Page 59 of The Redemption
It’s almost as if the universe is conspiring to keep us glued together. I quickly shove the thought aside and reach for the chain again, trying to free it from the button of her shirt.
But in the cramped space between us, my fingers brush where they shouldn’t.Over her soft breasts. It’s not intentional, but it isn’t entirely avoidable either.
Siya looks at me with stunned disbelief, as if silently asking how I can touch her so naturally, like I have the right to. I meet her gaze head-on while my fingers continue to untangle the chain from her shirt. When she realises I’m not stopping, her hand comes up and wraps around my wrist, forcing my hand to still.
Fine! I pull my hand back immediately as Siya reaches for the chain herself.
“What were you even doing here at the stable?” I ask softly this time.
She glances up at me with a frown, clearly not expecting this question in the middle of this.
“I came to see Rogan,” she replies, sounding slightly irritated. “To tell him how you’re coming between us.”
I hold her gaze as she huffs, still focused on the chain. Her tone turns stubborn as she adds, “And to bribe him with my loving pats and kisses… so that the next time I demand to ride him, he’ll nod in agreement, choosingmeover you…”
There’s something about the way she says it.
So ridiculous. Yet so…her.
Before she can notice it, I force down the faint smile that threatens to break free, but my eyes continue to openly admire her, taking in every tiny detail on her face. A few strands of hay have caught in her hair, and without thinking, I reach up and brush them away gently.
Siya looks at me in surprise before finally managing to free the chain from her shirt. Then she steps back. The distance between us returns as her eyes lift to mine again. The irritation is still there, but the moment her gaze inadvertently drops to my open collar again, that anger dissolves.
So Siya Vardhaan is obsessed with expensive sandals… and apparently has a thing for open collars too.Hmm!
The sound of a horse moving inside the stable brings her back to reality. She quickly looks away, adjusts the front of her top, and brushes the rest of the hay off her clothes. Then she turns to leave.
The moment she does, I slide my arm around her waist and pull her back flush against me. A gasp leaves her lips as her back hits my chest. I lean slightly down, my breath teasing the curve of her ear. My nose grazes her earlobe as I whisper, “Just remember to keep your mouth shut.”
She doesn’t look at me. Doesn’t say a single word either. She just pulls herself free and walks out of the stable.
No. Not walks. She almost runs, like she needs this distance between us for her own sanity. And in her hurry, one of her sandals slips off her foot without her even noticing it.
My gaze drops to it lying abandoned on the stable floor, while she keeps moving ahead for a few steps, completely unaware of it. This is not the first time thisCinderellahas left her sandal behind in front of me.
As if she realises it too, Siya suddenly slows down and turns around, searching the ground until her eyes land on theforgotten sandal. She rushes back immediately, looking annoyed with herself as she bends to pick it up.
But this time, she doesn’t slip it back on. Instead, she removes the other sandal as well, holding both in her hand before running away again. Faster this time.Barefoot.
I just stand there staring at her retreating figure, watching her far longer than I should. Even after she disappears from sight, I don’t look away immediately.
Tonight isn’t just about the secrets Siya overheard or the danger that comes with them. It’s about the way my body reacts whenever she is around. I lose every ounce of control I have, and that’s not normal. My body, my mind, my instincts… none of them listen to me when it comes to her. Whatever this is, it’s powerful enough to break through every wall I’ve built around myself. And somewhere deep down, I know this feeling I have for her is first and last of its kind.
CHAPTER 13
SIYA
Day 7 @ RK Estate (Morning)
I haven’t had a moment of peace since last night. Too many thoughts have spiralled together, pulling me in different directions until I can’t even tell what is haunting me the most.
Raghav’s past… or his present.
I was already trying to process the truth that the man who once ruled the underworld as the Dark Prince, is now living here and running a luxury vineyard resort. Before I could fully wrap my head around that fact, another revelation bombarded me. Raghav has a family. A twin brother I never knew existed, and a father figure like Kailash Uncle. And just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, I overheard something that shook me to my core. Ayaan is the Director of GLEN. The very network that has spent years tearing down mafia empires piece by piece.
But that wasn’t what shocked me the most. It was knowing that Raghav is involved too. A man who once built power through fear is now working alongside the very force that is breaking men like him. That thought alone should have been enough to make me step back and keep my distance.
I still belong to that mafia world. One word about who I am, one connection linking me to Parag Reddy, the very man Ayaan is already suspicious of regarding the arms smuggling at theborder, and GLEN would come looking for me too. Here… at RK Estate.
