The afternoon sun blazed mercilessly over the Oberoi mansion, turning the air thick and sticky. Inside the sprawling house, the wedding preparations hummed along, but Annika had other plans.

She had deliberately led Omkara Singh Oberoi—the strikingly handsome younger brother of the groom—toward the old storeroom in the far wing under the pretext of checking for extra fairy lights. The moment he stepped inside, she followed, quietly clicking the heavy door shut behind them. The lock engaged with a soft, decisive click.