Page 20 of Twisted Alliance

Ishani was shocked.

She hadn’t expected Mihir Thakvar to believe the lie so easily. Guilt gripped her, and she wanted to cry, fall at his feet, and beg his forgiveness.

But before she could do or say anything, she felt a shift in the air. Everyone looked towards the top of the mansion steps.

“There he is,” Mihir Thakvar said in a cheerful tone.

Ishani blinked through her tears and looked up. Even through the thin veil, she saw a tall figure standing on the very top of the marble steps.

Shock ripped through her.

Oh God!

She heard murmurings around her, but the buzzing sound that began in her ears felt deafening while dark spots covered her vision. Her body swayed as she nearly fainted.

He is alive. Oh God, he is alive.

It was worse than any nightmare she had in the last three days.

Shivay Thakvar was not only alive but he was watching her and waiting to take his revenge as promised.

CHAPTER 6

Ishani’s legs gave out beneath her, and she felt her brother holding her upright.

“Is the bride all right?” someone asked.

The concerned murmurings continued until she was pulled away from her brother and swept up. Her head rested against a hard chest while strong arms held her.

“My bride must be tired after the long journey,” a familiar deep voice stated. “I’ll take care of her.”

She forced her eyes open, and her body jerked when she saw the handsome profile of Shivay Thakvar as he carried her up the marble steps easily without even pausing for a moment.

Her mind tried to tell her it was yet another nightmare, but the hard jaw and familiar musky cologne felt all too real.

Shivay Thakvar is alive.

Oh God.

He is going to kill me. But before that, he will tell everyone about how I betrayed him on our wedding night.

Even as she panicked, he stopped at the massive doorway of the mansion. His dark eyes finally met with hers.

“Can you stand on your own?” he asked.

She didn’t know if she could, but she nodded, wanting to get away from him.

He placed her on her feet outside the doorway but kept his muscled arm wrapped around her waist, preventing her from escaping. She stood on shaky legs while someone offered her water she drank gratefully.

She realized that a big group of women with smiling faces were waiting to receive the newlyweds with the traditional customs of the Thakvar clan. Forcing out a murmur of thanks, she gave the nearly empty glass to someone before standing in a daze and following the instructions of the group.

There was laughter and singing while welcoming the newlyweds into the Thakvar mansion.

Even as she went through the motions, she was half terrified and half confused about why the man standing next to her wasn’t shunning her or calling her a cheat and murderer.

Has he forgotten?

A brief thought slipped into her mind. She didn’t know what kind of drug was given to him, but she had heard of drugs that made a person temporarily lose their memory.

---