𝑽𝑨𝑵𝑹𝑨𝑱 - 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓

"Don't do this, please. I'll be doomed," Nihal Oberoi pleaded, kneeling in front of me with his hands clasped together, begging for mercy.

I plucked a Cuban cigar from the box, placed it between my lips, lit it, and blew out smoke in the air before leaning back in the chair. It was a bit uncomfortable, but I'll change the entire décor of this office by next week.

My bruiser of a bodyguard stood beside me, arms crossed over his chest. He might be the one person in the world who had a shittier behavior than I did.

Well, I was gentlemen, but only for a few. To the rest of the world, I was a monster.

"I'm not sure why you're begging me, Nihal. Luca and I had a deal, and according to that deal, I'd take over his entire business if he failed to bring me my profit. Simple as that."

Luca Cassano, aka Viraj Oberoi, had signed a deal with me. But before I could collect my profits, he died two months ago. My sources told me he had been stalking an Indian girl and was eventually killed by her husband, Ranvijay Karmarkar.

Ranvijay Karmarkar, a soldier by profession. I knew his name and reputation, but I personally didn't know much about him. However, I was damn impressed by how Karmarkar sliced every part of Luca's body. He looked as ruthless as I was.

After Luca died, I suffered a great loss, so I took over his entire business-his stocks, his house, and everything under his name-to compensate for my loss.

"That's bullshit," Nihal spat. "You're just taking advantage of your power." I smirked, puffing on my cigar again before glancing down at him. "Quindi sai che sono potente." (So, you know I'm powerful)

"Mr. Kharbanda, please," Nihal's voice turned pleading. "I have a family-kids. My younger son is about to start his business management studies. Whatever you have against Luca, please don't drag his other family members or my employees into it. My business is my survival."

"But I don't have anything against you, Nihal," I said, glancing at my Officina del Tempo watch-elegant, waterproof, and a limited edition. Fabio had gifted me this watch when I first started the VK Group.

I still remembered his words: Be punctual, and you'll get everything you want

"This is business. The only thing I take seriously. Nothing personal." Personal matters had no place in the business world. It was all about survival. If you showed any weakness, you got eaten. I was a shark in the corporate world-and it was me who did the eating.

Only the strongest survived, not just in the corporate world but in the real world, and I had every intention of staying at the top of the chain, whether it was personal or professional.

"Mr. Kharbanda-" I picked up my whisky glass and drained the rest of the Macallan. "Well, I'm done." I stood up, buttoned my suit, and pocketed my hands as I walked out of his office before, he could make another plea for mercy. There was nothing sadder than seeing a CEO reduced to a beggar.

The VK Group takeover of EmpowerEdge Enterprises would go ahead as I had planned. I wouldn't have cared about the company, except it was a useful pawn in the grand scheme I was about to execute in India.

Marco opened the car door, and I slipped into the car, leaning back in my seat. I ordered Marco, who grabbed the driver's seat. "We head straight to VK Group."

Holding my tablet, I scrolled through the new resort blueprints, with construction set to start next month.

Marco Rios was my bodyguard, always with me as my shadow, 24/7. He was one of the broodiest men I'd known for the past ten years, besides me. Marco was sharp-minded and muscular. He knew everything about everything.

"According to your schedule, you have a weekly meetup with Fabio," Marco interrupted. My fingers stopped on the tablet as I looked up at him.

"Fabio can wait for a friendly meetup, but not my business. Reschedule it." I waved him off, tuning eyes back to the tablet.

"Okay, boss"

✧✧✧

"Max, bring me black coffee." I ordered him before opening the door of my cabin and walked inside. Unbuttoning my suit jacket, I slide into the leather seat behind my desk, opened my laptop. I had wasted my precious hours dealing with shit but now, it's time to focus my old enemy.

Idhvay Suryavanshi. The man whom I've been keeping tabs on for the past five years. We're all demons raised by evil-some born that way, others forged by circumstance.

The truth was, nothing had been exciting as of late. I had an appetite for something new to devour, and Idhvay Suryavanshi was the perfect for the meal.

I always played with my enemies on their ground. Of course, revealing myself outright-showing that I could reduce them to nothing with a mere snap of my fingers-would ruin all the fun. Where's the thrill if the game ends too quickly?

A notification popped up on my phone screen, but I didn't pay it any attention. It was probably Fabio. Ah, that old man. I couldn't even explain how much I hated him, yet he was the one person I would never kill.

