I stormed into my room, slamming the door behind me with enough force to rattle the walls. My hands curled into fists at my sides as I fought the urge to scream.
How could he?
How could bhai act so cold when I had finally come back? I had expected anger, yes. Maybe even a lecture. But not this. Not the distant, calculating demeanor of a mafia king treating me like a liability rather than his sister.
I had imagined our reunion so many times. None of them had been like this.
I clenched my jaw and threw myself onto the bed, my mind a storm of rage and frustration. My fingers trembled as I reached for my phone and scrolled to the only person I trusted outside my own blood.
Vani, or I say assassin Scarlet.
I tapped the call button and brought the phone to my ear. It rang twice before a familiar voice answered, smooth but edged with danger.
"Didn't think I'd hear from you so soon, Rose," Vani drawled.
"I need information."
A short pause. Then, her tone sharpened. "On who?"
"Vikram Chauhan." I spat the name like poison. "And every single one of his men."
Vani let out a low whistle. "Going for the big leagues, are we? That bastard has half of Spain under his thumb. His cartel's been running the drug trade for years. Arms dealing, human trafficking, and from what I've gathered—" she hesitated. "Experimentation."
My blood turned to ice.
"I know." My voice was eerily calm. "I lived it."
Silence stretched between us before she spoke again, this time quieter. "Aashu... what the hell did they do to you?"
I took a slow breath. I wasn't ready to answer that. Not yet.
"Find me everything, Vani." My voice was firm. "His operations, his allies, his weaknesses. I want names. Locations. Every single person who has ever worked under him."
"Damn," she murmured. "You're really going to war, huh?"
"I already did. Now I'm finishing it."
A beat of silence. Then, a low chuckle. "You know, this is why we get along. Alright, Dead Rose. Give me twenty-four hours. I'll have your intel."
"Make it twelve."
"Demanding as ever." She sighed dramatically, then her voice turned serious again. "Be careful, Aashi. Vikram's not just powerful—he's untouchable. Even your elder brother doesn't mess with him directly."
"Good." A dark smirk played on my lips. "That means he won't see me coming."
Vani exhaled. "Fine. I'll call when I have something."
I hung up without another word, tossing the phone onto the bed.
Twelve hours.
That was all I needed.
And then?
Vikram Chauhan would learn exactly what it meant to create a monster.
______________________________
Avyukt's POV
Morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting golden streaks across the lavish bedroom. The heavy scent of sandalwood and smoke lingered in the air, a reminder of the night before—of decisions made in the dark, of blood spilled in silence.
I sat on the edge of the bed, bare-chested, my fingers loosely holding a glass of whiskey I had no intention of drinking. The ice had long melted, mirroring the slow, bitter burn in my chest.
She was back.
Aashi.
Or rather, Dead Rose.
The name was fitting—deadly yet beautiful, lethal in ways no one could imagine. But no matter what the world called her now, to me, she would always be the girl who once hid behind my shoulder when thunderstorms scared her, the girl who laughed too loudly when she beat me in chess, the girl who... never should have had to become this.
A muscle in my jaw twitched as I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. I had watched her from the shadows for years, ensuring no one ever got close enough to harm her. But I had failed once—when they took her, when they tortured her, when they made her into something unrecognizable.
And I would never fail again.
A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.
"Enter."
A guard stepped in, bowing his head. "My King, she has returned to the Singhania estate. She made contact with an assassin named Scarlet last night. Orders?"
I smirked, rolling the glass between my fingers.
"Nothing."
The guard hesitated. "Nothing, sire?"
"She is exactly where she needs to be." I exhaled slowly. "But if anyone so much as thinks of touching her, I will burn their entire bloodline to the ground."
The guard swallowed hard and nodded before stepping out.
I leaned back, running a hand through my hair, my gaze shifting to the black dagger on the nightstand. A symbol of the underworld. A symbol of who I had become.
I was the King of Rajasthan. The ruler of the underworld. The ghost they whispered about.
The Shadow.
And I had only one purpose—
To protect Aashi Singhania.
Even if she never knew.
Even if I had to become the monster she feared most to keep her safe.
Even if I had to kill the entire world for her.
______________________________
I descended the grand marble staircase of my palace, the sound of my footsteps echoing through the vast halls. The golden sun streamed through the high windows, illuminating the ancient walls adorned with paintings of my ancestors—rulers, warriors, and legends who had shaped the underworld.
But none of them mattered to me.
Only she did.
As I reached the main hall, the scent of jasmine and incense filled my senses. My mother, Vamika Raisa, sat gracefully on the plush velvet sofa, dressed in a deep maroon saree, her gold bangles softly clinking as she sipped her morning tea. My father, Veeransh Raisa, ever the formidable king, stood near the window, his sharp gaze fixed on the city outside, but there was a rare softness in his expression today.
And then there was my elder sister, Mihika.
The fierce queen of my world and the only person who dared to challenge me without fear. She sat beside my mother, looking radiant yet slightly exhausted. It had been a week since she had returned home, her time divided between her duties as my sister and her life with her husband—Abhiyansh Singhania.
Aashi's elder brother.
The very man who now had My Rose under his roof again.
The moment I stepped inside, all three of them turned to me, their eyes holding the same unspoken emotion.
They knew.
"She's back." My mother was the first to speak, her voice soft yet filled with emotion.
Mihika Dii exhaled, shaking her head with an almost relieved smile. "I can't believe it. After all these years... she survived."
I walked towards them, rolling my shoulders as I loosened my black satin robe. "Of course, she did," I said, my voice quieter than usual. "She's stronger than any of us ever gave her credit for."
Dad turned then, his gaze meeting mine. There was pride in his eyes, but also something deeper—something that mirrored the war within me. "Did you see her?"
I shook my head. "Not yet."
"Why?" Mihika Dii narrowed her eyes at me, instantly sensing my hesitation.
Because I didn't deserve to. Because if I saw her now, I wouldn't be able to control myself. Because if I so much as looked at her, I'd want to take her away from all of this—keep her locked away somewhere safe, where no one could ever touch her again.
But I couldn't.
Not yet.
"She needs time," I finally answered, my voice void of emotion. "She's walking back into a world she left behind. It won't be easy for her."
Dii studied me for a long moment before sighing. "She's like my own sister, you know that, right?"
I gave her a small nod. I knew.
When we were younger, Aashi had practically grown up in this palace. She had spent summers running through these halls, playing hide-and-seek with Dii and me, sneaking sweets from the royal kitchen, giggling as she trailed behind us like a little shadow.
But that girl no longer existed.
Now, the woman who had returned wasn't the Aashi we once knew—she was Dead Rose, the nightmare of the underworld.
And God help anyone who dared to cross her.
"Abhiyash is lucky," my mother mused, sipping her tea. "He got his sister back, I am happy for him."
Something inside me twisted at those words.
Abhiyansh may have gotten his sister back.
But I lost the only woman I had ever loved to the darkness.
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