Unveiling Paradise
The Chase (Installment 2): Unveiling Paradise – A Dark Billionaire Romance (Scintilla)
Scintilla Universe is divided into 4 parts (Click to read):
- The Chase
- The Possession
- The Submission
- The Reward
- Installment 1: The Storm
- Installment 2: The Punishment
- Maalik
- Installment 3: The Aftermath
- Installment 4
- Installment 5
- Other books in the series
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.
I wished I could do something to help her, maybe even talk to Aayansh about giving Aisha another chance. It was so stupid of me to think he would hear about this. I hadn’t met a guy even once, yet not only did I want the advertising contract from him, but I also wanted him to give Aisha a chance. Seriously, I was too much sometimes.
Aisha had always assumed that I had already met him, but I hadn’t. I had caught a glimpse of him at a party last month, and there were rumors that he was in Paris during the fashion show I attended last year, yet we hadn’t crossed paths.
It was as if fate kept us away from each other for some reason.
Damn, what was happening to me? Why was I getting such absurd thoughts? It was just that I had seen every pic of him I could find on the internet, read every article of the interviews he gave, even read gossips. One said some of his one-night stands had entered his home, but they were blindfolded so they too knew nothing about how the house looked from the inside. I had laughed so much when I read that. In some stupid, strange way, I felt connected to him, which was a sign that I needed to see the doctor. As soon as possible!
I grinned to myself, humming my favorite old song – Jab koi baat bigad jaye, jab koi mushkil pada jaaye, tum dena saath mera o humnawaz., tum dena saath mera, o… humnawaz.
The entire city, no, the entire country, and possibly the world, was abuzz with whispers. The news was that Mr. Aayansh Ahluwalia had finally opened his doors to us commoners. He hadn’t allowed anyone to enter his paradise, which also happened to be the name of his mansion. While he had another house in the city for throwing parties, this one had remained off-limits to absolutely everyone until now or so were the rumors.
Aayansh owned an eighteen-floor building that served as his company headquarters. Right next to it was a small bungalow where he entertained his one-night stands and guests from the world of glamour and all the other hundred companies he owned. However, his paradise remained strictly off-limits to anyone else. He resided there alone, accompanied only by a few loyal staff members who had all signed nondisclosure agreements. The rumors were that he treated his staff well, which kept them fiercely loyal to him.
My journalist friend, Monika, often shared stories of how her boss had attempted to buy information from one of Aayansh’s staff members, but no one had ever given in. There were ongoing bets about who would be the first to leak photos of the inside of his house on the internet, but so far, no one had succeeded. I was certain that we would have to leave our phones behind before entering, but even if not, I had no intention of taking pictures. I valued privacy and respected those who wanted to keep their personal lives to themselves. There was nothing wrong with keeping certain things out of the public eye, allowing the world to wonder.
I smiled, finding the big iron gates at least fourteen feet long. No one could see the insides, but that was the plan, I guess. Well, he accomplished it!
“Intricate golden design iron gates are just wow! But we cannot see anything from here. Normally gates have a peek-through, but this doesn’t. Why?”
“Yep, welcome to Mr. A’s world.”
Aisha momentarily froze at the name, but her mind didn’t quite catch up, so I was safe from her wrath for now. Otherwise, she would have berated me, saying things like – this is your biggest mistake, or no one can get anything from him, neither will you. How could you hide things like this from me.
Then the emotional onslaught would begin – I thought I was your best friend, yet you hid things like this from me.
“Oh, my God. Whose house is this? Who is this A?” Aisha asked, her excitement palpable as she bounced in her seat. I grinned and caught her, stopping her from bumping her head on the hood. Aisha sighed and hugged me tightly, all earlier reluctance forgotten.
It was hard to believe that just hours ago, she didn’t want to come and mop in the house like a loser she wasn’t. But we all go through phases, and I had promised I wouldn’t let Aisha go through hers alone.
“Babes, tell me whose house we are going to. Someone bigshot, right? You told Bollywood and Cricketers…, but I don’t know who.”
“Guess,” I sang, rubbing my hands together, feeling the anticipation building. It was game time, and I couldn’t afford to fail today.
I had to secure that contract, and I had to do it today. I repeated it like a mantra in my head.
“Sorry, I am drawing a blank here. I have no idea whose party we are attending. All I heard was there would be unlimited drinks and appetizers,” she replied, her gaze fixed on the gates as if hoping to catch a glimpse of what lay beyond.
I laughed at her words, and she unglued her eyes from the mansion and glanced at me, her eyebrows raised and eyes dancing with excitement.
“It’s Aayansh Ahluwalia’s mansion. How can you not know who A is? I thought you would have guessed it was his house.”
She screamed loud enough for others to turn and look at us. I hid my face, but I couldn’t stop myself as I burst out laughing.
Oh, I loved her so much!
See, that’s what I was saying earlier. Aisha was the life of any party, and she had already started creating a scene. It was going to be one hell of a night. I hoped my work would conclude soon so I could be with her and soak in her happiness.
“Of course, yes. I should have understood what Bollywood and cricket meant together. He has a copyright on that. He practically owns that combination. No one else can ever claim the ‘A’ title. But you are right, it’s not like anyone has ever ventured this far. We passed a gate that didn’t scream ‘Aayansh’s Paradise’ anywhere. Even here, there’s no name on the house.”
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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.
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)
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)
