Page 67 of Substitute Bride

Chandel began to tear apart everything around him in frustration, flinging objects violently while the man standing beside him simply watched with unsettling calmness. He didn’t flinch, didn’t speak—just observed Chandel’s rage with a detached sense of amusement.

“Vikrant kidnapped my wife and daughter so that I’d be forced to come after them, and he could capture me in the process,” Chandel snarled.

“Does he really think I’m that much of a fool?

I know Vikrant, and one thing I know is that no matter what, he would never lay a hand on either of them.

But Ravindra… I can’t say the same about him. ”

He paused, his eyes burning with hatred.

“I want you to get them out of there—both of them—and bring them to me. Do whatever it takes. Thereafter, I’ll kill them myself.

I no longer wish to keep any weaknesses in my life.

One of my daughters has already dragged my name through the mud.

I hold no expectations for my second daughter, as she is destined to follow the same path.

And as for my wife? If her father weren’t the one investing money in my business, I’d never have needed her in the first place.

But now that I’m standing on the edge of ruin, losing control over everything I built, I don’t need them anymore. ”

He clenched his fists and breathed heavily.

“But before she dies, I want every piece of her property transferred into my name. That’s the only reason I want her rescued from Ravindra. For that… I need your help.”

Marks, the current head of the Australian mafia, was silently swirling his wine glass as he listened, smiling faintly at the wine as it circled in slow spirals. The smile on his face only irritated Chandel further, who marched toward him and snapped with frustration.

“Marks, I’m talking to you! I’ve done so much for you…”

But Marks didn’t let him finish. Without saying a word, he raised a single finger in the air, signaling Chandel to shut up. The gesture, cool and dismissive, stunned Chandel into silence. He stared at Mark in disbelief. Mark finally spoke, calm and cold.

“Yes, you’ve helped me. But never for free. Every favor you did came with a hefty price—and you know that very well. So let’s cut the drama and make a deal.”

He leaned forward, his voice becoming deliberate.

“You want your two women back? Fine. And I want the entire gun shipment being sent to India from Russia—the one Vikrant is bringing in as part of a major deal. That shipment… is a problem. It’s giving him far too much power.

And I cannot tolerate anyone else having that kind of leverage.

If all those guns reach him, it means he holds immense power—not just over his enemies, but over the entire region. I can’t allow that.”

Mark placed his glass down.

“You get me that gun consignment, no matter how. And in return, I’ll break into his home myself and bring you every single woman you ask for. That’s my promise.”

Chandel listened carefully, absorbing every word. After a long pause, he looked up at Marks and spoke with resolve.

“Fine. I’ll make sure you get every gun in that shipment. But in return, I want my wife and daughter back—safe and unharmed. And I also want Vikrant’s wife. I want to watch Vikrant cry tears of blood. I want him destroyed, inside and out.”

A cold smile crept across Mark’s lips. Mark nodded slowly, concluding the agreement without any hesitation.

~~~~

Akhil sat holding his head, visibly disturbed and anxious.

However, the loud noise of shoes coming from the corridor distracted him.

He immediately stood up and looked in that direction.

The moment he saw Vikrant approaching, he exhaled deeply, almost in relief.

Vikrant walked straight toward him and stood firmly in front.

Akhil met his eyes and gave him a look that said everything without words.

Reading his assistant’s unspoken distress, Vikrant turned to the group of police officers standing nearby and addressed them calmly but firmly.

“Can you please explain to me why you’re holding my assistant here? From what I understand, he was simply helping someone in need.”

One of the officers stepped forward and responded, his tone more defensive than explanatory.

“Sir, you don’t understand the full picture.

The girl your assistant brought in—yes, I’m willing to believe he found her injured on the road—but that girl has been missing for the past two years.

And suddenly finding her like this is no small matter.

Your assistant hasn’t told us where he found her or how she collided with his vehicle.

He’s not giving us any clear information.

So you tell us, under such suspicious circumstances, how can we just let him go? ”

Vikrant glanced at Akhil, who remained silent but stared at him, clearly overwhelmed.

Then Vikrant looked behind him and saw his entire legal team arriving swiftly, filing into the corridor like soldiers on a mission.

A faint smile crossed Vikrant’s lips. Akhil, noticing their arrival, sat back down with a little more ease.

Vikrant understood clearly: Akhil had been under immense stress since morning, and now this unexpected accident had only made things worse.

While the lawyers started conversing with the police in a professional but assertive tone, Vikrant sat down beside Akhil and began speaking quietly.

“You were only supposed to go and check the sample shipment. How did you end up in an accident like this?”

“Sir, I was returning after checking the samples. The road was completely clear—no one around for miles. I was exhausted, having been up since early morning, and I just wanted to get home. Suddenly, this girl came out of nowhere and ran straight into my car. You know me, sir… No matter how long I’ve been in this field, I could never intentionally hurt anyone.

She was badly injured, so I brought her straight to the hospital. ”

He paused, his voice shaking with disbelief.

“But the moment we arrived and the medical staff saw her… everything spiraled. They identified her immediately—said she’s a doctor who disappeared two years ago, and suddenly they assumed I must be the one who kidnapped her.

Now they’re throwing wild accusations saying maybe I raped her, maybe I tortured her… I don’t even know what to say anymore.”

Akhil looked down, ashamed and confused.

“I didn’t want to disturb you, sir, but I cannot allow anyone to find out which route I took. If they track that back, they might locate our warehouse, and the sample guns are still there.”

Vikrant listened carefully, then gave a faint nod and turned to glance at his lawyers, who were now locked in a sharp exchange with the police. One of the lawyers addressed the officer firmly:

“Our client hasn’t disclosed anything to you for a basic reason—we’ve trained all our clients to never speak to the police without legal representation.

Because officers like you twist every word.

Now, allow me to clarify: my client had gone to another city with a friend for a private gathering and was returning late at night.

He was worn out and in a hurry to get home.

This girl suddenly appeared in front of his vehicle.

I’ve already spoken to my client thoroughly.

And unless this girl wakes up and gives a direct statement implicating him, you cannot press any charges. You have zero evidence.”

The officer turned to look at Vikrant and Akhil again. Vikrant met his gaze with a calm yet pointed smile. He knew exactly what this action was—another attempt by the police to trap Akhil in hopes of eventually reaching him. But the officer wasn’t ready to back off.

“Be that as it may,” the officer said slowly, “until the doctors come out and give us a clear statement on the girl’s condition, your client is not leaving this hospital. You’re free to wait here with him—we’re not stopping you. But don’t think I’ll let this go easily.”

He paused, his voice low and serious.

“That girl has been missing for two years. We suspect she was kidnapped. It’s possible that she was only brought here now because her condition worsened.

And God knows how many times she was raped or tortured in that time.

If you had seen her condition, you’d understand why we’re taking this so seriously. ”

Vikrant’s jaw tightened. He didn’t look away—he simply stared at the officer with barely contained fury.

He knew exactly what they were trying to do: manipulate the narrative to push Akhil into a corner.

They had no evidence. But they were hoping to provoke a mistake. And Vikrant never made mistakes.