Fuck.
Shauna’s blood turned cold at the casual way he spoke about doing something so vile.
“You would never have gotten within an inch of those kids,” Akash replied tightly.
“Why do you think I never tried?” His father replied. “I followed Keya and her children, but they were always fiercely guarded. But this necklace was a guarantee for me to live out the rest of my days well, so why bother with something that could get me back in prison if I failed at it.”
God, Akash’s father was a cruel, horrible man.
He shifted his gun and pointed it at Shauna, making her heart stutter.
“Give it to me or I’ll hurt her,” he said.
“I will give this to you,” Akash said calmly. “But first, you let her go.”
A tense silence followed. Keval’s eyes flicked between them as he calculated and weighed his options.
She knew the exact second he chose the necklace over everything else.
“Ten steps,” he said. “She walks ten steps forward.”
Shauna’s heart pounded. Akash’s gaze met hers, and he gave her a reassuring nod.
“Come to me,” he said softly.
She moved. One step. Two.
Every step felt like walking a tightrope over a fall she couldn’t see. Keval’s gun remained trained unwaveringly on her as she crossed to Akash’s side.
Once she was close enough, Akash moved and threw the velvet pouch high into the air. His father’s gaze snapped upward as instinct, greed, and obsession took over.
In that split second, Akash lunged forward. He grabbed her and pulled her down with him, twisting at the last moment so she landed on top of him instead of the ground.
A shot rang out. She gasped as the sound tore through the night.
She turned her head. Keval Karia lay on the ground, clutching his shoulder, his face twisted in pain. The gun had fallen from his hand and now lay across the grass, a little distance away from him. Akash shifted her off him and was on his feet in an instant, kicking the gun farther away from him.
Heart still racing, she rose to her feet as the police swarmed in from all sides, shouting commands. Keval Karia was hauled upright, struggling weakly as two officers twisted his arms behind his back and snapped the handcuffs into place.
Through the chaos, she saw VJ approaching, calm and composed as always. Of course, VJ would have been informed the second Akash realized she was in danger. And he always came for his friends when they called for help. Always. She was eternally grateful to him. Behind him, she saw Kabier, Sameer, and Nirvaan entering the lawn.
Relief hit her all at once.
But this was not yet fully over. Her gaze shifted to Akash. He stood a few feet away, facing his father. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Keval let out a bitter laugh, wincing through the pain as he nodded toward the velvet pouch, its contents spilled open with black stones scattered across the ground.
“So, you didn’t have it?” Keval sneered. He looked around. “It is here. I know it. I had hidden it.”
Akash stepped closer, his expression cold. “If it is here, I will find it one day and return it to the rightful owners. You will never get your hands on it. You’re going away for the rest of your life.”
Keval’s jaw tightened, but Akash didn’t stop.
“And honestly?” Akash added, his voice hardening. “Good riddance.”
A flicker of anger and disbelief passed through Keval’s eyes, but Akash’s gaze didn’t waver.
“You were a terrible father,” he continued. “The best thing you ever did for Keya and me was to walk away. Because of that, we found people who loved us. Who believed in us. And we’re better for it. You can live the rest of your life knowing that your children will never think about you. We won’t even mention your name to our children.”
