CHAPTER 37 #3
“Will someone tell me what’s going on?” Baba demands from behind me. “Why do both of you look like this?”
I don’t stop. I know Ayaan won’t keep anything from Baba. He never does. But right now, I don’t have the patience to explain anything. Not when the anger inside me still hasn’t settled. I reach my room, march inside, and shut the door behind me.
SIYA
The moment I learn that Raghav is back, I hurry to our room and push the bedroom door open. He’s pacing restlessly, still wearing the same black shirt. The dark stains of blood on the sleeves are enough to make my heart lurch.
My eyes quickly run over his face, hands, and chest for injuries before marching up to him.
“Are you hurt?” I whisper.
The moment I reach him, he explodes.
“It’s all my fault. This is all my fault, Siya. I brought this upon you… upon this family. If I hadn’t gone to Cape Town and revealed my identity to the underworld, none of this would’ve happened. I can’t believe I made such a mistake. I turned my own family into bait for the underworld.”
His eyes are bloodshot with guilt. But he doesn’t stop there. Words keep pouring out in angry breaths as he suddenly grips my arms.
“Anything could have happened today,” he continues, his voice raw with pain.
“Meher was there. She’s pregnant, damn it.
Those b*stards had guns. They were watching us.
If something had happened… if anyone had gotten hurt…
everyone would’ve blamed me. Hell, even I would have blamed myself.
Because I chose to bring the Dark Prince back from the dead.
Because I made enemies out of the whole underworld.
You didn’t want to marry a mafia man because of this very reason.
Yet, I forced you back into that life. My family didn’t deserve this, but I dragged them into it too. It’s all my fault.”
I freeze. I have never seen him like this.
The man who never questions his decisions, never hesitates, and never breaks is standing in front of me, trembling with guilt.
His entire body is tense with rage. The veins in his neck are prominent beneath his skin.
His hands are shaking, and his jaw is locked so tightly that I can see the muscle ticking.
He is unable to control the guilt tearing through him.
Then, abruptly, he releases my arms.
“It’s all because of me. Today it was the Singhals’ men. Tomorrow it could be the Vardhaans. Or the Reddys. This won’t end. They’ll keep coming. And you and my family… you’ll keep paying for my sins.”
“Enough.” I grab his arms this time before he can start pacing again. “Raghav, calm down.”
He doesn’t even seem to hear me.
“Raghav?”
I shake him harder this time, forcing him to stop, but he still keeps staring somewhere beyond me. That’s when I cup his face between my palms.
“Look at me.”
His jaw clenches, but his eyes remain lowered. I gently lift his face, forcing him to meet my eyes. “I said, look at me.”
Those stormy eyes finally meet mine.
“You can’t undo what’s already happened,” I tell him, holding his face firmly and refusing to let him look away again. “But I know one thing with absolute certainty.”
I move closer. “You won’t let anything happen to us. I trust you, Raghav. I trust you with my life. I trust you with Mom, Baba, Meher and the babies’ lives. I trust you to keep us all safe.”
His throat bobs slightly.
Raghav eases down a bit, but the guilt is still eating him alive. His fingers close around my wrists, and he slowly removes my hands from his face.
“You trusted me when you came to RK Estate asking for my help to get you away from the mafia life,” he says with a bitter smile. “And I broke that trust by forcing you to marry me. My family trusted me for the last two and a half years to never return to my old life. And I broke their trust too.”
He lets out a humourless laugh.
“So I don’t think you should trust me anymore, Siya. I don’t think anybody should trust me anymore.”
He’s about to turn around and walk away again when I grab the front of his shirt, stopping him this time. Surprise flashes across his face.
“Yes.” I snap. “Yes, you broke my trust. You disappointed your family.”
I take another step closer.
“But we still look up to you. Because we all know only you can make things right. Not Ayaan, not GLEN, not anybody else. If anyone can clean up this mess… it’s you.” I jab a finger against his chest. “So now own up to your actions and get us out of this mess.”
I see something inside him finally settle. Some of the guilt loosens its grip, and that fire inside him quietens. Before he can retreat back into his thoughts again, I grab his hand.
“Enough now,” I mutter, pulling him towards the washroom. “You are getting cleaned up first.”
He looks almost taken aback. But for once, without arguing, he walks inside. The moment the bathroom door closes and the lock clicks, I finally exhale. My shoulders sag as the last few minutes catch up with me.
I’ve seen Raghav furious, ruthless, and unstoppable.
But never... broken.
And somehow, that version of him frightens me far more than the Dark Prince the world fears.