At present, Hasini was eighteen years old.

Life had finally become a little peaceful compared to her childhood. She still carried trauma inside her heart, but outwardly everything looked normal. She dressed beautifully, loved traditional outfits, took care of herself, and slowly learned how to smile again.

That night was her eighteenth birthday.

Her boyfriend excitedly insisted on celebrating it properly.

"Come on," he said with a grin. "You're officially eighteen now. We already went to pubs before too. Let's enjoy tonight."

After convincing her for a while, he finally took her to a pub.

The place was filled with loud music, flashing lights, expensive perfume, and rich people enjoying themselves. At first, Hasini simply stayed close to him and enjoyed the atmosphere quietly.

After some time, she drank a single glass of wine.

But since she wasn't used to alcohol, her body reacted immediately. Feeling uncomfortable, she excused herself and rushed towards the washroom. After throwing up, she washed her face and slowly walked out again, still feeling dizzy.

She stopped near the counter and asked the bartender for a glass of water.

While drinking it, her eyes accidentally noticed something.

There were luxurious rooms inside the pub.

Curiously, she asked,

"What are those rooms for?"

The bartender replied casually,

"Those are VIP rooms, ma'am. Important guests stay there sometimes. They can relax, talk privately, or spend the night there."

Hasini blinked in surprise.

"How much does one room cost?"

"Fifty thousand per night."

The water almost choked her.

"Fifty thousand?!" she asked in disbelief.

The bartender laughed lightly.

"This is actually one of the cheaper rooms here. Big VIP guests come often."

Hasini stared at the place in shock for a moment before awkwardly nodding.

"Okay..."

Still feeling surprised, she slowly started walking back towards her boyfriend.

But suddenly-

She accidentally bumped into someone.

The person standing in front of her was extremely tall, broad-shouldered, and intimidating.

Startled, she immediately apologized out of habit.

"I'm so sorry, uncle..."

The moment the word left her mouth, the man suddenly grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

Hasini frowned instantly.

"What the hell? Are you mad or what?" she snapped in irritation.

The man looked at her coldly.

"Who the hell are you calling uncle?" he asked in a deep voice. "Do I look that old?"

Hasini became nervous immediately.

"I-I'm sorry... sorry, brother," she corrected herself quickly.

The man simply released her hand, clearly uninterested in dragging the conversation further.

But when Hasini finally looked at his face properly under the dim lights... something inside her froze.

That face.

Those eyes.

That aura.

Suddenly, a memory from years ago flashed inside her mind.

The bakery.

The chocolate.

The dangerous man who bought it for her.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Wait... one minute," she said softly. "Do you remember me?"

The man looked at her with zero emotion.

"Why should I remember you?" he asked coldly. "Who are you?"

Hasini nervously explained the bakery incident from years ago. The chocolate. The school uniform. Calling him uncle. Everything.

For a few seconds, he stayed silent.

Then finally, realization appeared faintly in his eyes.

"Oh..." he muttered. "You're that kid?"

His lips curved slightly.

"You're still a kid even now."

Something about those words irritated Hasini immediately.

"I'm not a kid anymore," she replied stubbornly. "And that's none of your business."

Then suddenly she remembered something.

"Oh right... I still owe you money."

She quickly took out a hundred-rupee note and pushed it into his hand.

"I don't have change," she said casually. "Consider the remaining amount as interest."

Before he could even respond, she immediately turned and walked away.

The man simply stood there watching her leave with a strange expression in h

is eyes.

For the first time in years...

that little girl from the bakery had unexpectedly returned into his life again.