The Chase: A Dark Billionaire Romance

The Chase: A Dark Billionaire Romance

Scintilla Universe is divided into 4 parts (Click to read):

The Chase
The Possession
The Submission
- Installment 1: Her Resistance
- Installment 2: Her Confession
- Installment 3: The Good Times
- Others, coming soon
The Reward
- Coming soon

Read the below snippet: The Chase: A Dark Billionaire Romance

It took us three hours to reach the party venue, which also happened to be the host’s house. I hadn’t revealed to Aisha whose party we were attending. If I had, she might have had a fit, and I preferred to get there before the hiccups began.

Hiccups were a regular part of our routine, but not this early in the game. Today, I had a mission to accomplish. I needed to secure that contract, and whatever it took, I was determined to get it. It would shut Ray up, and I could apply to the content delivery team in a few months.

We had a fun time on our long drive, listening to songs at full volume while singing along. Now we were stuck.

Aisha let out a groan as we inched forward in the waiting line of cars trying to get in. “Damn, we are stuck.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “He has invited a lot of people but left only one entrance open.”

Aisha reclined in her seat, closing her eyes in a gesture of surrender. “He probably assumed we might attempt sneaking in if there were more entrances. By the way, whose party is this? Who is this ‘he’ you are talking about?”

I chose to disregard the question, casually waving it off. Aisha remained in a relaxed posture while I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel.

I always insisted on being the driver during our long journeys. It was therapeutic for me. I couldn’t help but reminisce about my time in Amritsar. Ranveer and I shared beautiful memories of our long drives. He was my lifeline during those days in Amritsar with my uptight stepdad, who happened to be his biological father. At least one good thing came out of my mom marrying Armaan—I found Ranveer.

I missed him.

He always eased me into things, pampering me. Whenever I felt bored in Armaan’s grand house, he would ruffle my hair and take me out. I despised it when he touched my hair, but otherwise, I cherished our time together. We would drive for hours and later find a local Dhaba to eat. Even though I didn’t have a license, Ranveer would teach me to drive. I adored it, savoring every thrilling moment. He had a car with a sunroof, and I would open it, watching the scenery blur around me as he drove at a high speed.

“Babes, I had a good time today,” Aisha murmured.

I smiled. “Me too. We should do this sometimes and not wait for some outskirts party.”

“True. I wish I could just get something out of life first. Maybe I should have stuck to studies, which I am good at.”

“You want to become a model, and you can. Don’t give up.”

“Everyone laughs at me when they know I was the topper. They think I should get a job and leave modeling for them.”

“You have time, Aisha. It’s not like you need to start saving for the future. Please, don’t lose hope, darling.”

“Hmm, anyway, I feel good, so light after singing with you at the top of my lungs for 3 straight hours.”

I chuckled. “We talked too… don’t forget that…” I trailed off, taking another inch forward. I turned and saw Aisha’s eyes closed. We were true to each other, so I couldn’t go behind her back and call Dad. He would jump in to help her, and she would know. I had to find someone else to help her.

I returned my gaze to the front when loud noises caught my attention. I grinned as I saw Ranjit Kumar posing for a selfie with a couple. He was the current Indian cricket captain and in the limelight due to his rumored affair with Raima Sinha, the current Bollywood star.

Wow! Aayansh had kept in touch with the cricket team. And Ranjit wasn’t even part of the team when Aayansh played.

Jack had a crush on Ranjit. I grabbed my phone and took a pic before anyone caught me. Sending it to Jack, I captioned: “Look on the bright side.”

His reply came within seconds with several heart emojis. He also sent a pic, and I couldn’t help but smile. He was enjoying some quiet time at my place. Jack lived with roommates, so he crashed at my house whenever he wanted a bit of peace. I had already explained to him that I couldn’t take him to the party, and he had dismissed it with a wave of his hand. He had used his contacts to try and snag invites, but unfortunately, couldn’t secure one.

I looked around, marveling at the vast space. Aayansh Ahluwalia lived on the outskirts of Mumbai, which explained the amount of space he had for his dream home. Armaan also had a luxurious house in Amritsar with separate wings for everyone. I had one to myself, as did Ranveer. It had a nice lawn with a small garden and also a swimming pool. However, I had a feeling that Aayansh’s place would be on an entirely different level. He operated in a league of his own.

I hadn’t spoken to Armaan much in the past few years, only the bare minimum required. Perhaps if I had, I might have gained some clarity on Aayansh and his background. It was possible they had some business dealings. But no, I had no desire to engage with Armaan and ask him about Aayansh. I preferred guys who were both gentle on the inside and outside, not controlling, arrogant ones who were always on my case. I would take the risk of falling off a cliff rather than face Armaan’s piercing stare, which would undoubtedly scream – I told you so.

He wanted things a certain way, and while my mother bent over backward to accommodate him, Ranveer and I had no intention of becoming his puppets.

What would Aayansh Ahluwalia be like? I knew he was shrewd in business, but was he gentle otherwise? Did he respect women, cherish them, adore them? Did he pamper them?

I let out a sigh and nervously bit my lip, then released another groan as I checked myself in the rearview mirror. Retrieving a tissue from the console, I meticulously wiped away the crimson stain from my teeth. The car ahead moved a few inches, and I gently pressed the accelerator to take its place. Once we were back in wait mode, I retrieved the red lipstick from my purse and applied a fresh coat.

Now that I had nothing to do, his thoughts found their way into my head.

Aisha had shared a lot about him over the past two years, but our paths hadn’t crossed until now. She was an avid reader of glamour magazines, and he often graced their front covers, despite not being a model himself.

Aayansh was the owner of GlamourBridge, specializing in handling modeling contracts for models while taking a handsome cut. The screening process was notoriously challenging, but once you passed it, life was golden. Models would travel the world on contracts the company secured for them. Many aspired to be a part of GlamourBridge because the company placed a high priority on the security and well-being of its models, ensuring they received fair compensation. Aisha, too, had dreamed of joining GlamourBridge, believing it would secure her future for the next decade. The company offered two consecutive 5-year contracts, even if a model aged during their tenure, a rarity in the industry. However, her previous indiscretions and unfavorable media attention had worked against her during the rigorous screening process.

End of the snippet: The Chase: A Dark Billionaire Romance