Page 30 of The Redemption
This has always been the simplest method of controlling my mind whenever it begins wandering into places it shouldn’t. And yet tonight, even this fails to bring the silence I came here for. The moment I close my eyes, all I see is a pair of furious eyes hidden behind a golden mask.
Siya Vardhaan.
This woman has been on my turf for barely a few days, and somehow, she has already managed to create more unrest in my mind than half the enemies I dealt with during my years in the mafia world.
Even underwater, her memory returns with unsettling clarity. The way she stood there last night after I dragged her out of the forest and the stubborn fire in her eyes, even after watching me fight a wolf with nothing but my bare hands and a knife.
Most people would have thanked the man who saved their lives. She threatened me instead. No one from my past would have dared to stand there and tell me to my face that if I disturbed their peace, they would destroy mine in return. Anyone who even entertained that thought usually died before they found the courage to act on it.
But Siya Vardhaan stood calmly in front of me last night, blackmailing me and threatening to expose my identity.
My lungs begin to tighten as another thirty seconds pass.
The woman does not fear me. At least not yet. Perhaps she believes the stories she has heard about me are exaggerated. Perhaps she has only heard the versions her father and brother chose to tell her while she was growing up. But there’s a huge difference between hearing about a monster and standing in front of one.
My chest begins to burn, my body reminding me that time is running out. I finally push myself to the surface, my head breaking through the water. Drawing in a deep breath I drag a hand through my wet hair. And that’s when I see her.
Siya Vardhaan sits casually at the far edge of the pool, her feet dipped in the water, looking just as surprised to see me as I am to find her there.
CHAPTER 7
SIYA
Few minutes ago
Once again, I couldn’t stay inside that suite any longer. So, I slip out quietly, needing a little space before my thoughts suffocate me entirely. At this hour, the resort feels almost deserted and quiet. My steps eventually lead me to the indoor swimming pool. The water reflects the dim lights above, with not a single soul in sight.
I pause at the entrance, watching the surface of the water. It looks perfectly calm. Almost inviting. Maybe this is exactly what my restless mind needs right now. Without overthinking, I walk towards the edge of the pool. Reaching one of the loungers nearby, I slip the shawl off my shoulders and place it neatly over the backrest before moving closer to the water.
The cool tiles press against my palms as I sit down slowly at the edge and lower my feet into the water. The cold sensation travels up my legs instantly, and I release a slow breath, allowing the sensation to settle my racing thoughts. The water ripples gently around my feet, and with it, something inside me loosens, just a little.
I should’ve come here earlier. Maybe then I wouldn’t have spent the entire evening pacing inside my suite like a restless prisoner. I let my thoughts drift, enjoying the rare calm.
And then… the water moves.
At first, it’s just a subtle disturbance near the centre of the pool. I frown slightly, assuming the filtration system must have kicked in. But then the surface breaks, and Raghav emerges from the water like some dangerous creature rising from its depths.
For a brief second, my mind simply stops working. Of all the places inside this massive estate, I somehow managed to walk into the one corner where the very man I’ve been trying so hard not to think about is currentlyswimming. Water droplets slide down his body as he surfaces, lifting his head above the water and pushing his wet hair back with a slow sweep of his hand. The faint pool lights beneath the surface illuminate him in a way that makes every single line of his body impossible to ignore.
And, unfortunately for me, my eyes notice everything. He is wearing nothing but a pair of swimming trunks, which normally wouldn’t matter… if the man in question didn’t look like he’d been chiselled out of stone by a sculptor with a dangerously sensual imagination
For a moment, I forget how to breathe. Which is absolutely ridiculous. I have grown up surrounded by powerful men my entire life. But somehow, none of them prepared me forthisparticular sight. I quickly drag my gaze back up to his face, annoyed with myself for letting it wander that far in the first place.
And that’s when I realise he’s already looking at me.
Not surprised.
Not embarrassed.
Just calmly observing me, as if he, too, hadn’t expected me to be sitting here like an intruder.
Wonderful.
First, his car shed.Then the stable. And now… his pool.
At this rate, he’s going to start believing I’m following him around his own property.Which is so not true.
He runs a hand through his wet hair again, pushing it back from his forehead without once breaking eye contact. The movement is simple, almost casual, yet something about it sends a tingle down my spine.
