In the afternoon of Day Two, Dev texted: ED has formally initiated. Freeze order on Kapoor Industries subsidiaries submitted to financial authorities. Bank accounts flagged. RK passport flagged at immigration. It's in motion.
Arjun showed it to Priya. "This is when he finds out."
She looked at the message. Then at him. "What does he do now?"
"He has three options. He runs — but the passport flag makes that difficult. He lawyers up and starts building a defense — that's the rational choice. Or—" He paused. "He tries to remove the problem before he's fully contained."
"I'm the problem," she said.
"The evidence is the problem. You're the evidence source. If the evidence is already filed — which it is — then removing you doesn't remove the evidence. But it removes the witness who can testify to how the fraud was identified. It removes you from the process."
She said this analytically, the way she processed everything, and then: "That's not a comfortable thing to be the analysis of."
"No," he agreed. "Stay close."
At eleven PM, Arjun's phone showed an unfamiliar number. He answered it.
"Mr. Rathore." Rohit Kapoor's voice. Smooth, controlled, a man under enormous pressure managing its expression with practiced ease. "I think we need to talk."
"I'm listening." He signalled Priya — quiet, it's him. She went completely still.
"There has been a misunderstanding," Rohit said. "The financial structure that apparently concerned Priya — there are explanations that her investigators didn't have access to. I would like the opportunity to present those explanations before this goes further."
"The filing has already been made. It's out of my hands. You should speak to your lawyers."
"My lawyers," Rohit said, "are speaking to the right people. In the meantime — I'd like to speak with Priya."
"That won't be possible."
"Mr. Rathore." The warmth dropped, just slightly. Just enough to show what was underneath it. "You are a man who does a job. This job, like all jobs, has parameters. I'm offering you the opportunity to understand that those parameters might usefully change."
"Are you offering me money?" Arjun said.
A pause. "I'm offering you a better outcome."
"The answer is no," Arjun said. "The legal process is underway. Don't call this number again."
He ended the call. He looked at Priya. She was watching him with the controlled stillness of someone who had heard enough to know what the call was.
"He tried to buy you," she said.
"Yes."
"You said no."
"Yes."
She looked at him. Something in her face — not surprise, exactly. Something quieter. "He's going to try something else," she said.
"Yes." He was already moving — checking the door, the windows. "Get away from the window. Now."
