The memory of the shock in his voice… the pain… the words she had been forced to say… the way she had broken him… All of it twisted painfully inside her.
The ache in her chest deepened. It had been the only way to ensure he wouldn’t come here alone.
“It was on the east side… I had hidden it on the east side,” Keval muttered to himself.
Shauna’s eyes snapped open. What was he looking for? And why now, after all these years?
His gaze narrowed on her. “That’s enough rest, Shauna. Get to it. Now.”
Shauna pushed herself up slowly, her body protesting.
Her grip tightened around the shovel once more. Sudden movement out of the corner of her eye distracted her. Her head snapped up, and her breath hitched as she saw Akash walking toward them.
“Akash,” she whispered, horror flooding her veins.
Keval turned sharply at the disturbance. In an instant, the gun in his hand shifted and was now aimed straight at Akash. Shauna’s heart slammed against her ribs.
“Why the hell are you here? And that too alone?” she demanded, panic lacing her voice. “Wasn’t me breaking up with you enough reason to stay away?”
Akash didn’t stop moving forward.
“Stop right there,” his father said, when he was a few feet away.
Akash halted. His eyes found hers and softened.
“I love you more than anything else in the world,” he said. “And I know you love me. I was hurt by what you said… but Ifigured out soon enough that you were only trying to push me away. To keep me from coming here.”
“Go back,” she pleaded, her eyes watering. “Please… just go back.”
He shook his head, his gaze hardening. “No. If you’re here, then so am I.”
“No one is going anywhere,” Keval cut in, his aim unwavering.
He addressed Akash. “Find a shovel and start digging. Both of you. I’m going to find what I came for, no matter what.”
Akash’s lips curved before he pulled out a small velvet pouch and held it up. “You mean you’re looking for this?”
Keval stilled. His eyes locked onto it, greed flashing in his gaze.
Shauna frowned, confusion slicing through her fear. What was Akash doing? How did he know what his father wanted? How did he have it? When had he found it?
“Isn’t this what you want?” Akash continued. “The ruby necklace you stole from the Queen of Devangarh? I believe its value is thirty crores today. I have it.”
Keval’s breath hitched, his gaze locking onto the black pouch in Akash’s hand, his eyes lighting up with a sharp, covetous gleam.
“I knew it,” he said. “I knew she would lead me to it, one way or another. And look at you… handing it over. Just like that. All because of her.” He chuckled. “I can’t wait to see this beautiful treasure I stole all those years ago. I killed someone because of it. I went to prison for it.”
Akash’s jaw tightened. “Funny how you care more about a piece of jewelry than you ever did about your own children.”
His father gave him a hard look. “Oh, please. You and your sister were always your mother’s children. I never wanted either of you.”
“We never wanted you either,” Akash shot back.
“See, I knew this is how you felt about me,” his father said. “You made it clear when I came to visit you in your office, trying to reconcile with you.”
“You just wanted a way back into our lives probably because you learned we had money,” Akash retorted, “or you wanted access to this bloody necklace you stole.”
“But you made it pretty obvious that you wanted nothing to do with me,” his father said coldly. “And so it occurred to me to maybe kidnap one of Keya’s children to get money from you both.”
