I immediately turn to Raghav.
“Mom and I will stay in the resort cottages,” I say coldly. “Not here.”
That dangerous arrogance returns to his face instantly. The look he gives me reminds me exactly who I’m dealing with. He isn’t going to agree to this. I know.
“You are no longer a guest at RK Estate,” he says calmly, despite the annoyance in his voice. “You’re my wife.”
My anger flares immediately.
“Wife?” I snap. “Don’t stand there and call me your wife as if I willingly chose that title. This marriage exists becauseyoudecided my consent didn’t matter. You cornered me until I had no choice left.”
A muscle ticks sharply in his jaw. But instead of arguing further, he simply walks towards me until he’s standing right in front of me. Far too close and far toodominating.
“Don’t test my patience tonight, Siya,” he says quietly, keeping his voice low enough that only I can hear it. “You’ve already seen what happens when I lose it.”
My pulse jumps angrily again. I glare right back at him.
“And you’ve already seen that I’m not scared of you.”
Raghav keeps staring at me for a long moment before his gaze shifts towards Mom standing by my side. And something in his expression changes.
“It’s almost three in the morning. You both are exhausted. So stop this drama and walk inside.”
His order only irritates me further. Mom also stiffens beside me. I can see the fury she still holds for him after everything that happened tonight. But she’s exhausted. So am I. And somewhere deep down, we both know creating another scene outside the villa right now will change absolutely nothing because this man has already decided on our behalf.
Mom gently places her hand over mine. “Siya…”
That single touch weakens the last of my resistance. I hate that he has cornered us so completely that we have nowhere else to go. Raghav notices it too. Without saying another word, he steps aside and waits for us to enter first, like some possessive prince welcoming people into his territory.
My nails dig deeper into my palm. With no other option left, Mom and I walk inside.
The villa is enormous on the inside. The entire place smells faintly of cedarwood and leather, giving it a warm feel. The ivory walls glow under the soft amber lights, and the minimal yet elegant interiors create a serene atmosphere. There’s complete silence everywhere. It almost feels like this house has been specifically curated for Raghav’s mood. There are softer touches scattered throughout the villa as well, such as bookshelves filled with classics, warm fireplaces, vintage lamps, and lovingly tended indoor plants.
This villa reflects two versions of Raghav: the man who strives to build a peaceful life at RK Estate, and the man the underworld once feared as the Dark Prince. Neither persona has truly disappeared. They simply coexist under the same roof.
Despite everything, this place still feels lived in. Not like a mafia den,but like a home.
Mom and I barely take the time to look aroundproperly as we are too emotionally drained to process anything. Raghaveventually leads us down a quiet hallway on the ground floor and stops outside one of the rooms. He pushes the door open and steps aside.
“That’s your room,” he says, looking at Mom.
The room is beautiful. At the centre sits a large king-sized bed, neatly made up with soft, pastel linens. It is positioned in such a way that it faces both the floor-to-ceiling windows and the fireplace on the opposite wall. With the glass windows overlooking the valley outside, the warm cream walls, wooden interiors, and soft ambient lighting make the room feel inviting and cosy.
“If you don’t like this room,” he continues calmly, “there are others upstairs too. You can decide in the morning. I’ll show you all of them, and you can choose whichever one you prefer.”
Mom says nothing. Neither do I. Right then, Raghav’s phone suddenly rings. He glances at the screen. His expression darkens again. Without another word, he walks away from the room towards the hallway outside.
RAGHAV
As soon as I step into the hallway, I answer the call and continue walking until I’m far awayfrom Siya and her mother’s room.
The moment I place the phone against my ear, Trisha explodes. “What the hell have you done, Raghav? How could you do this?” she snaps furiously. “Despite Ayaan specifically telling me not to reveal the changed plans, I told you. And what did you do after that? You practically announced to the entire underworld that the Dark Prince is alive?”
My jaw tightens instantly. But Trisha doesn’t even pause. She keeps going.
“The man who hadn’t touched a gun for two and a half years…” she says in disbelief now. “We all watched him turn into that same brutal Dark Prince again. Shooting people, threatening the underworld, and starting a mafia war in the middle of a wedding. Do you have any idea what we all felt watching that? Do you even understand what the family is going through right now because of you?”
My grip tightens around the phone.
