Back at the mansion…
The atmosphere was tense.
Inside Aryan's private office, Aryan Malhotra, Anaya Sen, and her mother sat around the table.
In the center lay the small silver pendant.
Aryan examined it carefully under a desk lamp.
"This is definitely modified," he said.
Anaya looked nervous.
"My father gave it to me when I was sixteen."
Her mother nodded.
"Yes… he said she should never remove it."
Aryan noticed a tiny hidden groove on the back of the locket.
He pressed it gently.
Click.
The pendant opened.
Inside was not a photo…
But a very tiny data chip.
Anaya gasped.
"What is that?"
Aryan carefully removed the chip.
"This," he said quietly,
"is probably the reason your father disappeared."
He inserted the chip into a secure laptop.
For a few seconds nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
The screen filled with encrypted files.
Maps.
Codes.
Bank accounts.
Weapon routes.
Aryan's expression became serious.
"This is massive."
Anaya walked closer.
"What does it mean?"
Aryan pointed at the screen.
"These are the secret smuggling routes of the Black Serpent Syndicate."
Her mother covered her mouth in shock.
"If this information leaks…"
Aryan finished the sentence.
"Half the world's illegal arms network would collapse."
Anaya finally understood why Viktor wanted the chip so badly.
"But why did my father keep it?"
Aryan answered quietly.
"Probably as insurance."
"Insurance against the syndicate?"
"Yes."
Before anyone could say more—
Suddenly the laptop screen flickered.
Then a new message appeared.
UNKNOWN CONNECTION DETECTED
Aryan frowned.
"That's impossible. This system isn't connected to the internet."
Then a distorted voice echoed from the laptop speakers.
"Hello… King Cobra."
Anaya felt a chill.
Aryan's eyes darkened.
"Who is this?"
The voice chuckled.
"You already know."
Then the screen displayed a black serpent symbol.
The mark of the Black Serpent Syndicate.
The voice continued calmly.
"You have something that belongs to us."
Aryan replied coldly.
"Come and take it."
The voice laughed.
"Oh… we will."
Then it said something even more dangerous.
"And when we do… we won't just take the data."
"We will take your wife too."
The screen suddenly went black.
The connection ended.
Silence filled the room.
Anaya looked at Aryan nervously.
"What do we do now?"
Aryan slowly closed the laptop.
His voice became dangerously calm.
"Now…"
"We prepare for war."