CHAPTER 13
SIYA
I haven’t had a moment of peace since last night. Too many thoughts have spiralled together, pulling me in different directions until I can’t even tell what is haunting me the most.
Raghav’s past… or his present.
I was already trying to process the truth that the man who once ruled the underworld as the Dark Prince, is now living here and running a luxury vineyard resort.
Before I could fully wrap my head around that fact, another revelation bombarded me.
Raghav has a family. A twin brother I never knew existed, and a father figure like Kailash Uncle.
And just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, I overheard something that shook me to my core.
Ayaan is the Director of GLEN. The very network that has spent years tearing down mafia empires piece by piece.
But that wasn’t what shocked me the most. It was knowing that Raghav is involved too. A man who once built power through fear is now working alongside the very force that is breaking men like him. That thought alone should have been enough to make me step back and keep my distance.
I still belong to that mafia world. One word about who I am, one connection linking me to Parag Reddy, the very man Ayaan is already suspicious of regarding the arms smuggling at the border, and GLEN would come looking for me too. Here… at RK Estate.
But what I don’t understand is that Raghav knew about this arms deal. Despite that, he chose not to tell his brother. Could it have something to do with me? Is he keeping quiet to protect me from some danger? And if he is, then why would he do it?
Besides, as far as I know, I’m the only one from the mafia world who knows he is alive.
I can’t let anyone find out because this is no longer just about Raghav.
It’s also about his family, his people, and the life he’s built here.
The very people who would never survive the darkness of his past if it ever reached their door.
But somehow even that is not the worst part.
It is what happens when he’s around me. Like what happened last night at the stable.
I felt it during the vineyard tour too. How he just picked me and carried me out of the wooden vat in front of everyone.
Kailash Uncle, Kriti, even the staff moving around us…
all of them noticed. He may not have been aware, but I noticed their subtle glances, their curiosity, and the silent questions that nobody asked but everyone was thinking.
And ever since that… nothing feels the same.
In a place like this, how long does it really take for whispers to travel and turn into stories?
The behaviour of the estate staff towards me has changed.
They look at me differently now, as if I’m no longer just another passing guest. They pay me more attention, and someone is always checking if I’m comfortable or if I need anything.
And through all of this, the actual reason that brought me to RK estate keeps pressing at the back of my mind, refusing to be forgotten.
I came here for Raghav.
For something I need from him. Something important enough to walk straight into a place I knew I should have stayed away from. Yet, I haven’t even spoken to him about it because I don’t fully trust him.
Whenever things get like this, whenever everything starts feeling too loud and crowded…
I have my ways of coping with it. Going for a long drive helps.
But Michael and the guards won’t let me step out alone.
Horse riding could’ve helped too, but Raghav has forbidden me from riding his horses.
That leaves me with only one option. Hit the Gym!
And that is exactly where I’m heading now. To push myself until my body gives in before my mind can take over. I reach the gym and push the door open, only to bump into someone stepping out.
Kriti!!
She stops, clearly not expecting to see me here.
There’s a faint flush on her cheeks and a thin sheen of sweat along her temples, telling me she’s already done with her workout.
She looks annoyingly put together even when exhausted.
And despite noticing the faint dislike I’d seen on her face the first time we met, I still offer her a small smile.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” she replies casually, but her eyes make a quick, deliberate sweep over me before settling back on my face. “I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you would be… occupied elsewhere.”
I catch the underlying meaning in her words. My smile doesn’t drop, but it definitely tightens.
“What do you mean?”
Her lips curve slightly.
“Well,” she shrugs, “these days everyone here seems quite… invested in the special guest.”
So?
“And given how personally you’re being taken care of,” she adds, “I assumed you wouldn’t really need to find your own ways to pass time.”
There it is.
Her jealousy. She’s clearly unhappy with how Kailash Uncle and probably even Raghav is giving me extra attention. I let out a slow breath.
“You are right,” I nod. “RK Estate is taking very good care of me. Besides, the kinder we are to people, the more they see you as your own. And anyway, people will always talk. It depends on what you choose to make of it.”
