CHAPTER 18 #3
Krish whistles under his breath.
I continue calmly. “The Vipers don’t care what happens after the payment clears. They just want their percentage. We give them what they want, and they give us access to Siya.”
Silence settles over the call again. I can practically see Ayaan calculating outcomes inside his head. Risks. Exposure. Damage control. Finally, he exhales heavily.
“Fine. I’ll oversee this operation,” he says, turning to Trisha. “You’ll report directly to me.”
“No,” I say immediately. “She’ll take instructions from me.”
Ayaan’s jaw clenches. “Trisha is a GLEN resource. My resource. She’ll take orders from me.”
“And Trisha is my friend. She will listen to me.”
The tension between us sharpens again. We are brothers, but neither of us backs down so easily. Krish and Trisha glance between us as if they’re watching an active grenade with the pin already pulled.
Suddenly, Trisha sighs dramatically and presses her hand to her chest, an impish smile playing on her lips.
“I cannot believe two dangerously hot men are fighting over me like this. And that they both want me.”
Krish slowly turns to her in disbelief. “Excuse me? I hope you remember we’re married. And did you just say two hot men? I’m sitting right here. And last I checked, I’m pretty hot too.”
Trisha grins, patting his shoulder immediately. “Relax, husband. You’re the hottest. Happy?”
Krish narrows his eyes suspiciously. “You said that too quickly.”
She ignores him completely and looks at Ayaan.
“But seriously, guys.” Her tone shifts back to professional. “I honestly think Raghav is right. He understands the Vardhaans better than anyone here. If we follow his lead, we’ll finish the mission faster and with far less risk.”
Krish rubs his face tiredly while Ayaan stares at her.
Trisha gives a small shrug, trying hard to convince them both. “Come on, you two. Raghav has done enough for all of us over the years. He needs one thing from us now. We can’t deny him that.”
Then she directly looks at me. “I’m ready to leave whenever you want me to.”
Krish sighs heavily before turning to me. “In the entire world, you only had to become friends with my wife and send her into a death zone called the Vardhaan Syndicate.”
Normally, I would have responded to that, but tonight, I don’t. Krish notices the silence immediately. He studies me for a long second before speaking again.
“But am I actually worried for her? No.” His gaze holds mine now.
“Because I know you. And I know you’ll protect her before anything ever reaches her.
” A faint smirk tugs at his mouth. “Honestly, I think Trisha is safer walking into the Vardhaans with your backup around than most people are in normal cities.”
I hold his gaze in silence because, deep down, I know he’s right.
I cannot allow anyone from my family or friends to suffer because of my choices.
Trisha won’t be walking into the Vardhaans alone.
My men are already inside the syndicate, monitoring exits, tracking movements, and overseeing security rotations before she even lands in Cape Town.
Nothing will happen to her. Still, Krish’s trust in me means a lot to me.
“So yes,” Krish says at last, “if the princess needs extraction, Trisha is our best option.”
Trisha grins proudly at this. But throughout the conversation, Ayaan continues to watch me carefully.
“You know I still don’t like this,” he says, sighing. “You being anywhere near mafia affairs again compromises everything we built for you.”
I’m aware of that.
“I’ll make an exception this time,” he continues firmly. “But the second Siya is safe, you’re done. You’ll cut yourself off from mafia affairs again. Completely. And I won’t repeat myself.”
A smirk slowly pulls at my mouth.
“You’re forgetting something, Ayaan,” I say, my arrogance returning. “I’m still the elder brother here.” I let the pause stretch before smirking. “By ten glorious minutes. So, try being more respectful when you threaten me.”
Krish mutters a curse under his breath, already sensing where this is headed.
“What I say goes,” I finish calmly. “Even if you refuse to help me, I’m still bringing Siya out of that place.” My eyes harden. “No one can stop me.”
Ayaan holds my gaze for a long second before finally replying, “I’ve seen this madness in you before.”
The smirk on my face fades slightly.
“The same madness you had when we weren’t even on the same side,” he adds quietly. “And I don’t like seeing it again. Because my intuition tells me this is going to end badly.”
So be it!
Before the tension can tighten any further, Krish cuts in.
“Alright, enough brother drama for one night,” he mutters. “Can we focus on the actual mission now?”
The conversation shifts after that. But even while we discuss the details, I can feel Ayaan watching me. Studying me. Like he is already sensing the danger coming.
And… he’s right.
Siya has become my obsession now. And to protect her and bring her back, I’m willing to burn down anything and anyone that stands in my way.