Page 170 of The Redemption
I keep my eyes on the road.
“I didn’t marry you for your mockery. I know what I’m doing.”
She gives me a glare before turning back to the window. By the time we’re halfway through the mountain road, it has turned into a proper downpour. The wipers are working at full speed, yet sheets of water continue to crash against the windshield, blurring the view beyond the glass.
Surprisingly, Siya’s gaze is glued to the window, a small smile playing on her lips as she watches the rain lash over the mountains.
“This is so beautiful.”
Really?I glance at her briefly before returning my attention to the road.
“It’s just rain.”
“It’s notjustrain.”
I already know that tone. The Princess is about to start one of her arguments. She shifts in her seat, still gazing at the landscape outside with fascination.
“I’ve never seen rains like this in Cape Town,” she continues softly. “The mountains look so alive. The trees, the mist… everything feels so peaceful.”
Peaceful?I almost laugh.
“That’s because you’re looking at it from inside a luxury vehicle.” My grip tightens on the steering wheel as I continue, “What I see is a mountain road with poor visibility, unstable slopes, and enough rainfall to trigger a landslide.”
“There you go.” The smile immediately drops from her face. “Ruining perfectly good moments.”
I smirk. “I’m not ruining it. I’m just stating facts. Unlike you, who’s romanticising this weather.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m not romanticising anything. I’m just appreciating nature. Can’t you ever look at anything positively?”
“Positivity doesn’t keep people alive, Siya.”
“Neither does constant pessimism.” She folds her arms in annoyance. “What am I expecting from a mafia prince anyway? You people don’t see beauty. You see just threats.”
Nowthatgets my attention. “That’s because threats are usually real.”
“And beauty isn’t?”
It is.
I don’t say it aloud, though. A beauty like Siya is far more dangerous than any real threats.More distracting too.
For a while, neither of us speaks. Outside, the rain falls harder with each passing minute. The road ahead gradually disappears beneath a wall of water, and the headlights struggle to cut through it. Even the mountains on either side become nothing more than dark shadows. That’s when my phonevibrates. The network is surprisingly still holding. It’s Haider again.
Spotting a wider clearing along the edge of the road, I steer the car towards it and bring it to a stop. It is one of the few safe spots on this stretch, far enough from the road to avoid blocking traffic, yet stable enough to wait out the weather if needed. The engine remains running while rain drums violently against the windshield.
Beside me, Siya continues to stare outside, mesmerised by the storm. I answer the call.
“Raghav,” His voice comes through the speakers. “Two separate alerts just came in. There’s a possible landslide activity reported near Old Ridge Road, about four kilometres ahead of the Pine Crest Viewpoint. You need to get off that road.”
Pine Crest Viewpoint.We crossed it less than ten minutes ago.
“How bad?”
“Bad enough that nobody’s moving. Traffic is already backed up on both sides.” Haider pauses before adding, “The local authorities are trying to clear it, but this weather isn’t helping. It could take hours.”
Hours?
I check the road ahead. The rain is getting worse. Even I have to admit that this storm is becoming a serious problem. The visibility is so poor that even taking a U-turn on this road would be stupid. One wrong judgement and we’d end up rolling down a hillside.
