Devastation (The Reward): In a world where love is laced with darkness, every choice can shatter the heart— and the soul.
DEVASTATION
Something was wrong.
The codes had changed.
I didn’t know why, but they had, and now I was locked in—just like before. Just like the first time, when I sat in Arnav Shetty’s car, when I was kidnapped, when I brought Arnav into the devil’s world. That day, Aayansh had locked me in this very room, believing I was too much trouble to be left unsupervised.
And now, it was happening again.
The consequences, not the mistake.
I hadn’t done anything wrong lately—nothing, not since the pregnancy kits I brought for Tisha Di. That had been my last misstep, my last hiccup. But after that, I had steered clear of anything remotely questionable. I had done things he liked, stayed home most of the time, sold my paintings online, avoided crossing any invisible lines.
I had tried to be someone who wouldn’t provoke his wrath.
Yet, I had clearly failed.
A sharp beep made me snap my head up. My heart pounded as I watched the door unlock. The handle turned. My breath caught in my throat.
Akhil.
Relief crashed over me, and before I could stop myself, I ran to him, throwing my arms around his torso. He was warm, familiar, my safe space.
“Why were the codes changed?” I whispered against his chest, my voice shaky.
But he didn’t answer.
Instead, he pried my hands off him, untangling my grip with controlled precision, and then—he pushed me away.
I stumbled back, my mouth parting in shock. My arms hung uselessly at my sides as he walked past me without so much as a glance. The bathroom door slammed shut behind him, rattling the walls.
I swallowed hard.
Something was definitely wrong.
I twisted my fingers together, restless. The silence stretched. He was taking too long. I paced the room, my bare feet sinking into the plush rug, the unease curling in my gut refusing to settle. When exhaustion won, I collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
I hadn’t eaten anything other than a few crackers and fruit. I had skipped breakfast because I wasn’t feeling well in the morning. Then, when I finally decided to go down for lunch, I realized I was locked in. The realization hadn’t sunk in immediately. I had been too lost in my painting, too distracted to notice when the codes had changed.
And I had been too careful to do anything that would get me locked in.
I had been avoiding the Devil.
Manju had told me he was home today, locked in the study with his equally devilish friends. God, I never thought Ranjit would partner with Aayansh, but he did. He handled all the dirty work for him, lurking in the shadows, a ghost even Akhil knew nothing about.
He was charming, like Kartik.
But both of them—Kartik and Ranjit—were bad men.
Real bad men.
I was so glad Akhil was out of that world.
The door creaked open, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I sat up quickly, my pulse kicking up as Akhil stepped out of the bathroom. His face was blank, unreadable, his movements stiff as he strode past me and into the walk-in closet without a word.
Something was wrong.
“Akhil?” I tried again, softer this time.
Nothing.
He didn’t even acknowledge my presence, didn’t spare me a glance. And then—he came out.
With a gun.
My breath hitched.
It wasn’t the first time I had seen him with a gun. The first time had left me shaken, my stomach twisted in knots, but he had told me then—guns were a part of his life. They always would be, even if he had walked away from the dark world his brother ruled.
But now, as I sat frozen on the bed, watching him hold that weapon with effortless familiarity, something told me this time was different.
Then he reached into his pocket, pulling out something small and metallic. My stomach dropped.
Handcuffs.
The same ones he had used on me before. The same ones he had locked around my wrists the night I had tried to end my life.
A chill ran down my spine. I met his gaze, searching for something—anything—but his hooded eyes betrayed nothing. I had two options: fight or surrender.
I took a shaky breath and slowly held out my hands.
Akhil didn’t acknowledge the fact that I wasn’t resisting. No appreciation, no hesitation. Just cold efficiency as he snapped the cuffs around my wrists, the metal biting into my skin.
Then, his thumb traced my lips.
Slow. Deliberate. Wiping away my lip balm with the pad of his finger.
My breath hitched, my lips parting on instinct, and before I could process what was happening, he pushed his thumb inside my mouth.
A whimper broke free, a single tear slipping down my cheek.
My body was betraying me, but this wasn’t desire. This was fear.
It wasn’t just that. The hormones were all over the place. My emotions were unpredictable, swinging from one extreme to another. I couldn’t paint for long hours anymore, and whenever I left something incomplete, the idea would vanish by the next day, lost forever. I was slipping, and I knew it.
His thumb pressed deeper, forcing my mouth to open wider.
Then, he pulled it out.
And replaced it with the barrel of his gun.
A choked sound tried to escape me, but the cold metal swallowed it whole.
I froze.
My breath stilled, my body locking up as the sharp metallic taste coated my tongue. The nausea hit instantly, my stomach twisting violently. Tears blurred my vision, spilling freely down my cheeks, but Akhil didn’t care.
He knew.
He knew what I had done.
“Why?” he asked, his voice quiet but razor-sharp.
I tried to speak, but the weight of the gun on my tongue rendered me silent.
Had he forgotten?
Had he forgotten I was pregnant?
Desperation clawed at my chest, raw and suffocating. My bound hands trembled as I pressed them against my stomach—a silent plea, a wordless reminder. Seven years. Seven years of us. Seven years of love, of fights that tore us apart and apologies that stitched us back together.
