Page 68 of Twisted Alliance

“My God!” she said. “Shivay, what happened! Why is there blood on your back!”

Shivay realized that his stitches might have opened from the recent wound. He could not tell his mother about the attack. “There was a small accident at the mine, Ma. I’m fine now.”

His mother shook her head. “No… none of this is fine. I know your injury had something to do with this bead. It wasn’t an accident, either. It is a deliberate attempt.” Tears welled in her eyes, and she started to weep. “How could this happen after everything your father and I did to keep you all safe?”

It was at that point, Shivay simply knew the attack in Africa wasn’t from a business rival.

“Ma, what are you talking about?” Nakul asked.

Shivay watched as his mother’s lips trembled while she spoke. “The Sands of Singoor have found us…”

***

It was on that day when Shivay and his brothers found out their father was alive and he had faked his death to return to Singoor to take on the responsibility of the Thakvar region and its people.

It was a sacrifice Shivay’s parents made to keep their children safe from the brutal clan wars that had claimed Shivay’s uncle and aunt’s lives. Shivay’s mother kept her promise not to communicate with him and didn’t try to reach out to her husband even when she found out she was three months pregnant.

The truth about Shivay’s father had been a shock to him and his brothers. On that day, Shivay and his brothers vowed to bring their father back to their mother.

Shivay was close to fulfilling his promise, but he also knew it wasn’t enough. He had to set things right and bring peace to the Singoor region. It was the only way his parents could be together without constant threats or guilt.

He had married for that very purpose. The alliance formed with his marriage would play the biggest role in the peace talks among the clans. But whether Ishani Gujjar, the woman who hated him, feared him, and wanted him gone, would try to ruin things during the clan meetings was something he needed to determine.

He didn’t trust her. She had betrayed him multiple times. And yet, he was obsessively drawn to her beauty and craved her every moment.

It was madness that he couldn’t stop himself from desiring her. He wanted to see her smile. He wanted to see her laugh. He wanted to capture the soft gasps she emitted when he kissed and pleasured her.

His hands clenched, recalling the events from that afternoon. He had never been the kind to get jealous or possessive, but when his wife taunted him about using Rishab to betray him, he wanted to show her who she belonged to.

She is mine.

That particular thought was branded into his mind right from the time he saw her on their wedding night, and no amount of betrayal from her side could make him feel differently.

Earlier that afternoon, he had made a decision he hadn’t told his brothers about yet. His brothers would be shocked by it, but it was something he decided to do because he wanted and craved it.

Ishani Gujjar was going to pay for her betrayal in a way she had never imagined. She would be tied for eternity to the man she hated, feared, and desperately tried to get rid of.

The twisted alliance he made was not going to result in a temporary marriage. The marriage would last until death did them part.

I will not let her go. She is mine, no matter what.

CHAPTER 21

Ishani was running through the desert sand to escape a devil, but even though she ran fast, the ruthless devil captured her. And instead of fighting off the devil, she let him sweep her into his arms and ravish her.

“Remember that you are mine,” the devil growled as he possessed her body and soul.

She felt conflicted even as she surrendered herself.

There was a dark smile on the devil’s handsome face as he took her body. “I knew you would surrender. Now, it’s time to fall in love with me,” he ordered.

She shook her head. “No!” she said. “I won’t fall in love with you!”

“You will,” he promised.

She kept shaking her head even as he laughed darkly while she surrendered her body, heart, and soul.

“No!” she whispered as she suddenly opened her eyes.

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