AUTHOR'S POV

Alaina tapped her fingers against the table, masking the flicker of unease Arsalan's words stirred in her.

"You do believe in me."

He had no idea what he was saying. No idea that he was more right than he should be.

But she wasn't about to let him know that.

"Tch. Don't flatter yourself, Malik. Belief is a strong word. I'd say I tolerate you."

Arsalan laughed, rich and smug. "Baby, for someone who claims to 'tolerate' me, you sure know an awful lot about my whereabouts."

Alaina smirked, tilting her head. "Like I said-you're predictable."

"Am I now?" His voice dropped lower, edged with something dangerous. "Then tell me, Alaina-what am I going to do next?"

She leaned back, unfazed. "You're going to try and flirt your way into my nerves. Fail. And then, when you hang up, you're going to order your usual black coffee, sit in your usual corner at the lounge, and pretend you aren't waiting for me to show up."

Silence.

Just for a second.

Then, a slow chuckle. "Damn. Stalker much?"

Alaina's smirk never wavered, but deep down, something sharp coiled in her chest. If only you knew, Malik.

"Please. Your habits are basic. Easy to read."

"Or maybe you just spend too much time thinking about me, sweetheart."

She scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself."

"Oh, I don't have to. You do it for me, baby."

Alaina rolled her eyes, standing up. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Arsalan's voice dipped into a smirk. "Funny, I was about to say the same about you."

Alaina froze for half a second.

He didn't know. He couldn't know.

Could he?

"What do you mean?" Her voice was as calm as ever, but her grip on the phone tightened.

Arsalan hummed. "Oh, nothing. Just that if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were keeping an eye on me even when I'm not around."

Alaina smirked, covering the sudden, wild beat of her heart. "Malik, if I were keeping an eye on you, trust me-you wouldn't know it."

Arsalan exhaled a low whistle. "Damn. You're actually scary, you know that?"

She grinned. "Finally, something we agree on."

He laughed. "Alright, alright. I'll let you go-for now. But don't think this conversation is over, Shaikh."

"Oh, I know it isn't," she murmured, eyes glinting. "It never is."

With that, she hung up, tossing her phone onto the couch.

Sanjna, who had been silently listening, raised an eyebrow. "You're insane."

Alaina smirked, brushing imaginary dust off her sleeve. "Oh, darling. You have no idea."

And if Arsalan Malik wasn't careful...

He'd find out just how true that was.

----

Alaina exhaled slowly, tapping her nails against her thigh as she stared at her phone. The conversation still echoed in her mind, every smirk in Arsalan's voice replaying like a taunt.

He thought this was a game. He thought she was just another challenge-one he could flirt with, tease, and move on from.

But he didn't know.

Didn't know the depths of her obsession.

Didn't know that for the past five years, she had tracked every location he had visited, watched every woman he had entertained, memorized every reckless move he made.

Arsalan Malik had no idea that he wasn't the hunter in this game. He was the prey.

Sanjna, who had been lazily sipping her coffee, finally spoke. "You know, for someone who acts like she doesn't care, you sure as hell have an unhealthy amount of knowledge about Arsalan's life."

Alaina's smirk didn't falter. "Please. He's an idiot. Someone has to keep track of him."

Sanjna raised an eyebrow. "And that 'someone' just happens to be you?"

Alaina shrugged, her expression unreadable. "Call it a hobby."

Sanjna scoffed. "More like an addiction."

Alaina turned to her, finally meeting her gaze. "And if it is?"

Sanjna stared at her for a long moment, then sighed, setting her cup down. "Just be careful, Alaina. Obsession is a dangerous thing."

Alaina's smirk sharpened. "Only when you don't know how to control it."

Sanjna gave her a knowing look. "And do you?"

Alaina didn't answer.

Because the truth was-she didn't want to.

The thrill of watching Arsalan, knowing things about him he had never told her, was intoxicating. The way he flirted so casually, thinking he was the one in control, made her want to laugh.

If only he knew.

If only he realized just how deep she had already sunk into his world.

And the best part?

He had no idea what she had already done for him.

Or what she was willing to do.

Meanwhile...

Arsalan leaned back in his chair, staring at his phone with a smirk.

Alaina Shaikh was a mystery-one he had been trying to unravel for years.

She acted cold, untouchable, uninterested. But there was something in her voice today... something almost possessive.

Something dangerous.

And Arsalan Malik?

He thrived on danger.

With a lazy chuckle, he murmured to himself, "Let's see how long you can keep running, Alaina."

Because if there was one thing Arsalan loved more than winning-it was chasing.

Alaina stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of her penthouse, gazing down at the city lights. The conversation with Arsalan still played in her mind, every teasing word, every smug chuckle.

He had no idea.

No idea that for years, she had ensured his safety from the shadows. That she had erased threats before they could even reach him. That she had silenced people who dared to think about harming him.

Arsalan Malik was untouchable-not because of his own power, but because she had made him that way.

And he would never know.

She ran a hand through her hair, inhaling deeply. It wasn't love. Love was weak, fragile. This was something else. Something darker.

Obsession.

Possession.

He was hers, whether he knew it or not.

Her phone buzzed again.

ARSALAN MALIK

She debated ignoring it. But that would only amuse him more. So, with a smirk, she answered.

"Couldn't stay away, Malik?"

His deep chuckle sent a strange thrill down her spine. "Sweetheart, you wound me. Maybe I just enjoy the sound of your voice."

She rolled her eyes. "Try that line on someone who cares."

"Oh, I already have. But for some reason, you're the only one who never falls for it."

"Maybe because I have standards."

"Or maybe," he murmured, voice dropping slightly, "you're just scared."

Her grip on the phone tightened. "Of what?"

"Of me."

She exhaled sharply, forcing a laugh. "You? Please, Malik. The only thing scary about you is your terrible taste in women."

"Is that jealousy I hear?" he mused.

She smirked. "Hardly. I just feel bad for you. Imagine being surrounded by so many women and still having terrible choices."

"Oh, but you, sweetheart, would be my best choice."

Alaina scoffed. "Too bad I don't do temporary."

Arsalan hummed. "Who said I was looking for temporary?"

Silence stretched between them.

Alaina hated it. Hated that for a fraction of a second, she felt... unsteady. As if he could see something she had buried deep inside her.

So she did what she did best.

She pushed.

"Then find someone else, Malik. Because I don't do forever either."

There was a pause, and then his voice turned lazy again, like he hadn't just unsettled her.

"We'll see about that, baby girl."

And before she could respond, he hung up.

Alaina stared at her phone, her jaw tightening.

Damn him.

Damn him for thinking he could chase her.

Because he had no idea-she had already caught him.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Okay so there will be a seperate book for Alaina and Arsalan if you want I can start writing that book too....let me know in the comments section...