54

I woke up in a dimly lit room, the air thick with the scent of dust and decay. My wrists were tied tightly to the arms of a cold, metal chair, and my heart pounded with a mix of fear and adrenaline. The surroundings looked like a warehouse, with shadows lurking in every corner.

Where am I?

Regret washed over me. I shouldn’t have trusted that maid. I think I’m kidnapped now. But at least now I could finally see the person behind this.

The door creaked open, and three guards walked in, their presence almost scary. Each one held a gun, the cold metal glinting brightly in the low light. My fear intensified, my breath quickening as my heart thudded against my chest.

A chair was placed in front of me by the guards, and then he appeared—the person I hadn’t seen in the last five years. His sadistic smile made my blood boil, and I had to resist the urge to punch him.

“Good afternoon, Ria,” Raghav Uncle said, settling into the chair in front of me. I glared at him, my eyes burning with rage.

His smile widened at my reaction, and he leaned back, “How’s my niece?”

I refused to respond, maintaining my glare.

“Why did you do it?” I demanded, my voice trembling with anger.

He passed me the fake sweet smile, “Well, the reason was simple. We told you to stop the investigation and you didn’t. We even said you’d have to face consequences,” he replied, his tone almost bored.

I pursed my lips, “I’m asking about my parents. Why did you kill them? Didn’t you have any mercy on your brothers?” My voice cracked, the pain of loss resurfacing. I was already expecting this. I knew it was him. Still, the betrayal by him felt like a sharp blade pressing on my skin. My father had two brothers: Aaron’s father and the person sitting in front of me.

I don’t understand how he can do such a thing to his own brothers. They trusted him. Yet, it's a harsh truth that sometimes, one need not venture into the jungle to encounter snakes; they can be lurking right in one's own home.

He chuckled, a sound devoid of any warmth. “Well, let me enlighten you. I didn’t kill them. I had only a 2% contribution to that, as your stupid friend—what was her name again? Yeah, Ruby. She might have told you. I have a strong alibi that I was out of the country.”

My brows furrowed in confusion and disbelief.

He smiled, a twisted satisfaction in his eyes as he continued, “But you know what? I was happy to hear that news. I got what my brothers had snatched away from me.”

“They didn’t snatch anything. They built the everything with their blood and sweat, unlike you, who always expected things to be handed to you on a platter without doing anything,” I spat out; my voice filled with anger.

A sharp slap echoed through the room, the sound spreading on the dull walls of the room.

My left cheek stung with pain.

Then, I felt the cold press of metal against my skin. The barrel of a gun.

My heart raced, pounding in my ears.

“If I hear another word, the bullet in this gun will be in your head,” he hissed, his voice dripping with danger.

I clamped my mouth shut, fear spreading through my veins. I know he’s probably a psycho. He gave that vibe—capable of doing anything.

He leaned back in his chair, a twisted smile playing on his lips. “As I said, I had only a 2% contribution, and that too from the phone call where I lied to them saying your dear Grandma had a heart attack and they should come to the hospital right away. The route from Dhruv’s place to the hospital was deserted—a perfect place to execute our plan. They fell into the trap and died.”

“What?” I murmured, disbelief and horror covering my face.

“Yes,” he confirmed, his tone almost gleeful.

Tears stung my eyes, blurring my vision, as I questioned, “What did you get by that?”

His smile widened, sick and triumphant. “What did I get? I got money, properties, and everything from which your grandfather had kicked me out. I was the older son, yet he didn’t give me a single penny and threw me out.”

My fists clenched, “It was because of your actions. You were engaged in illegal activities. You deserved that.”

Another slap sounded through the room, and my already stinging cheeks stung more, and after some time I felt numb with the pain.

“Watch your mouth.” He seethed in anger.

Then, he sat back on the chair, “I was planning my revenge when they did something stupid and made another enemy.”

“Enemy?” I spoke, my voice barely a whisper.

“Yes.”

“W…Who?”

Faint footsteps approached the room, each step sending a shiver down my spine. The door creaked open, and a figure stepped inside. My heart skipped a beat as I blinked, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

It couldn’t be. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I blinked, trying to see if it was the same person. The dim light played tricks on my eyes, but the name rolled out of my lips before I could stop it.

“Dh…Dhruv Uncle?” Tears welled up and spilled over, streaming down my cheeks. It felt like someone had reached into my chest and ripped my heart into pieces.

He smiled a sickly grin that sent shivers down my spine and started taking slow, deliberate steps toward me.

“Yes, dear. It’s me.” He said, his tone sweet like every time, but this time it felt mocking.

“Y…you were behind everything?” My voice trembled.

He nodded, his expression unchanging.

The feeling of betrayal was too sharp, too overwhelming. It cut deeper than any physical wound. I felt the world swirling while I sat frozen in my place. He was like a fatherly figure to me. I trusted him a lot.

How could someone I trusted so deeply betray me in such a horrific way?

Then, it all clicked into place. I realized why my parents’ accident case was closed and declared as a natural accident. Advik had mentioned once that his father handled this case.

God, I can’t believe everything was a lie.

Uncle's care and concern were just a show-off. I could have never expected that behind his angelic façade lurked an evil monster.

“Why?” I managed to ask, my voice barely a whisper.

“Good question,” he said, settling into the chair and leaning back with an evil smile. “Let’s start the story.”