"Come in," I responded to the knock on the door of my cabin. Max came inside and placed my black coffee ten inches away from my ashtray.

"Have you prepared the details I asked for?" Taking the mug of coffee, I looked at Max, and he nodded. "Here, Sir."

Maximo Costa, known as Max, was my assistant, in his mid-twenties. Smart, good-looking, and more useful than my brother, Sasha.

Last time I checked on his status, he'd been partying around the world. And a week ago, he had been in Minorca, where he'd lost one million at the poker table. Sasha wasn't an asset to me but a liability.

I grabbed the file and went through the details. No one could beat Maximo when it came to business proposals. "Impressive," I appreciated his work before taking the next sip.

But suddenly anxiety bubbled up inside my stomach and started gnawing at my skin from the inside like a leech.

Tinkle! Tinkle! Tinkle!

My brain would explode if this fucking annoying noise continued. My hands were shaking, and it felt as if I would surely spill the coffee over my lap. "Max," I grunted, my fingers curling around the edge of the file as I snapped it closed. "What is that fucking noise?"

He turned his head toward the door and I followed his gaze where a girl, holding a file popped her head inside my cabin. "Sorry for the interruption sir," After getting my nod, she stepped inside.

I wasn't interested in who she was. I was just suspicious because she was the source of that annoying sound. I leaned back in my chair, trying to maintain my control, and growled, "Your bracelet is charming, but it's rather loud."

Her eyebrow furrowed. "Huh? Sorry, I didn't get you." I glanced toward her wrist, the crystal bracelet gleaming as if it wanted to burn my eyes. "Your bracelet. It's tinkling."

Her hand froze. She was smart enough to understand what I would do if I heard that noise again.

"We're getting late for the meeting." I pulled out the chair and stood up, but before I made my way out, I stopped near her and leaned forward. "Take a day off."

Her smile widened until her teeth were visible. "And by tomorrow morning, you'll get your termination letter."

Max, standing behind me, updated his to-do list with my command. Her smile immediately dropped. "But, sir?" I tilted up my head and adjusted my coat. "Go find a new job instead of wasting your time."

I just hated that noise. She was lucky I didn't break her wrist.

✧✧✧

I stepped inside the conference hall where Alessandro was already waiting for me. "Mr. Kharbanda." Alessandro rose from his chair, reached out his hand, and I shook it with a warm smile that didn't even reach my eyes.

"It's an honour to meet you in person. We've heard a lot about your business tactics."

I smirked as I settled into my seat at the head of the table. "Business tactics?" I repeated, taking a sip of the exquisite liquor. I was just fascinated with the taste of Macallan. I couldn't stand beer. It tastes like Soda.

"I don't have tactics, Alessandro. I have results."

Business runs in my blood, and sometimes I feel like it's just a legacy that's been passed down from my dad to me. I didn't just make profitable deals, I ruled the business world. I owned resorts, casinos, nightclubs, and strip clubs across the world. Most countries were included in my list, though some I never touched.

I've had a knack for business even as a teenager. I was seventeen years old when I first went to the casino with Fabio, and that's when the idea hit me. I took a part-time job at one of Fabio's casinos just to understand the working style. And then VK Group came into existence, the hospitality company I founded.

VK Group's headquarters was in Sicily, and that was the real powerhouse because I was here, but I had offices across the country. With my knowledge and business tactics, I made my place as a powerful CEO in the Fortune 500, a decade ago.

I wasn't a decent CEO. I was ruthless, a destroyer. I crushed business opponents underneath my boots cruelly and didn't care about the aftermath. I didn't even hesitate to burn my rivals to ashes if they ever tried to cross me.

My icy heart was never warm enough for anyone.

After an hour of meeting, I finally accepted Alessandro's new proposition. Alessandro was excited about the thought of his business expansion, but if only he knew-he was just a pawn on a chessboard. I was the one controlling the game.

✧✧✧

A week had passed, and I decided Fabio deserved a meetup today. The bass from the loud music was all-consuming, pounding like a drum inside my head. I made my way through the crowd of drugged youngsters-high girls shaking their asses while sleazy douchebags with spiked hair shamelessly grinding their cocks against their asses.

Puffing on my cigar, I made my way up the metal stairs, scrolling through my business texts when a new notification flashed on the screen. I opened the text and played the video.

