Page 253 of The Redemption
I let the silence stretch before deciding to twist the knife a little deeper. Because men like Samarjeet don’t fear death nearly as much as they fear failure and humiliation.
I look him straight in the eye. “The truth is, I never even considered you a threat. You were always just a loudmouth hiding behind your father’s name, mistaking noise for power.” His expression darkens instantly. “No wonder your father never wanted to hand his empire over to you.”
That lands hard. A vein begins to throb at his temple, but I’m nowhere near done.
“Because leadership was never in you, Samarjeet. You wanted power. You wanted the throne. You wanted people to fear you. But leading?” I shake my head. “You couldn’t even lead the men standing beside you tonight.”
I gesture towards the bodies scattered across RK Estate. “Look at them. They followed you here believing you would lead them to victory.” I hold his gaze. “Instead, you led every single one of them straight into a grave.”
His chest rises and falls violently. But I go on.
“Your father saw exactly what you are. A man desperate to wear a crown he could never carry. A man who mistakesarrogance for strength. A man who believes shouting makes him a king. And tonight, you proved him right.”
The effect is immediate. Samarjeet explodes with pure rage. For a second, I honestly think he’s going to charge at me despite the guns pointed at his head. But then the sound of approaching footsteps cuts through the moment. We both turn to see Siya marching straight towards us, her murderous gaze fixed on Samarjeet.
What the f*ck is she doing here?
I had told her to stay inside the villa. No heroics. No stepping out until this war was over. And yet, out of all the f*cking days she could have chosen to defy me, my stubborn wife decides to do it today. She walks straight into the battlefield as if bullets and blood mean nothing to her. For a second, even Samarjeet freezes.
“How could you kill Dad?” She slaps him so hard that I know the impact must sting her fingers.
Samarjeet’s hand immediately comes upto hit her, back but my men instantly aim their guns at him. He stops. Even through his rage, he knows exactly what will happen if he lays a finger on her.
“How dare you, Samarjeet? How dare you touch him?” She punches his ribs this time.
“F*ck off, Siya,” he growls, stumbling backwards from her blow.
“You don’t get to tell me to f*ck off.” Siya’s fist connects with his jaw next. His lips split, and blood spills from his mouth. “Your greed, your insecurity, your obsession with proving yourself… you crossed every line this time. You should have at least thought about Mom.”
“Think about Mom?” he snarls. “Why the f*ck should I? Has she ever thought about me? Ever since you started poisoning her and Dad against me, my own parents pushed me out of theirlives.” His eyes burn with fury as he glares at her. “Everything that happened is because of you, Siya.”
“I poisoned them?” Siya kicks him in the stomach with such force that he doubles over and crashes onto the ground. “You have always been evil, Samarjeet. They both loved you just as much as they loved me.” She stares down at him, her eyes burning with anger and hurt. “It’s sad that you could never see it.”
My men remain alert around us, their weapons ready and their eyes fixed on Samarjeet. I lower my gaze for barely a second to crush the half-burnt cigarette beneath my boot.
Andthat’s when it happens.
Samarjeet instantly reaches out and grabs a gun lying half-hidden beside one of the bodies. And before anyone can react, he rises to his feet, catches Siya from behind, and yanks her back against his chest. The barrel slams against her forehead.
My heart stops. For one terrifying second, I see nothing except the gun pressed against her skin.
“Siya,” I try to move closer, but Samarjeet presses the barrel harder against her forehead.
“Don’t move,” he shouts.
I pause. Every muscle in my body tenses. Even Siya has gone still. Her eyes find mine, and mine remain fixed on hers.
“Samarjeet,” I growl. “Leave her.”
“Leave her?” His eyes lock onto mine, and then his twisted laughter echoes across the valley. “Look at you.” He tightens his arm around Siya’s neck, his elbow pressing against her throat. “How does it feel to watch someone you care about at gunpoint?”
He digs the barrel harder against her forehead.
It’s hurting her. I know. Before I kill him tonight, I’m going to break the arm he dared to put around my Princess. I take a slow step forward, but the moment his finger tightens around the trigger, I stop.
“Drop the gun,” I command. It’s not a request or a plea. It’s a threat. But Samarjeet only laughs again.
“What’s the hurry?” His gaze shifts to Siya and back to me. “I’ll drop the gun. But only after I put a bullet through her head.”
