The chaos in the Sharma household had morphed into a palpable tension, thick with uncertainty and fear. Riya stood beside Adrik, her heart pounding, not just from the imminent threat but from the intoxicating mix of danger and desire that emanated from him. The dark figure before them, cloaked in shadows, bore an unsettling familiarity, sending a chill down her spine.

“Adrik,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the din of her family's anxious murmurs behind them. “Who is he?”