Barbara: I'm waiting for your punishment, predator

I took another drag before pocketing my phone. Barbara was last night's meal, and I was impressed with her. Usually, I'd never pick the same girl twice, but I only obliged to cage her for one more day because the woman fucked like a porn star.

Reaching the first floor, I pushed open the door to Fabio's private lounge, only to find him sitting on the half-moon couch, legs spread, with Sofia-his girlfriend, half his age-bouncing up and down on his lap. His head was tilted back, eyes closed. Her skirt was hiked up, and her thong was pulled to the side, baring her pussy as it swallowed Fabio's cock.

I canceled my important meeting to check up on him, and look at him-he was enjoying orgasms. I stalked toward the couch and took a seat next to him, spreading one hand over the couch edge as if I were sitting on a beach chair on a private island.

Only I had the privilege of walking around his private lounge. Well, I had every right to be anywhere, as it was my casino.

"When did you get in?" Fabio grunted after an hour, and I couldn't help but think about how good his sex stamina was, even in his late forties.

I flicked my eyes from the tablet and looked at him as he zipped up his pants, while Sofia headed to the bathroom after passing me a smile.

"When you were moaning pathetically, Fabi," I growled, refilling my crystal glass with amber liquid and brought it to my lips, taking a sip. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" Fabio snapped, with irritation.

I grinned. "At least one more, I guess." Annoyed, he rubbed a hand over his face. I was certain that if anyone else had spoken to him like that, he would've chopped his tongue off without hesitation. But I was Fabio's little weakness.

He could never kill me. Fabio Romano, a man who ruled the underworld-known as Fab-had never found anyone else trustworthy except me, not even his son. And he was the only person in my life I could trust, besides Marco and Max.

I was orphaned and homeless at the same time when I was six years old. I was thrown out onto the streets, and that day I lost all my innocence. My relatives didn't help me or show me mercy. Relatives were nothing but parasites. I hated them. Parassiti.

And then Fabio appeared to me, put his hand on my head, sheltered me, gave me a life I never thought I could have, and I would never be able to repay his debt. In return for this...I could do anything for him. In other words, he owned my life.

"Where were you last week, Kid?" Fabio asked, grabbing the Cuban box, plucking out a cigar. Lighting the tobacco, he leaned back on the couch. Before I could respond, Sofia came out, picked up her diamond clutch, and walked out after kissing him.

"Business," I answered, returning to the conversation. "I've had other priorities." Placing my glass on the table, I looked at him.

Past week, I had been busy making arrangements to trap Idhvay Suryavanshi. I had just read in the business magazines that he had finally entered the Fortune 500, where I was already at the top.

"My business is included in your priority list, remember that?" Fabio leaned forward, resting his cigar in the ornate ashtray on the table. "And I want your immediate attention." I raised an eyebrow in response.

"Someone is breaking our client's," he sighed, tangling his fingers together. "My work and years of reputation are being ruined because of that whoreson." Fabio finished off his drink before refilling. "He should be punished for messing with me."

I flashed a humorless grin. Sometimes, he thought he was untouchable, but he forgot about his enemies. That's the worst side of the underworld-here, no one is untouchable unless you are powerful. But now, he had me, someone who could cut the balls off any man who ever tried to touch him.

"How scandalous," My fingers scratched against my stubble. "Who is it?" I asked, though I had zero interest in checking on his background.

My mind was completely focused on Idhvay. If there was anything I was starving for now, it was his reputation and his business. But I couldn't ignore Fabio either-that's why I was here, after all.

"You've heard of Alfredo?" Of course, he's a known syndicator who rules the south coast of South Africa. But why the hell did he enter Sicily, our territory, when we had a mutual understanding that we wouldn't touch each other's territories?

Fabio picked up his cigar. "I want rid of him. Permanently."

"Send one of your boys," I replied indifferently. I picked up my glass again and drained the remaining whisky. "I don't have the time."

He narrowed his eyes. "I don't just need him dead. I need him to suffer. I need his death to be as... painful as possible." He leaned closer, his eyes dark and intent. "Only you can do that."

I hated being pushed into something, but the courtesy only extended to him, which made it difficult for me to say no to him. "Fine, I'll handle it." I stood up, buttoning my coat, and halfway through the room when my eyes landed on a girl standing by the entrance.

Fabio chuckled from behind. "She's yours for the night," he said, gesturing toward her. "Enjoy, kiddo."

I turned slowly, my gaze sweeping over her. "I'll take care of your needs all night." She swiped her tongue over her bottom lip.

