Page 199 of The Redemption
The police vehicles screech to a halt. Krish immediately moves forward, taking charge of the driver while the officers pull the bleeding b*stard away from me.
“Let’s go home,” Ayaan orders.
I neither resist nor respond. I simply stand there, seething. The officers drag both men away while Ayaan quietly speaks to them, giving precise instructions. These men will go straight into GLEN’s custody, not the local police. Not after we know that the Singhals sent them.
Minutes later, the alley falls silent. Krish walks away to coordinate with the security team, and suddenly, it’s just Ayaan and me. Neither of us speaks. My shirt is a mess, but the urge to put a bullet into every Singhal b*stard who’s still breathing refuses to leave me.
I don’t even realise when Ayaan brings the car around and practically forces me inside. Before I know it, we’re on our way back to Shergill Mansion in silence.
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Shergill Mansion
We reach home, but I’m still furious. I haven’t said a single word throughout the drive back, and neither has Ayaan tried to interrupt my thoughts. He knows when to leave me alone.
But the storm inside me refuses to settle. I stride inside the house with the same anger burning through my veins. The thought that the b*stards from the life I’d buried long ago came so close to my family tonight kills something inside me.
As soon as I enter the living room, I see Baba and Siya’s mother sitting on the sofa. They both rise to their feet at once.
“Raghav?” Baba calls out sharply. “What happened?”
But it’sSiya’s mother’sreaction that catches me off guard. She rushes towards me without a second thought and grips my upper arm. When her eyes fall on the blood staining my shirt, they widen in alarm.
“What happened to you?” she asks anxiously. “Why are you bleeding?”
For a second, I simply stare at her. Her concern and fear for me… this is new.
“I’m fine,” I assure her. “This blood isn’t mine.”
Relief washes over her face. Ayaan walks in right behind me, but I barely notice him. My eyes are already searching for Siya.
“Where’s Siya?” I ask.
“She’s with Meher upstairs,” her mother replies softly.
That’s all I need to hear. I turn towards the staircase and start climbing without another word.
“Will someone tell me what’s going on?” Baba demands from behind me. “Why do both of you look like this?”
I don’t stop. I know Ayaan won’t keep anything from Baba. He never does. But right now, I don’t have the patience to explain anything. Not when the anger inside me still hasn’t settled. I reach my room, march inside, and shut the door behind me.
SIYA
The moment I learn that Raghav is back, I hurry to our room and push the bedroom door open. He’s pacing restlessly, still wearing the same black shirt. The dark stains of blood on the sleeves are enough to make my heart lurch.
My eyes quickly run over his face, hands, and chest for injuries before marching up to him.
“Are you hurt?” I whisper.
The moment I reach him, he explodes.
“It’s all my fault. This is all my fault, Siya. I brought this upon you… upon this family. If I hadn’t gone to Cape Town and revealed my identity to the underworld, none of this would’ve happened. I can’t believe I made such a mistake. I turned my own family into bait for the underworld.”
His eyes are bloodshot with guilt. But he doesn’t stop there. Words keep pouring out in angry breaths as he suddenly grips my arms.
“Anything could have happened today,” he continues, his voice raw with pain. “Meher was there. She’s pregnant, damn it. Those b*stards had guns. They were watching us. If something had happened… if anyone had gotten hurt… everyone would’ve blamed me. Hell, even I would have blamed myself. BecauseIchose to bring the Dark Prince back from the dead. BecauseImade enemies out of the whole underworld. You didn’t want to marry a mafia man because of this very reason. Yet, I forced you back into that life. My family didn’t deserve this, but I dragged them into it too. It’s all my fault.”
I freeze. I have never seen him like this. The man who never questions his decisions, never hesitates, and never breaks is standing in front of me, trembling with guilt. His entire body is tense with rage. The veins in his neck are prominent beneath his skin. His hands are shaking, and his jaw is locked so tightly that I can see the muscle ticking. He is unable to control the guilt tearing through him.
