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“The bishop’s ability to move diagonally is similar to an ambush or a surprise attack, making it a tricky and unpredictable character on the board.,” he adds, placing the bishop down in a position that gives the black king a Checkmate.
“What do you want?” I ask, once and for all. It’s high time I know what their intentions are.
“The King,” he replies proudly, hitting the black king with his bishop to remove it from the chessboard. “And along with him, I also want to avenge the Shergill and Walias for their betrayal.”
That’s it. My fingers clench together, aching to strike someone. However, I maintain my composure and approach the chessboard, lifting the black king and relocating the bishop to his previous position.
“It wasn’t your turn to play again,” I state as I move my own king forward one step, placing the other black chess pieces behind him, making the black king the first line of defence for his kingdom.
Tej Khurana stares at the board, shock and curiosity evident on his face as I continue. “And now, regarding what you want—the King doesn’t give a damn because he doesn’t switch sides. Nor will he allow his adversaries to touch his kingdom. So, tell your cowardly Bat Syndicate patrons to back off if they don’t want to lose their lives while protecting yours.”
“Ayaan—” Raghav lunges forward, but Tej Khurana stops him by grabbing his arm, preventing him from reaching me.
My backup guards rush inside, despite my earlier warning to stay out of this and stand beside me with their guns aimed at the father-son duo. The moment they do, five more men wearing black hoodies with a Bat emblem inked on their sleeves appear from nowhere, aiming their guns at my guards and me.
“Guns down,” Tej barks at his men. “No one hurts him. I said guns down.” He almost pushes one of his own guards, and they quickly comply with his orders.
However, my guards still have their guns pointed at all of them. The party is still in full swing outside, with politicians and VIPs all around, and no one is yet aware of what’s happening in this secluded area.
“You are destined to rule, Ayaan, but not in this way,” Tej Khurana explains, turning back to face me. “Come with us. You belong to us now. It’s pointless to defend those two families who have betrayed your biological father.”
“They didn’t betray you. You ruined their families,” I growl. “They didn’t abandon their country; you sold your loyalty. They did not take lives; you killed innocent people. You killed our driver, you killed Manish,” I shout in rage.
“And you killed one of our men back in Austria when they were sent to abduct you,” he counters. “What about that? These are the pawns I’m talking about, Ayaan. They were the first ones to die in this battle, and many more will follow if you don’t stop challenging me.”
I’m controlling myself from grabbing his neck. He’s treating lives as if he owns them all.
“Your time is up,” I declare. “I’ll make sure you pay for those sins, Tej Khurana. You have no idea what a mistake you’ve made returning to India, back to the same country where it all began. I’m going to expose you and crush your syndicate. It’s a promise. A King’s promise.”
His sinister laughter echoes in the room as soon as he hears my words.
“Did you just say you’ll crush down my syndicate, Ayaan?” he says between bursts of laughter. “Only knowing that such a syndicate exists or that I am the mastermind behind it doesn’t mean anything, you fool.” This time, he roars, his laughter silently fading and rapidly becoming a full-fledged glare.
My jaw clenches in response to his overconfidence, a confidence I’m determined to shatter. If he believes that no one has gathered evidence against his criminal activities and exposed his syndicate till now, he is in for a huge surprise.
“The king may think that he is wielding the power. But he doesn’t know thatI’mthe power. My venomous wings were already spread over the game from the beginning. Don’t you see this, Ayaan? It took me mere minutes to regain favour with the political parties here. Who knows, these naive people might even invite me to join their party someday and make the Mafia, the ruler of the Bat Syndicate, a supposed protector of this country. Just imagine what I could do if I were to govern this country,” he sneers.
My control and patience are slipping away as he shamelessly flaunts his plans.
“I can destroy everything with a snap of my finger, Ayaan, and I will. Kailash’s dream of the Mashaal Project and Pratap’s dream to win the elections and become the next CM. You won’t be able to control any of this.”
“Dad, we made a huge mistake by not showcasing our power to him when both families were here at this party tonight,” Raghav adds. “But the night hasn’t ended yet, and neither have our surprises for the King.”
What does he mean? What more surprises is he talking about? My intuition urges me to check with Krish and Vishnu to ensure everyone has reached home safely.
“This is my last warning to both of you—stay away from my families,” I snap. “Otherwise, the consequences will be irrevocable. And that’s Ayaan Kailash Shergill’s promise.”
His nostrils flare as I proudly declare myself as a Shergill.
“I knew you wouldn’t readily agree with us, Ayaan. But I never expected you to throw us a challenge, either. Now, it’s either after I destroy Kailash and Pratap or before that, but I’m not leaving this country without taking my son along.”
As he utters these words, my phone rings. I immediately answer, keeping my gaze fixed on Tej Khurana and Raghav, who bear wicked grins as if anticipating who has called me and why.
“Ayaan,” Krish shouts from the other end. “There was a short circuit at the monitoring room in the Shergill Mansion and a similar one at Pratap Walia’s home office at the Walia House. We are checking for any more threats at both homes before declaring them safe to live. You need to come here now!”
Short circuit! Damn it! The moment I hear this, I sprint towards the exit to reach home, glaring at the Khuranas, who I suspect are responsible for this incident. My backup guards accompany me as I hurry to leave, but thankfully, Raghav’s men do not try to stop us or follow us. But I can’t wait to get home and ensure the safety of my family, reassuring them, as both Dad and Meher must be worried sick in this sudden situation, and my absence would only intensify their fears.
CHAPTER 18