But deep down, in the darkest corners of my mind, I had always known.
Akhil was Aayansh Ahluwalia’s brother at his core.
The gun vanished from my mouth in the next breath.
I gasped, sucking in air like I’d been drowning, coughing so hard my ribs ached. The metallic taste lingered on my tongue, bitter and cruel, a reminder of what had just happened. My eyes burned, but I refused to look away.
“Why would you do it, Inaaya?” His voice was low, almost hoarse, but the edge was still there, sharp and unrelenting.
I raised my bound hands and wiped at my face, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “Because… because I owed her. The love she gave my siblings… I owed her.” My voice cracked, but I didn’t back down.
Akhil’s jaw clenched, his hands flexing at his sides. He knew what I meant. He knew there was nothing that could’ve stopped me from doing what I did.
This was devastation, and I knew it. I just hoped he realized whatever he was doing would have lasting effects on our relationship. I hoped he was prepared for it because I was done being afraid, I was done being nervous all the time.
Thank you for reading. This is the end of the excerpt of Devastation (The Reward)
Do check out my articles on Twin Flames.
Author Payal Dedhia independently publishes books on Amazon Kindle. You can check her collection by clicking here.
If you like Dark Romance Fiction, do read my Sctintilla Series. Click here to read.
Aayansh Ahluwalia isn’t just a billionaire business tycoon—he’s the kind of man who haunts people’s nightmares. The world may recognize Scintilla Corporations as a legitimate empire, but Aayansh isn’t confined to the light. In the shadows, he commands an empire of fear, power, and blood. He rules over the underdogs, the darkness that terrifies everyone else.
Ruthless and untouchable, they call him a devil for a reason—he doesn’t flinch, doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t blink when it comes to taking lives.
His existence is fearless. His power, unmatched. Yet beneath the wealth and carnage lies a void—a darkness so complete it consumes him. There’s no light, no hope. Just emptiness stretching endlessly, leaving him hollow.
Then, one night, everything changed.
He saw her—a woman so radiant, so full of life, she made his chaos stand still. She erupted into his world like a dream, settling in his heart and claiming it as her own.
Tisha Chopra.
Aayansh hadn’t been searching for her, hadn’t asked for her. But the moment he saw her, he knew—she would be his.
She didn’t belong in his world, and that only made him want her more. Her laughter, her light—it wasn’t meant to survive the darkness he thrived in, yet it pulled him in, unrelenting. Like a predator to prey, he followed. He didn’t want her to save him. No. He wanted to ruin her, piece by piece, until she belonged to him completely. He would drag her down, crown her queen in his Devil’s Paradise, and make her sit beside him on the devil’s throne while he ruled the world.What unfolds is a story steeped in obsession, control, and desire—a dangerous game where love is a battlefield, and submission comes at the cost of a soul.
Scintilla isn’t just the name of Aayansh’s empire; it’s the pulse of this saga—a place where power thrives and morality dies.
The series is divided into four phases:
🔥 The Chase – Where the predator finds his prey. Click here to read.
- The Beginning – A collision of worlds. A spark ignited.
- Unveiling Paradise – Her light tempts the darkness.
- The Masked Guy – Secrets wear masks. So do devils.
- Unleashing the Demons – Once awakened, there’s no turning back.
- The Winner – Victory tastes sweeter when claimed by force.
🔥 The Possession – Where obsession takes root. Click here to read.
- New Beginning – The chase ends. The real game begins.
- The Rules – Boundaries are set, only to be broken.
- Gilded Cage – Possession doesn’t feel like freedom.
- Unleashed Fury – When control falters, chaos reigns.
- Ensnared Hearts – Hearts trapped, souls scarred.
🔥 The Submission – Where surrender is demanded, not given. Click here to read.
- Her Resistance – Light fights back. Darkness pushes harder.
- Her Confession – Truths whispered in the dark.
- The Good Times – A fleeting calm before the storm.
- The Devil Struck – The predator strikes. The angel shatters.
- Angel’s Judgement – When love turns to reckoning.
🔥 The Reward – Where love and darkness collide, leaving nothing unscarred. Click here to read.
- The Storm – Chaos erupts, tearing apart the fragile ties of love and power.
- The Punishment – Sins are judged, debts are paid, and vengeance claims its due.
The Arranged Marriage series is a collection of 5 books.
Book 1 – The First Meet (Read now)
Book 2: The Life Together (Read now)
Book 3 – The Surprises in Store (Read now)
Book 4 – The Everchanging Times (Read now)
Book 5: The Story of Us (Coming Soon)
The Unscripted Love Series is a collection of 10 books
Book 1 – Arjun’s Jenny (click to read)
Book 2 – Priti’s Rendezvous with Somesh (click to read)
Book 3 – Rana’s Vivacious Girlfriend (click to read)
Book 4 – Claire’s Dashing Raj (click to read)
Book 5 – My Rebirth (click to read)
Book 6 – My Family (click to read)
Book 7 – My Sister’s Wedding (click to read)
Book 8 – My Secret Love (click to read)
Book 9 – My Silent Romeo (click to read)
Book 10 – The Brunch (click to read)
