Page 5 of The Redemption
Before I can reply, her gaze suddenly drops to my hand, and her eyes widen. Damn it. I forgot.
The sandal.
Her gaze locks on the sleek black Louboutin I’m still holding.
F*ck!
“Whose sandal is that?” she asks curiously. “Raghav Kundra… were you here with someone? A woman?”
I shut that thought down immediately. “Hold your horses. I’m not here with any woman. I told you I’m here for work.”
“Work, huh?” she challenges, her eyebrow arched. “And the sandal?”
“Unrelated,” I say dismissively, but the corner of my mouth betrays me with the ghost of a smirk.
“You’re a terrible liar,” she says, studying me with renewed interest. “Who is she?”
I know she won’t stop interrogating me so I change the subject.
“I’m flying back tonight. I’ve got a meeting at RK Estate tomorrow.”
“Tonight?” she exclaims, throwing her hands up in disbelief. “That’s not fair. Ayaan and Paapa will want to see you.”
“I’ll call them and explain.”
“Raghav, you can’t keep doing this.” Her frustration spills over, and at that very moment, my car rolls to the curb.
Perfect timing.
“You disappear for months, then suddenly show up without a word. And now you’re running off again?”
I choose to stay silent, but her gaze shifts again, and this time she sees the bruise on the side of my neck, the one from the knife earlier. Courtesy of the Vardhaan men.
“And… what happened to your neck?” She steps closer, concern softening her anger.
My hand goes to it instinctively, brushing the fresh cut as the sting flares again. “It’s nothing.”
“That’s not nothing,” she gasps, studying it. “It looks like a knife wound. Are you okay?”
“I said it’s nothing.”
Before she can argue further, I move towards my car.
“Raghav, wait. At least come inside and say hello to Devika and Simran.”
“Next time.”
I’m about to get in when I pause and glance back at her guards.
“Keep her safe. Don’t make me come back here to clean up your mess.”
They nod, cowering under my stare. I slide into the car without another word and instruct the driver to head straight for the airport. Meher’s questions may be behind me, but my mind is anything but quiet. I need to know about the woman the Vardhaans dragged away.
Pulling out my phone, I type a single message to the one man I trust the most.Haider.
‘Josh Club. Back alley. 10:20 p.m. Check the CCTV footage. I want every detail on the woman the Vardhaans took. Top priority.’
The reply is instant. ‘On it.’
