Page 64 of The Redemption
“I told you to get away from here,” I snap.
“Iwasleaving,” she replies, lifting her chin. “But how was I supposed to know what was happening here?” she fires back. “You didn’t even tell me what the problem was.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Yes, it is!” she snaps back. “The point is you’ve been shot, and you need—”
My phone vibrates again.
I loosen my hold on Siya to pull it out of my pocket and answer. It’s Haider again. My fingers shake in the process of answering and the call switches to speaker instead.
“Raghav,” Haider’s voice comes through. “You okay? You got shot.”
“The bullet just grazed me,” I reply, my gaze still locked on Siya. “What’s the status?”
“We’ve got him,” Haider says. “The shooter is secured. But he wasn’t here for you.”
Not for me? Then who?
My eyes slowly shift to Siya, who is listening to this conversation with the same confusion.
“He was here for Siya Vardhaan.”
Siya goes completely still.
“He broke faster than expected,” Haider continues. “He was sent by the Singhals.”
Something inside me breaks loose.
The Singhals… one of the most powerful mafia clans operating across North and West India, especially controlling routes through Gujarat and Rajasthan. They deal in arms, land, and political leverage, expanding quietly yet aggressively. Although I have never dealt with them directly, I have heard enough whispers about them pushing their daughter’s alliance with the Reddys for control over the western corridor.
Except that wasn’t happening, as Siya was already promised to Parag Reddy. Suddenly the dots connect, flaring my anger.
“Take him to the den,” I instruct Haider, before disconnecting the call and glaring at Siya.
She is already staring back at me. Confused. Shaken. Trying to process what she just heard.
I take a step towards her. “I had a feeling this would happen the momentyoustepped into this place, Siya.”
Her brows knit together. “What—”
“You being a Vardhaan,” I cut her off, “is enough to drag the entire underworld right back intomyterritory.”
I gesture around us, my anger barely contained.
“This place… this estate… I built all of this away from that world. Kept it clean. Kept it untouched.”
I take another step closer.
“First the Vardhaans… and now the Singhals.” I let out a short, humourless laugh. “They’ve both found their way here. Intomyspace.” My eyes lock onto hers. “And it’s all because ofyou.”
My hand comes up and grips her upper arms, pulling her closer until she has no choice but to look straight at me. Pain shoots through my injured arm, but I ignore it.
“I didn’t do any of this,” she retorts, struggling to free herself. “I didn’t even share my location with them when I contacted them.”
My eyes narrow immediately.
“WHAT?” I ask, barely holding on to my control after hearing that. She pulls away as soon as my grip loosens.