I smirked at the thought. She was beautiful, wearing a short, sexy dress and using suggestive words, but despite her boldness, she seemed like the type who couldn't handle rough treatment in bed.

I didn't do sweet lovemaking. I fucked like a predator, and only select women could handle that kind of stuff. I'd never kiss a girl while fucking, nor did I ever look at her face. Max asked me once if I knew what a real kiss felt like, and I refused to answer because I honestly didn't know.

I'd never been in love, and I never would be. If someone ever fell for me, I would surely break her heart into millions of pieces without even hesitating. To me, love was nothing more than a weakness, a vulnerability, a tool that meant an end. A sexual need, which I could satisfy with any whore.

"You're too vanilla for me." Tracing the bottom of her lip with my thumb, I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I like my desserts... a little more interesting." With that, I walked out, shutting the door behind me.

✧✧✧

I was in Cape Town to deal with another moron, feeling fucked up by how efficiently Fabio used me as his executioner. But that was how our partnership worked-I handled all his bullshits.

Entering enemy territory and putting a gun to their heads on their own land always amused me. I loved to see horror in my enemies' eyes when they heard my name. I was cruel and cold-hearted person who was nothing but hallows of darkness.

Disgust sinister. Who had learned quickly, that ruthlessness required to survive.

I stalked Alfredo for a few days and ended up on a cruise where he was celebrating his 25th birthday. I feared that today would be his last day. My men had already killed all his men and captured the entire cruise- or I could say, I had taken over the whole cruise.

Money always made things easier, especially when the giver was an elite executioner. While people were partying on deck 13, I was in the lower deck, where I had chained Alfredo, who was cracking the walls with his annoying screams.

He thought he could mess with Fabio and I wouldn't respond to his actions. I would never hesitate to rip out the bones of anyone who tried to overpower Fabio.

"So," I started, my shoes clacking on the floor as I walked forward until I stood in front of him. "Here we are."

"Fuck you, predator," Alfredo blustered, jerking against the chains binding him. I smirked, raising my hand to the side until Marco placed the sharp blade in my palm, and I swirled it between my fingers.

"Fuck me?" I pointed the blade at myself.

"You're the one who entered my territory," I ran the edge of the blade across his cheek, leaning closer to his face. "You're the one who broke the rules that were made with your dad." He let out a squeak as I dug the tip into his flesh.

"Rules are meant to be broken," he snapped.

"It's always amusing to me to see a man who lacks the capability to understand that his life is in danger. Maybe it's your ego, or maybe it's just your lack of awareness. One day, your ability to overestimate yourself will lead you to your death, Alfredo."

The tip of the blade skimmed across his throat as I walked behind him. "I don't have any intention of dying, Predator," he growled, jerking his neck against my blade. "You can't take my life without my permission."

I gripped his shoulder tighter as I cut his cheek, pulling the blade down slowly, blood pooling over his black three-piece suit. It was so merciless to kill a man on his birthday. "So much ego. Pity I can't enjoy it."

My grip tightened around his throat, and I bent until my face was next to his ear. "Stop speaking, or I'll cut out your tongue and feed it to my hounds." His body tensed under my hand, and he fell silent. "A coward like you can't win a battle against me."

Walking around to the front of him, I glanced down at his trembling frame. "Relax, Alfredo. I was only kidding about cutting out your tongue." I tapped my dominating hand on his cheek, noticing the wet spot spreading on his pants, the black material damp as he pissed himself.

Of course, he was just the twenty-five-year-old, new heir of the Rossi Family, but Alfredo was not as powerful as his father used to be, who was now in heaven.

My grin didn't last long as I heard the haunting noise again. Tinkle! Tinkle! Tinkle!

My hand, holding the blade, was trembling, and my head swirled with the noise. I tried to breathe, but no matter how many breaths I took in, I still couldn't fill my lungs with enough air, and it was suffocating me.

I huffed, out of breath. Someone, please stop this noise.

Alfredo's laugh earned my attention. "So, it's true that anyone can make you weak just with this noise." Anger surged through my veins, and I gripped his face so tightly that my fingers dug into his eyes. "Where is that noise coming from?"

He didn't answer, but my men and Marco restlessly searched for the machinery device causing the noise. After a while, Marco found the machine behind the canvas that hung on the wall. But the damage inside me had already been done.

This noise reminded me how weak I was in front of her. My scars may have stopped hurting, but they never stopped haunting me. That tinkle sound was one of them. No matter how many bottles I had downed or how many drugs I had taken, I could never stop those nightmares from haunting me. And I hated how helpless I was.

