SILVER'S POV
Natasha settled gracefully into the chair while I remained standing, restless and impatient.
"Relax," she said calmly, crossing one leg over the other. "He'll be back soon."
I ignored her.
A faint smile curved her lips. "I was wondering if we could be friends."
She stretched out her hand for a handshake, even though we both knew I had no intention of taking it.
My gaze dropped to her hand, cold and unimpressed. Slowly, the confidence in her expression faltered, and she began to pull it back. I sighed softly and raised my own hand instead.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
For a brief second, hope flickered across her face.
She leaned forward eagerly, extending her hand further to meet mine.
I stepped closer.
Closer.
Then, just as her fingers were about to touch mine, I dragged a chair backward and sat down instead.
She gasped.
A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.
What exactly had she been expecting? Friendship? From me?
There was no universe where I would willingly befriend my rival.
I was prettier than Natasha, I knew that much. But beauty was not the dangerous thing about her. It was her intelligence. Her composure. The effortless elegance that made people trust her within minutes. So far, we had close to obtaining Herb C largely because of her help.
And that terrified me.
Because if Zoah found another excuse to keep her close during the search for Herb D… then sooner or later, he might begin to see her differently.
No.
I refused to let that happen.
I only prayed she would disappear once this mission ended.
If she stayed any longer, she might actually succeed in stealing Zoah's heart.
"I was beginning to think you were a decent person," Natasha said dryly, pulling her hand back.
"Go away," I snapped. "We can complete this mission without you."
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"Sorry to disappoint you, darling, but I'm not going anywhere." Her eyes gleamed with confidence.
"Zoah saved my life. The least I can do is repay him… by marrying him."
I stared at her.
Then it clicked.
She was the daughter of the herb owner, the same woman Zoah had cured.
At that moment, a cruel thought crossed my mind.
She should have died.
Why did she have to come all the way to India with us?
"You seriously think Zoah would marry you?" I scoffed. "He's in love with Violet. Both of us already lost."
The words tasted bitter coming out of my mouth, but I meant them.
Still… if I had to lose Zoah, I would rather lose him to Violet than to Natasha.
Natasha leaned back lazily, completely unfazed.
"I have a plan," she said. "A very effective one." Her smile darkened. "Trust me, it has worked on even the coldest and most ruthless men."
For the first time since meeting her… I felt threatened.
A strange unease settled in my chest.
All my life, I had never fought over a man. Men fought over me. Perhaps I should walk away now while I still had my pride intact.
But I couldn't.
I had sacrificed too much for Zoah. Ignored too many people. Burned too many bridges.
I refused to become a laughingstock.
"Do you even know who Zoah truly is?" Natasha asked suddenly, her voice quieter now. "Don't waste your heart on him."
Her words lingered in the air like poison.
Because she was right.
I knew almost nothing about him.
Zoah was a mystery wrapped in shadows, dangerous, unreadable, impossible to hold onto.
Still, I lifted my chin stubbornly.
"Let the best woman win."
Before Natasha could reply, a familiar figure emerged from the distance.
Zoah.
The air shifted the moment he appeared.
Natasha's entire expression softened instantly. "Hi," she said sweetly.
Zoah barely glanced at either of us.
"It's settled," he said coldly. "Let's go."
Without another word, he turned and walked ahead.
And we followed him straight into the unknown.
We stepped into the elevator, and moments later, the metallic doors slid open to reveal a massive hall.
The first thing I noticed was the silence.
The second… the cameras.
CCTV cameras were mounted in every corner, their dark lenses following our every movement like unblinking eyes.
A chill crawled down my spine.
"Okay… where exactly are we?" I asked, stopping in the middle of the room.
Zoah scanned the area calmly. "I was told Herb C is here."
I frowned and looked around again.
The hall was empty.
No furniture. No doors besides the elevator we came through. No windows.
Nothing.
Just one large hollow space and the three of us standing inside it.
"Well, this is great," I muttered bitterly. "We've been tricked."
"Maybe we should search carefully," Natasha suggested. "There could be a hidden compartment somewhere."
"Hidden compartment?" I snapped, my voice echoing harshly through the hall.
She flinched instantly.
I inhaled slowly and lowered my tone. "Fine. Go ahead and find it."
Honestly, I had expected more from her.
The room was completely bare. Even a blind person would know there was nothing hidden there.
"What if there's an underground tunnel?" Natasha asked cautiously.
I scoffed and turned toward Zoah.
"This is your intelligent woman?"
The tiled floor beneath us was smooth and solid.
Anyone with common sense could tell there was no tunnel underneath.
"She's frustrated," Zoah said calmly in her defense.
I laughed mockingly.
"'She's frustrated,'" I repeated. "We literally just got here. What exactly is stressing her already?"
Natasha folded her arms tightly. "You can't blame me. I'm not used to this kind of situation."
That made me laugh even harder.
"Spoiled rich girl," I said. "I didn't realize standing in an empty room counted as suffering."
Then I smiled sweetly.
"If you want to quit, nobody's stopping you."
I truly hoped she would turn around and leave.
But instead, she looked toward the elevator nervously.
"Maybe we should leave," she whispered.
I rolled my eyes.
"We're trapped, genius."
She stared at me in disbelief before rushing toward the elevator doors. She repeatedly pressed the button, but nothing happened.
The doors remained shut.
Locked.
For the first time since meeting her, genuine fear appeared on her face.
"Okay… what exactly did you people drag me into?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
I smirked and glanced at Zoah.
"You really chose the best assistant in the world," I mocked before sitting lazily on the cold floor.
"Stop acting like a child, Natasha," Zoah said coldly.
"Nobody forced you to come."
I enjoyed every second of it.
Ignoring him completely, Natasha continued pounding against the elevator door.
Suddenly.
A sharp mechanical sound echoed through the room.
An alarm.
Red lights flickered briefly overhead.
All three of us froze.
"Well," I said slowly, "this officially feels like a horror movie."
Then a distorted voice crackled through a hidden speaker somewhere above us.
"Welcome… ladies and gentleman."
I burst out laughing.
"Shouldn't it be gentlemen and ladies?"
Natasha shot me a horrified look. "You actually find this funny?"
I smiled.
At least now I knew there was something else that made me superior to her besides beauty.
Courage.
"Many have searched for Herb C before you," the voice continued. "Only a few survived long enough to come this far."
The amusement slowly faded from my face.
"To obtain Herb C, you must prove yourselves worthy. Intelligence alone will not save you."
The voice paused.
Then it spoke again, colder this time.
"And let me warn you…"
The lights flickered violently.
"If you attempt to quit now… you will die."
Silence.
The speaker went dead.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then Natasha swallowed nervously. "Okay… that was officially the creepiest thing I've ever heard."
A slow grin spread across Zoah's face instead.
"This is going to be interesting."
I looked at him, surprised.
Then, despite everything, I found myself smiling too.
Just like those horror movies where survival was the only rule… we had unknowingly stepped into a deadly game.
And suddenly, India didn't seem boring anymore.