Page 17 of The Redemption
But dad raised me differently. He gave me tutors, not tailors. He handed me books before diamonds. He made sure I could break a man’s wrist before I could dance in high heels. Martial arts, languages, business lessons… he carved a fighter out of me while the world expected a mannequin.
And my mother? She stood by him without flinching when I bloodied my knuckles. But my brother, Samarjeet, never forgave Dad for that. Two years older and groomed as the heir, he couldn’t stomach that I stood on equal ground with him. He thought I was a threat to his pride. We wore cordial masks for Dad’s sake, but the moment Dad died, those masks shattered.
Samarjeet became hungry. Hungry for more land, more power, more blood. He planned to expand his power from Cape Town to India, and found his answer in the South, with theReddys.The only way to expand his reach and Vardhaan’s entry into the southern territory mafia world, he sealed an alliance by promising me to their eldest son, Parag. He traded me as if I were cattle.That was the moment I decided to burn the rules.
I might be a mafia princess with no official say in business, but one thing I’d never hand over was my right to choose who I marry. No one can decide that for me, not my brother, not a Reddy. So a week after Samarjeet brought Parag to Cape Town and they shook hands, I vanished.
My mom helped me. She pressed some money into my hands, although I had enough to survive without it, kissed my forehead, and blessed me, wishing me freedom. With a handful of loyal guards, I left everything behind and fled to India.
That was nine months ago. And for the first time, I felt the weight of the chains fall away. But freedom never comes cheap.Samarjeet’s men hunted me like hounds, cutting down the loyal guards who shielded me and spilling blood across the streets of Mumbai. I ran, I fought, but they still cornered me at the Josh Club and dragged me back to Cape Town like a trophy.
Cape Town – Vardhaan Mansion (Nine months ago)
Samarjeet slapped me.
The sting of the slap didn’t burn half as much as the humiliation of being dragged back into the same cage I had fought so hard to escape. My wrists were cuffed behind me. Lucky for them, the chains held, or else my brother Samarjeet would have been nursing a broken jaw. He never dared to raise his hand against me in the past. Not while Dad was alive. But now Dad was gone, and Samarjeet thought he was king.
I lifted my chin, blood still oozing out from the cut on my lip, and locked eyes with him. His face was red with fury, veins throbbing mercilessly at his temples, but I didn’t flinch.
“Wow,” I spat, mocking him. “Dad must be so proud of you today.”
His nostrils flared. “Proud? As if he’d be proud of you? You’ve disgraced us, Siya.”
The rage in my chest burned hotter than the sting on my cheek.
“No,” I hissed, stepping towards him even with my wrists bound. “Had Dad been alive, I would never have been forced to run. I wouldn’t have fled. You made me do this. You sold me like cattle to the Reddys.”
That was it. His hand shot out and wrapped around my throat. He squeezed hard enough to cut off my breath, his eyes burning into mine with fury. But I didn’t cower. I met his gaze head-on.
“Dad is dead, Siya,” he growled, his voice venomous. “And after him, I’m the one in power. What I say goes. You will abide by it. Say it.”
I refused. My silence was my rebellion.
His grip tightened, crushing my windpipe. Stars exploded behind my eyes as my lungs fought for air. My hands strained uselessly against the cuffs, trying to shove him back, to claw at him, but he only squeezed harder. I was almost about to pass out when I heard my name.
“Siya?”
Mom appeared at the foot of the grand staircase, looking horrified. Her eyes darted between my bound hands and Samarjeet’s grip on my throat, and I saw real fear flicker in her eyes. She rushed forward.
“Samarjeet!” she snapped with authority. “What are you doing? Leave her at once!”
For a second, his hold tightened, as if to prove he was still in control, but Mom’s hand landed firmly on his arm, yanking him away. Air rushed into my lungs all at once. I bent forward, coughing hard, tears streaming from the effort of breathing again. Her arms came around me instantly, while her hand moved gently over my back with maternal love.
“Siya, my baby… who did this to you?” she whispered, cupping my face, her eyes searching mine.
I said nothing. I didn’t have to. Her gaze shifted to Samarjeet. “What is wrong with you? How many times have I told you not to hurt her?”
“She f*cking ran off!” he exploded. “Had our men not dragged her back, the Reddys would’ve killed her first. Do you even understand that? They would’ve slaughtered her in Mumbai and then come for us.”
Mom shook her head in disgust, fury sparking in her eyes. “Uncuff her. Now.”
The guards exchanged uneasy glances, waiting for Samarjeet’s nod. When he didn’t move, she snapped again, “I said uncuff her!”
Reluctantly, one of the guards stepped forward and freed my wrists. The moment the chains dropped, I turned, not to run, but to fight.
My gaze locked onto the tallest guard, the brute who had killed the loyal men who’d helped me escape Cape Town. The men who had protected me with their lives in Mumbai. Before he could react, my fist slammed into his jaw. He stumbled back, shocked, but I didn’t stop. I kicked and punched, striking with everything Dad had ever taught me.
“How dare you?” I screamed, my breath ragged with grief and fury. “How dare you kill our own men? They were part of us!”
