Ehtisham POV
•3 day's ago•
For the past hour, I’ve been sitting in my cabin, going through this file personally so that nothing goes wrong. It’s not every day that I land such a massive deal—especially not when I’m in the middle of merging my underworld empire with my legitimate business operations.
The only thing I truly crave in this world is power. And power comes with money. The Mafia world brings an abundance of it. The more powerful you are, the more respect you receive—whether it’s out of fear or genuine admiration. I prefer the former.
This deal will help me stay one step ahead of the Ahmeds. Lately, they’ve been playing dirtier than usual, and it’s about time I reminded them who the real king of this game is.
Suddenly, the buzz of the intercom pulled me out of my thoughts.
“Sir, Mr. Arham is here to meet you. He says it’s an emergency.”
I was about to decline, but the word ‘emergency’ made me reconsider.
“We have to leave for Navi Mumbai immediately,” Arham said, panting from all the running.
“Why? What happened now?” I asked, maintaining my calm, although I didn’t want to be dragged into any of the Ahmeds' cheap tricks today. I had wanted to focus solely on this deal—but I guess luck’s not on my side.
“I’m not entirely sure, but we have to move fast if we want to stop further losses,” he replied, gulping down the water from my desk.
It was almost a two-hour drive to Navi Mumbai, but thankfully, by the time we got there, my men had already found the reason for the loss.
Why do people always think it’s smart to betray me? Don’t they know what I’m capable of?
Still, today I didn’t feel like getting my hands dirty, so I told Arham to handle him. He looked far too excited to oblige.
However, that scumbag managed to escape from the jeep while we were transporting him to Mumbai—we have better facilities for… handling things there. Ugh. He’s just making things worse for himself.
I instructed Arham to deal with him on the highway itself. If he wanted trouble, I’d happily deliver it. I ordered Shawn, my driver, to park the Thar across the road to block the way completely.
That’s when someone knocked on the driver’s window.
Who the hell had the guts to do that?
The windows were tinted, so she couldn’t see inside—but I could make out that it was a girl. I let Shawn handle it. I don’t deal well with women.
I signaled him to lower the window, just enough to speak.
The moment I saw her eyes through the small opening, I was… frozen.
They were the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.
She was speaking animatedly, using hand gestures as she pleaded. I noticed the bracelet on her wrist—tiny moons and flowers. Delicate. Unique.
And then some guy showed up and pulled her away.
Why did he touch her? What right does he—?
What the hell am I thinking?
She’s no one. Nothing to me.
I shook my head, annoyed with myself.
Soon after, the traitor was dead. He deserved it. We left the scene quickly, but I couldn’t forget her eyes. Her voice. That damn bracelet.
---
[Time Skip]
Currently, I’m in Mumbai because one of my parcel guards thought it would be fun to snitch on me. We’ve been tracking him for days—he’s hiding well, but not well enough.
The longer he stays missing, the worse it will be for him. And frankly, it’s been too long since I’ve tortured someone. I’m craving it.
Smirking at the thought, I returned to my personal office to continue working on the deal. My trusted men are already on the hunt. If they fail… well, they know what’s coming.
I got so lost in the documents that I didn’t realize how late it had gotten. My stomach finally growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten in 24 hours.
Today has been one of the most stressful days in a while—and still no leads on that bastard.
I figured I’d eat something and crash for the night. It was already 1 AM.
Oddly enough, I didn’t even think of the bracelet girl tonight. Maybe I was just too tired.
---
[The Kidnapping Day]
Last night, we finally got intel on the guard’s location. I told my men to continue surveillance—I wanted him to feel safe. To believe he’d escaped. And then, when he least expected it, we’d strike.
Smart, right?
“Please forgive me, Boss! I’ll never do it again!” his strained pleas interrupted my thoughts.
“I didn’t quite catch that,” I said with a raised brow. “Shall we begin the fun?”
He knew what I meant. His lips clamped shut in terror. But his eyes screamed all the fear in the world.
We were in a small, deserted alley—perfect for situations like this. No witnesses. No interruptions.
My men had already started the session, but I stepped up with my favorite knife. I wanted to leave my mark.
The more I carved into his flesh, the louder his screams became. But I wasn’t finished. His face was pale now, death creeping closer.
But I wanted to be the one to end it. Slashing his throat with precision, I was satisfied—until I heard a gasp.
I turned sharply.
There she was.
Standing there with both hands over her mouth, eyes wide with horror. Her body trembling. Crying.
She’d seen everything.
I couldn’t leave her alive. It was too risky. She’d go to the police, and I couldn’t afford that—not now.
I signaled Arham to inject her with a sedative.
But then I noticed her bracelet.
Moons and flowers.
It was her.
The girl from the highway.
Why… why is she here again?
What are the odds?
She sobbed quietly, still trying to fight the sedative, but her body was already shutting down. And then—God knows why—I did something completely unlike me.
I crouched beside her and gently patted her head as she fell unconscious.
Then I picked her up myself and laid her down in the back seat… with her head resting on my lap.
Why was I doing this?
I could see Arham’s stunned expression through the rearview mirror, but I ignored it.
“Drive to the main villa,” I ordered Shawn.
No, I’m not giving her any importance.
She’s just a potential threat, and keeping her close will allow me to monitor her. It’s not a coincidence that she’s been everywhere I’ve been for the past three days.
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