Chapter 6
Sleep refused to come.
Kiara lay awake on the couch, staring at the ceiling while the faint glow of the streetlights slipped through the curtains. The silence of the apartment felt heavier than usual, as if the walls themselves were listening.
Every few minutes she checked her phone again.
No new messages.
But that didn't calm her.
Because the last message had already done enough.
Your family is important to you.
The words kept replaying in her mind like a broken recording.
Her chest tightened.
Without realizing it, Kiara's thoughts drifted somewhere else…
Somewhere far away from the cold tension of the present.
To a memory.
A quiet afternoon from years ago.
She was sitting across from her father at the small wooden table in their house. Between them was a chessboard. Sunlight streamed through the window while her father studied the board with a calm smile.
"Think before you move," he had said.
Kiara remembered the way he used to tap the chess piece gently against the board when he was thinking.
She had been impatient then.
"Just play, Dad," she had complained.
He chuckled.
"In chess… and in life… rushing is how you lose."
The memory shifted.
Her father's phone rang that day.
He stood up to answer it.
A short conversation.
A serious expression.
Then he turned to her and said he had to leave for work.
Kiara had watched him walk out of the house.
And he never came back.
The memory ended there, like a door slamming shut.
Kiara closed her eyes.
Kiara slowly opened her eyes.
Another game was beginning now.
And this time… the opponent was invisible.
Life had never been the same after that incident.
Her mother had taken responsibility for everything. Working, teaching, raising two daughters alone.
And Kiara…
Kiara had made a promise to herself.
She would become strong enough to protect them.
Every late night studying.
Every difficult exam.
Every challenge in her career.
All of it had one purpose.
To give her family a safe life.
But now…
Her hands tightened slowly into fists.
Now someone had placed them directly in danger.
Kiara sat up.
"Who are you, Vishwa?" she murmured quietly.
The name felt strange on her tongue.
Whoever this man was, he wasn't ordinary.
He was careful.
Smart.
Patient.
From her experience in cyber security, Kiara understood one thing clearly.
Someone like him never made careless moves.
He had already proven he could track her.
He had proven he could watch her.
Which meant one thing.
He had been planning this for a long time.
Kiara exhaled slowly
"Clever," she whispered.
Clever enough to put her in checkmate…
Before the game had even properly begun.
She walked toward the window and stared out at the empty street below.
Her mind raced with possibilities.
Should she call someone?
No.
That wouldn't work.
If he could hack her phone, he could easily track any call she made.
If he was watching her movements…
Then even leaving the apartment could be dangerous.
Kiara pressed her fingers against her temples.
For the first time in years, she felt uncertain.
She was trained to solve problems.
To track digital criminals.
To expose hackers hiding behind screens.
But this time…
She was the one being hunted.
And the hunter already seemed ten steps ahead.
Outside, a cold breeze rustled the trees.
Kiara stared into the darkness, a quiet realization forming in her mind.
If Vishwa wanted a game…
Then he had chosen the right opponent.
But one thing was certain.
This game was no longer about pride.
Or curiosity.
Now it was about something far more dangerous.
Her family.
And Kiara would burn the entire board before letting anyone touch them.