The next morning, I woke up early, checked on Priya, and smiled seeing her peacefully asleep. I kissed her forehead gently and got ready for the day.

  After a quick shower, I dressed and made my way downstairs for breakfast. As much as I hated seeing my aunt’s face, I had no choice. But today, I was lucky—my uncle was there.

  I sat down at the table, hoping to eat in silence. Of course, that didn’t last long.

  “Dev, don’t you think it’s high time you gave up on that private detective agency of yours?” my aunt said, slicing into her toast with more aggression than needed.

  Sunil immediately jumped in. “Mom, stop saying that all the time. Anna needs more time.”

  “But how long, Sunil? How long is he going to waste time on something that clearly can’t sustain a living?” she snapped, turning toward him now. “Your education is almost done. You’ll soon start job hunting. Maybe you should take Dev with you this time.”

  My uncle cut her off, his voice firm. “That’s enough. Stop demotivating him. Let him figure it out on his own. And if he decides to give it up, I’ll teach both Dev and Sunil. They can work in my company. Dev is like a son to me, too.”

  He patted my back with a reassuring smile. I smiled back, genuinely grateful for his support. At least someone here believed in me.

  I finished eating quickly, packed some food for Priya, and headed back upstairs. She was already awake and smiling at me.

  “Anna, you’re up! Did you eat? Did you drink water? Don’t forget sunscreen, okay? It’s too hot outside,” she said innocently, eyes full of concern.

  I chuckled, wondering how she still managed to care so much—when I was the one who should be taking care of her.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “Hey, hey, calm down, little one,” I said softly. “I can handle myself. Don’t stress, okay?”

  I handed her the food and placed her medicine and a glass of water on the nightstand. While fixing my hair in the mirror, I glanced back at her, unable to hide the softness in my eyes.

  Before leaving, I leaned down, kissed her forehead again, caressed her hair, and whispered, “Bye, princess. Take care. Don’t worry about me—I’m fine.”

  Of course, that was a lie. My life was a mess. And Priya knew it, no matter how much I tried to hide it.

  I grabbed my bag and took the local bus to my agency. The place was small, a little dull, but it was mine. My dream.

  I waited for hours. Finally, a client showed up—but they wanted help finding their missing cat. Then another person came for a lost dog. The third? A hamster.

  I was fed up.

  Is this all I’m good for? Missing pets? Is this what my life has become?

  I was still lost in thought when a black BMW pulled up in front of the agency.

  A woman stepped out—dressed in all branded clothes, heels clicking confidently, sunglasses on, her driver opening the door like she was royalty.

  I rolled my eyes. What would someone like that want from a run-down agency like mine?

  To my surprise, she walked right in.

  “I’d like to file a stalking complaint,” she said, her voice calm but sharp.

  I was taken aback. “You didn’t go to the police?”

  She hesitated. “I’ve had a tragic past. After what I went through… I never wanted to step into a police station again.”

  I understood more than I should have.

  “Yeah… I get that. I hate the police too,” I said, half-joking. “They’re corrupt. If a case gets tough, they just drop it.”

  She gave a knowing smile. “Exactly.”

  We laughed. A weird, bitter laugh we both shared.

  She continued sharing the details of her case. I kept getting message notifications.

  “Go ahead and check, if it’s urgent,” she said.

  “It’s just my girlfriend,” I muttered. “She keeps telling me to shut this place down and join her father’s company. Says I’m wasting time.”

  She gave a quiet “oh,” then moved on.

  When we wrapped up, she placed a thick envelope on my desk. A huge advance.

  I blinked. “This much? Really?”

  She just shrugged. “I like to pay for good help.”

  I stared after her as she left, her heels echoing behind her.

  I’d experienced something like this before—with Liyana.

  And that didn’t end well.