I look around the lawn before speaking again.
“But what if she carriesmyname instead?”
I tilt my head slightly towards Samarjeet, whose expression freezes in stunned disbelief.
“Once she becomesmywife, the Dark Prince’s wife, this ends forever. Because anyone who dares to touch her after that… their entire bloodline will disappear.”
A stunned silence crashes across the entire lawn.
Beside me, Siya goes completely rigid. I can feel her shock instantly as her body stills against mine. But I don’t look at her. I turn to Samarjeet instead, who is again struggling to free himself, knowing exactly what I’m about to do next.
“From this moment onwards, you’ll have no right over her, Samarjeet. Because I’m marrying her. Right here. Right now. In the presence of the entire underworld.”
Siya stumbles slightly beside me in shock. Pure disbelief floods her face as her fingers instinctively try to pull free from my grip.
Not happening.My arm tightens harder around her waist before she can even think of stepping away.
“Raghav…” she whispers harshly, staring at me as if I’ve finally gone insane. Maybe I have. But this has become terrifyingly personal now. And the only thing my mindunderstands is one terrifying truth… nobody takes her away from me.Nobody.
I take one slow step towards Samarjeet, still holding Siya by my side. “You know where RK Estate is. So come for her,” I challenge. “Walk into my territory and try taking my wife back.”
My fingers tighten possessively around her waist.
“Then watch what happens to every man foolish enough to stand beside you.” I tilt the gun slightly towards him. “Because the next person who comes for her again will not live long enough to repeat the mistake.”
For a moment, nobody says a word. Not even Siya, who still seems in shock. Then, I look towards the mandap, still decorated for a marriage that was never meant to happen. Without waiting for permission from a single soul present here, I turn and start walking towards it, taking Siya with me.
The priest is still standing there at gunpoint, trembling violently when my eyes lock with his.
“Begin our marriage rituals,” I say, and chaos erupts behind us instantly.
SIYA
What the hell is Raghav doing?The priest looks terrified. Everyone around us is shocked. Even Samarjeet and Parag are shouting threats from somewhere behind us, but their voices barely register anymore. Their authority ended the second Raghav’s men surrounded this mandap. Everything is under his control.
For a second, I think I must have heard him wrong, or that this is some twisted nightmare where someone as ruthless as a Dark Prince is staking a claim on my life and my future. Butwhen Raghav forces me to sit down beside him in front of the sacred fire, I return to my senses. I immediately try to yank my hand free from his grip, but his hold around my wrist is too strong. He doesn’t even look at me.
“I said begin the rituals,” he almost barks at the priest, who sits down and lights the sacred fire.
My heartbeat crashes violently against my ribs.
No, no, no. This can’t be happening.
“Have you completely lost your mind?” I snap, turning towards him. “You cannot force me, RK. I’m not marrying you.”
His eyes darken at my words.
“You are,” he says as if he has already decided.
For a second, I can only stare at him. Then my voice rises in defiance.
“I won’t.” I shake my head instantly. “This is not what we agreed to.”
The sacred fire crackles between us, its light flickering across his face and making him look even more dangerous than he already does.
“I only asked your help to get me out of this mafia world,” I shoot back furiously, still not giving up. “To stop my marriage to Parag. Not to trap me into another forced alliance, that too with a mafia prince like you.”
His jaw flexes hard, but he still doesn’t say a word. The priest nervously asks him to extend his right hand to begin the ritual. Raghav complies, which only makes me panic more.
