Chapter 243: Returning to Singhania estate

**Wednesday, Sheetal’s booked hotel room — 8:35 a.m.**

The next morning, Rohit opened his eyes to the sharp sound of knocking on the door.

He sat up slowly. The space beside him was empty. Sheetal was gone.

For a moment he simply stared at the vacant side of the bed, the faint scent of her still lingering on the sheets. Then he noticed a clean towel left nearby. He wrapped it around his waist and walked to the door.

When he opened it, a hotel staff member stood outside. The man looked briefly surprised to see him, but quickly composed himself.

"Sir, the guest hours are over. The registered guest has already checked out. However, if you wish, you may extend the room for one more hour and order breakfast for a small additional fee."

Rohit frowned slightly as understanding settled in. Sheetal had already left. This was a hotel, not a place he could linger indefinitely.

He gave a short nod.

"I’ll take the extra hour. Just the shower and breakfast."

"Very well, sir."

Rohit closed the door and turned back into the room. His clothes were neatly folded on the table — far more carefully than he had left them. When he picked them up, a folded note slipped out from between the fabric.

He unfolded it as he read:

[I’m sorry, Rohit.

Even though we crossed the line last night, it was still very much unethical.

I am still married by law... and I am a friend of your sister. Even if I’m not your sister by blood, I have publicly claimed you as my little brother. Somehow, that sentiment is still there in me.

Honestly speaking, I don’t know if it was the alcohol or my loneliness, but I want to apologize. I don’t blame you for everything that happened between us.

I feel guilty for letting it go that far... but at the same time, thank you. Thank you for not letting me fall apart last night.

But it has to stop here.

For the last time, I want to try and see if my husband will return to me. I hope you will keep this secret if you value me at all... and if possible, try to forget me. It’s for the best.

— Sheetal]

Rohit stared at the note for a long moment, the morning light cutting across the paper in his hand. His expression remained unreadable, but something quiet and complicated settled behind his eyes — a faint flicker of betrayal, and the sharp edge of loss.

He wasn’t angry that she had left. He was angry that she still couldn’t see what was best for her. Once someone showed their true colors as a red flag, they rarely changed. Even after he had been careful and considerate with her, she still chose to go back to that useless husband of hers. The irony was almost laughable — she already knew the man had left her for another woman.

For a brief moment, he genuinely felt bad for her. Then his more practical side took over. In the end, this was his loss. He had just lost a potential asset who could have given him better access to his sister’s inner circle. Now she would most likely avoid him. What a waste.

He crumpled the note in his fist, tossed it into the nearby dustbin, and snorted under his breath.

"So much for all that passion. Seems like other than Ragini, none of them are reliable. I should’ve played my cards better and hooked her completely... foolish woman."

Then he grabbed a fresh towel and walked toward the bathroom.

***

An hour later, inside the Singhania residence.

Rohit pushed open the door to his room and stopped.

Aisha was curled up on his bed in thin pajamas, hugging her old stuffed bear like she owned the place. Her legs were drawn up, the fabric of her shorts riding high enough to show a generous stretch of smooth thigh.

He stared at her for a moment, lips pressing into a thin line at the sheer audacity. For a second he was almost speechless.

First her, now her teddy bear... what next, her whole wardrobe? Was she getting too comfortable in his room, or was she actually trying to claim more space in his life by leaving pieces of herself here?

He clicked his tongue in quiet irritation.

Closing the door behind him, he walked over, picked up the half-empty glass from the nightstand, and tipped the remaining water straight onto her face.

Aisha shot upright with a startled gasp, sputtering.

"What the— Rohit!"

"Out. Now."

Water clung to her lashes as she blinked up at him. Instead of retreating, she leaned forward and tried to kiss him.

Rohit turned his face at the last second and pushed her back gently by the forehead.

"You smell like morning breath and leftover grilled fish. Brush your teeth first."

Her expression crumpled for half a second, genuine hurt flickering across her features, before she pushed forward anyway and kissed him regardless. It felt more like soft, sulky, and slightly messy.

"I missed you, moron," she mumbled against his mouth. "You could at least pretend to be happy. Do you have any idea how long I waited?"

"I’d be happier if you weren’t in my bed every time I come back from outside," he replied, voice flat.

Aisha sat back on her heels, suddenly shifting into a more business-like posture despite the wrinkled pajamas and damp face.

"I brought Mom’s phone. For the hack."

That got his attention.

She dug under the pillow and pulled out an Android device, holding it out to him. It wasn’t the same one she had brought before.

"This is her second personal phone," she added, reading his expression. "Take it. You won’t regret it. Just make sure you give it back later."

Rohit studied the device for a moment, filing away her usual demands. A hidden second phone usually meant something worth finding.

He reached for it.

"Alright. Go clean up. I have things to deal with."

Aisha pouted, then smirked and pulled her hand back, keeping the phone just out of reach.

"What’s the rush? I want to see the process." She huffed and brushed a strand of hair from her face with exaggerated arrogance. "You want the merchandise, then you deal with the owner’s conditions."

Rohit’s mouth curved into a slow, smug smile.

"Fine. Two options. You shower now and I let you stay for the day... or you watch the process, which won’t take more than five minutes, and then I pack you up and send you straight back to your room."

Aisha grumbled under her breath, snatched her stuffed bear off the mattress in protest, and slouched toward the door.

"You better keep your word."

The moment she was gone, Rohit flipped open his laptop and connected the phone with a spare USB cable. After the usual system handshake, he gave a flat command.

"Lisa. Unlock this."

The AI interface flickered to life and began the decryption process.

A moment later:

[Device Unlocked. Scanning.]

[Displaying results by priority.]

He scrolled through the data while the deeper scan continued. Most of it was predictable — large, recurring transfers to two casinos and a horse-racing syndicate. Kalyani’s usual vices. Nothing particularly useful for leverage.

Then one entry made him pause.

A recurring booking for a private massage suite. High-end. The kind that came with its own VIP wing. Not connected to the casinos. Somewhere else entirely.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Lisa. Pull everything related to these bookings."

A series of files appeared — invoices, booking calendars, and message screenshots. All of them pointed to repeated appointments with male massage therapists.

Rohit let out a short, quiet laugh.

’Seriously? If she needed it that badly, she should’ve just asked me. Slutty bitch.’

He filed the information away and ordered the AI to sort the remaining notifications by priority.

The first message was from Robin.

[Robin: Sir, today’s the day. Ordinance factory deal, like we promised Rocky. Also, heads up — Mrinal’s finally out. He reached out. Said Mittal’s put a hit order on you. Both direct and indirect channels. He’s trying to keep it quiet for now so Suraj’s people don’t catch wind, but stay sharp.]

Rohit’s jaw tightened slightly.

So Akanksha’s intel had been correct. Her husband really was behind it.

At least Robin hadn’t mentioned Sheetal. Smart enough to keep that to himself — though that still wouldn’t earn him a free pass for almost exposing things the night before. The rest of the matter can be discussed face to face then.

He typed back quickly.

[Rohit: Noted. Moving forward as planned. Send me the location. Meet at 2:20 sharp.]

A soft click behind him pulled his attention away from the screen.

He turned.

Aisha stood near the door, now wrapped in nothing but a towel, damp hair clinging to her neck and shoulders. Water still traced faint lines down her collarbone.

Rohit dragged a hand down his face.

"What the hell... Are you out of your mind? What if anyone sees you?"