Her smile doesn’t fade. But something in her eyes hardens.
“Of course. But here at RK estate,” she says, her lips curving a little more, “all guests are treated equally. So it’s a bit surprising when some guests suddenly start receiving more attention than others.”
“And you know what’s surprising to me?” I return just as smoothly.
Her brows lift faintly.
“That some people,” I continue, “seem to notice that too closely even if it’s none of their business.”
That hits home. I see it in the way her jaw ticks for the briefest moment before she recovers. We are both smiling at each other, but neither of us means it. Then she exhales lightly, as if letting it go.
“Anyway,” she says, stepping aside. “Enjoy your workout.”
“I will.”
We hold each other’s gaze for a second longer than necessary before moving apart. Kriti walks past me while I head inside.
I pick a spot and start with some light cardio.
The gym is almost entirely surrounded by glass walls. From inside, I can see the entire view outside. Kriti is standing near the entrance of the gym, talking to someone.
And not just anyone… she’s talking to Raghav, who steps into view a second later.
He’s wearing a fitted black gym tee beneath a woollen cardigan, with sleeves pushed back just enough to show off the strength in his arms. The fabric sits perfectly over his frame like it was tailor-made for him.
And resting against his chest is the familiar chain and pendant, catching the light just enough to draw my attention without asking for it.
I slow down, my grip tightening slightly around the dumbbell in my hand as I watch them more carefully. Kriti is smiling, leaning in slightly while talking to him. Once again, the way she looks at him is not hard to read.
And I don’t like it… at all.
Does Raghav know about Kriti’s feelings for him?
A man like him can obviously read a woman’s intentions…
or maybe he already knows. Maybe he’s an equal participant…
just not in public. Because why else would a woman like Kriti, who studied in France and is a sommelier, choose to live in a quiet valley like this? Yes, Raghav must be the reason.
Urgh! I came here to clear my head, yet here I am, holding a dumbbell and watching something that I have no reason or right to react to. Why can’t I curb my irritation at the thought of Kriti trying to get closer to Raghav? Why do I even care?
I force my attention back to my workout, but a moment later, I glance outside again. Kriti has moved a little closer to Raghav. And then slowly her hand drifts towards his neckline, where the chain rests against his chest. She brushes something off his tee that I’m sure isn’t even there.
Something inside me snaps tighter. I hate it.
For a second, Raghav does nothing. Then his hand comes up to stop her, and he takes a step back.
Finally… Thank God his brain kicked in.
Kriti smiles again, a little softer this time, almost shy. Then she steps back as he turns and heads straight towards the gym. I don’t even realise when that irritation turns into something uglier.
Jealousy?
No. I refuse to call it that.
Suddenly, I don’t want to stand here anymore.
I don’t want to hold these stupid dumbbells anymore.
So I put them back in place, wipe my hands, and walk towards the treadmill instead.
If I keep moving, maybe my thoughts will stop moving too.
I step forward just as he walks in, and we almost collide.
His gaze meets mine, as if assessing me.
“What are you doing here?” he asks, clearly surprised, as if he didn’t expect to find me here. Because apparently, I’m not supposed to exist anywhere he does.
My lips part instantly. “I’m not allowed in your private villa. I’m not allowed in your stable or anywhere near your horses. Now don’t tell me I’m not allowed in the gym either, just because you happened to show up while I’m working out.”
His expression hardens just a fraction.
“And this time,” I add, holding his gaze, “I didn’t follow you. You followed me. I was here first. Maybe if you hadn’t been busy wasting time chatting with your sommelier, you would’ve made it here before me.”
He studies me for a second longer. Not my words. But me.
The tension. The irritation. The way I’m holding myself. He notices everything.
“Why are you so pissed off?” he asks finally, less annoyed now and more observant. “You even look… off.”
That does it. The last thread of my patience snaps. Because I cannot tell him why. I cannot tell him I didn’t like what I saw outside. So instead, I do the only thing I can think of. I shut him out.
“I don’t need to explain my mood to you,” I retort, “And not everything revolves around you, RK.”