RUTHLESSLY MINE

The Man in the Dark Who Knows Her Past

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Today’s chapter is a little darker. A lot of secrets start leaking out here.

(There might be small mistakes in some dialogues. I’ll edit everything later.)

Phase – I

★★★

AARA

Rathore Mansion Moments After The Explosion

The world shook. That was the only way to describe it.

One second I was standing beside Arjun in the hall… staring at the detonator in Raghav’s hand.

The next second

BOOM.!!

The explosion from somewhere deep inside the mansion tore through the entire building.

The floor trembled violently under my feet.

Glass shattered from the tall windows.

A deafening roar filled the air and a shockwave rushed through the hall like a violent storm.

I stumbled backward instinctively.

Before I could fall, a strong arm wrapped around my waist.

Arjun.

He pulled me against his chest and dragged me down behind the marble pillar just as another blast echoed somewhere below us.

Dust filled the air.

Screams erupted across the mansion.

Security alarms screamed nonstop.

“What the hell was that?!” I shouted over the noise.

Arjun’s jaw was locked tight.

“The underground vault.”

My stomach twisted.

“You mean the place where they found my bracelet?”

“Yes.”

That didn’t sound good.

Not good at all. More guards rushed into the hall from different corridors.

“Sir!” “Explosion in the lower level!”

“Fire has started near the security corridor!”

Arjun stood up immediately.

“Evacuate everyone to the east wing.”

“What about the vault, sir?”

“I’ll handle it.”

The guards ran off again.

My head snapped toward the staircase.

But Raghav was gone.

Completely gone.

The spot where he had been standing seconds ago was now empty.

Only the echo of his voice still lingered in the air.

Round two. I clenched my fists.

“He escaped again.”

Arjun didn’t answer instead he grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the main corridor.

“Come with me.”

“To where?”

“The vault.”

“Why would we go toward the explosion?”

“Because whatever he blew up… he wanted us to see it.”

I didn’t like the sound of that not even a little but I followed him anyway.

Smoke had already started creeping through the lower stairwell by the time we reached it. The smell of burning wires filled the air.

Two guards were trying to put out small flames near the wall panels.

“Sir,” one of them said urgently, “the blast came from inside the vault room.”

Arjun nodded once.

“Open it.”

“Sir… the door system is damaged.”

“Then break it.”

The guards didn’t hesitate within seconds they forced the heavy metal door open using a hydraulic cutter.

The vault room looked like a war zone, half the security shelves had been blown apart.

Papers scattered everywhere. One entire wall had collapsed inward and right in the center of the room…

Something burned slowly on the floor. Arjun stepped forward first to see it, I followed carefully behind him.

The burning object turned out to be a box. A metal evidence box.

One of the guards quickly poured water over it.

The flames died instantly.

Arjun crouched down and picked it up.

His expression changed the moment he saw what was inside.

“What is it?” I asked.

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead he slowly turned the box toward me.

Inside were several old photographs.

Photographs from the accident.

My stomach dropped, the images showed the wrecked car, and the broken road barrier.

The rain-soaked highway.

And then… One particular photo made my breath stop.

A picture of me standing beside the crashed car but that wasn’t the strange part. The strange part was the man standing beside me in the photo.

A man I didn’t remember at all.

“Who is that?” I whispered.

Arjun’s voice came out very quiet.

“That…” He paused. “…is my father.”

My head snapped up. “What?”

The man in the photograph was older.

Tall.

Sharp eyes.

He looked slightly injured but still standing and according to the photo timestamp… The picture had been taken right after the accident which meant one thing.

“Your father was there that night?”

Arjun’s jaw tightened. “Yes.”

“But you never mentioned that.”

“Because he told me he arrived after the crash.”

I stared back at the photograph again but the image didn’t lie. He was there at the exact moment the accident happened.

Before anyone else, before the police even efore the ambulance.

Which meant… “He lied to you.”

Arjun didn’t respond but the silence was enough. A chill crawled down my spine.

“Wait,” I said slowly, “if your father was there… then he saw everything.”

“Yes.”

“So he knows I didn’t run.”

“Yes.”

My pulse quickened. “Then why would he let you believe that story for six years?”

Arjun looked at me.

And something dangerous flashed in his eyes.

“That’s what I’m starting to wonder.”

Before I could reply a loud crash echoed from the corridor outside the vault. Everyone froze as gunshots followed. My heart jumped into my throat.

“Sir!” one of the guards shouted through the doorway.

“We’re under attack!”

Arjun stood instantly.

“How many?”

“At least ten men.”

Raghav again, of course. Arjun grabbed his gun.

“Get her upstairs.”

“No,” I said immediately.

Both him and the guard looked at me.

“I’m not hiding again.”

“You’re not staying here.”

“I’m not leaving you in the middle of a shootout either.”

