthetic Prehistoric Ecosystems
They had already revived extinct plant species.
They were engineering environments that hadn't existed for thousands of years.
It was impressive. Almost… surreal.
But something was off.
Arjun went deeper—hunting for any mention of Brian Pharma + ROXX collaboration.
Nothing.
Not a single record. Not even a footnote.
Yet those ROXX boxes were real. He saw them. He remembered the caution labels.
And then… he found them—articles buried deep in obscure research watchdog blogs.
> "Unconfirmed experiments on cadaveric biological matter."
"Rumors of unauthorized human bio-trials."
"ROXX projects suspended in parts of Asia for bioethics violations."
Arjun's jaw clenched. The screen's glow flickered against his now-tense face.
This wasn't just science.
This was shadow work.
Something darker… hidden behind lab coats and white papers.
And a chilling thought crept in—
Was Sonal unknowingly involved in this?
Or worse…
Was she a part of something far more dangerous than she realized?
---
Unanswered Calls… Echoes of Concern
He picked up his phone. Dialed Sonal.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
No answer.
The silence on the other end now felt deafening.
Something was wrong. Deeply wrong.
His gut twisted.
He shoved the chair back, grabbed his car keys, and stormed out of his office.
This wasn't just curiosity anymore—it was instinct. Something primal. Protective.
And no matter how far he had drifted… something inside still pulled him toward her.
Destination: Pune.
---
The Drive That Felt Like a Storm
Clouds loomed heavy above as his car sped down the highway.
Raindrops tapped the windshield in a slow rhythm, like a ticking clock counting down to something he couldn't see yet.
His mind spun with unanswered questions.
> What exactly is ROXX doing behind closed doors?
Why were their bio-materials at Brian Pharma?
What has Sonal been pulled into?
Is Brian just a businessman—or something else entirely?
The drizzle turned into a downpour.
The road blurred. But his focus sharpened.
Every mile brought him closer to Pune… and deeper into something he couldn't quite name.
This wasn't just business anymore.
This was something else.
Something crawling just beneath the surface of science and morality.
Something that smelled of danger, secrets… and betrayal.
And at the center of it all—Sonal.
Was she safe?
Was she being used?
Or… had she already crossed a line she couldn't come back from?
He didn't know.
But he was going to find out.
No matter what waited on the other side of this storm.
To Be Continued…