Arjun’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“You’re stubborn.”

“You noticed.”

Another round of gunfire echoed down the hallway.

Arjun cursed under his breath.

“Stay behind me.”

I didn’t argue this time.

The moment we stepped out into the corridor chaos greeted us again.

Three of Arjun’s guards were already exchanging gunfire with men dressed in black tactical gear.

Bullets slammed into the walls.

The marble floor cracked in several places.

One of the attackers dropped after Arjun fired a single precise shot.

Another ran behind a pillar.

“Push them back!” Arjun ordered.

His men moved instantly.

But something felt wrong again.

Very wrong.

I scanned the corridor carefully.

The attackers didn’t look like Raghav’s usual street soldiers.

They were too organized. Too precise, military trained maybe. Which meant one thing, someone powerful was helping him.

Then suddenly, a loud scream echoed from the upper floor, I looked up instinctively and what I saw made my stomach twist.

One of the mansion staff members was running down the staircase in panic. “The west wing!” she shouted. “They’re inside!”

Inside.

Inside the mansion.

Arjun’s eyes darkened instantly.

“Split the team.”

Half the guards ran toward the west wing while the rest stayed behind with us. But before anyone could move further a slow clap echoed from the balcony above.

My blood ran cold because I recognized that sound now. Raghav stepped forward from the shadows.

Completely unharmed and completely relaxed.

Like the chaos around him was just entertainment.

“Still alive, brother?” he said lazily.

Arjun raised his gun instantly.

“You’re running out of places to hide.”

Raghav laughed.

“Actually I’m running out of patience.”

His gaze shifted toward me.

And the way he looked at me made my skin crawl.

“Tell me something, Aara,” he said.

I didn’t answer but he continued anyway.

“Did Arjun tell you the real reason I’ve been looking for you?”

My stomach tightened.

“You already told me.”

“Oh no.”

He shook his head slowly.

“I only told you the fun part.”

Arjun’s voice turned icy.

“Raghav.”

But Raghav ignored him Instead he leaned casually against the balcony railing.

“The truth is… you were never the real target that night.”

My breath caught.

“What?”

“You were just… collateral.”

My mind spun.

“Then who was the target?”

Raghav smiled slowly.

Then he pointed directly at Arjun.

“Him.”

The hallway fell silent.

My head turned toward Arjun slowly.

“You?”

Raghav nodded.

“Yes.”

Then he continued calmly. “The brakes on my car were cut because someone wanted me to crash.”

Pause.

“But they also knew Arjun would follow me that night.”

Another pause. “And if things had gone according to plan…”

His eyes gleamed darkly.

“…both Rathore brothers would have died on that road.”

My heart pounded violently. “So the accident…”

Raghav finished the sentence for me.

“…was meant to kill us.”

I looked at Arjun again his expression had gone completely still which meant he was thinking.

Thinking very hard. Then he said something that made the entire room colder.

“Father.”

Raghav smiled wider.

“Now you’re finally catching up.”

My breath caught. “You think your father tried to kill you both?”

Neither brother answered immediately which was terrifying because that silence said everything.

But Raghav wasn’t finished yet. “Oh and there’s one more thing.” He looked directly at me again.

“The reason I’ve been watching you for six years.”

I frowned. “You already said it.”

“Did I?”

His smile turned darker.

“Then why don’t I remind you.”

He reached into his coat pocket.

Pulled out something small.

And tossed it down into the hallway.

It slid across the marble floor until it stopped near my feet.

I looked down And my heart stopped, It was a hospital bracelet. Old and Faded.

But the name on it was clear, it was my name.

Aara Mehta.

Date of admission.

The same night as the accident.

But the hospital name… Was different.

Not the hospital I remembered waking up in.

My hands started shaking.

“That’s impossible,” I whispered.

Raghav’s voice dropped softly. “Oh it’s very possible.” I looked up slowly.

“What are you saying?”

He smiled. “I’m saying…”

Pause.

“…you were never supposed to survive that night either.”

My heart slammed painfully against my chest.

“What?”

Raghav leaned closer over the balcony.

His voice almost gentle now.

“The doctors declared you dead for three minutes.”

The world tilted around me.

“What?”

Arjun’s head snapped toward me but Raghav delivered the final blow.

“And the person who brought you back…”

He pointed at Arjun. "…was him.”

Silence swallowed the entire mansion. I stared at Arjun. My voice barely worked.

“You saved me?”

But before he could answer

A loud gunshot rang out from the balcony.

Raghav vanished behind the railing again, and the mansion lights suddenly went out for the second time that night.

Complete darkness swallowed everything. Then somewhere in the darkness a man whispered near my ear again.

“You’re starting to remember now… aren’t you?”

My blood froze because that voice…

Was not Raghav’s.

And it definitely wasn’t Arjun’s either.