I needed to drain my anger before my veins would burst. My body was on fire. I gripped his jaw tightly until his mouth opened in an "O." My other hand, holding the blade, gripped the tip of his tongue, pulling it out until he screamed, his body thrashing against the chains.

"Let me see how much stronger you feel with your tongue ripped out." With my blade, I cut through his tongue until it slipped from his mouth and threw it to my left.

Blood dripped onto my hand as his muffled screams of agony echoed in the room, choked by the blood pooling in his tongueless mouth. I tightened my grip on the blade's handle, driving its sharp tip into his torso with unrelenting force. Each thrust felt like carving through ice, the blade shattering bone after bone with ruthless precision. Blood spread across his coat, some splattering onto my face in vivid crimson stains.

"Don't," I growled, driving the blade into him repeatedly. "Play with..." The bones of his torso crumbled under the relentless impact. "Me." His eyes bulged wide, incapable of producing a scream. "Again." Over and over, my arm struck forward until my muscles paining with exhaustion.

My hair was falling on my forehead, and sweat dripped down my temple, mingling with the blood splattered on my face. I wanted to slit his throat, to ensure he would never have control of me like this again. How dare he use my nightmares to weaken me in the first place?

Slowly, the nightmares disappeared, and my eyes blinked back into focus. Glancing down, I realized he had died long ago, and I was merely toying with a lifeless body.

His eyes wide open and mouth gaped. His corpse was drenched in blood, the deep, jagged slashes across his torso painting a map of violence. His upper body sagged forward, lifeless, dark crimson pool spread beneath him, seeping from the mottled remains of his skin.

I stood up, my chest heaving as I took in the blood spattered across my exposed skin and the fabric of my suit. I wiped away the smear of his blood from my lips with the back of my hand.

I glanced at the Marco. "Clean this up."

✧✧✧

After changing my clothes, I joined the cruise party. Sitting in a chair, I enjoyed my whisky, feeling relaxed after crushing his bones. Alfredo's body was still in the lower deck in a freezer, preventing it from decomposing. In morning, Marco would take care of the body.

This was the last night for everyone on this cruise, so no one would ever find out that someone had been murdered here.

"We should take this somewhere more... private." A brown beauty trailed her fingers down my arm, her tongue seductively moving over her lips. "Or whatever you're into."

I'd take her to my room and fuck her right then and there if I weren't so distracted. My eyes locked on the beauty grooving to the music, her arms wrapped around the pretty douche who'd been touching her waist like he owned her.

My muscles tightened as my gaze trailed along her body in a tight. She wore a sparkling black dress that barely covered her ass, paired with a set of lethal-looking heels. Curled brown hair, long bare legs, skin gleaming with a faint sheen of sweat.

She was fucking incredible.

Irritation snapped in my chest at the fact that I couldn't see her face as clearly as I'd like. She was the first woman who shot a thrill straight to my cock, making it thick and pulse as I imagined her trembling beneath me.

I'd never wanted to rip someone's hands off until now, when I saw him cupping her ass. She spun around, and my icy heart fell on the floor when my eyes looked her face. Creamy, marshmallow-brown skin with sharp cheekbones. Her green eyes immediately drew me in-sultry, slanted eyes-the kind that always looked seductive.

She was so fucking hot. One smile from this girl, and any man would be on his knees without hesitation. Her lips were red, as if drenched in wine. I'd fucked so many women in my life, but I'd never seen a hottie like her.

I walked toward the dance floor, intent on drinking her in from mere inches away. I stopped behind her, her back facing me. I glared at the douche and grabbed his hand just before it touched her waist. I hated when people touched what was mine.

I pushed him away, and my men efficiently made him disappear from my sight. She was still grooving to the music, lost in herself, unaware of what was happening around her.

Suddenly, her legs stumbled, and she landed straight into my arms. "Fuck." Her arms fisted my collar, while my hands instinctively slipped around her waist, holding her tight like my life depended on it.

Her eyes flew open, and my world stopped.

"Such a filthy mouth for a goddess." My grip tightened, palms moving over her waist, pulling her closer until her lips were mere inches away from mine. My breath stuttered as our gazes locked. I'd never found myself so lost yet so alive in my whole life.

"Leave me." She struggled to wriggle out of my grip. "If I did," I moved my lips over her cheek until I reached her ear. "You'll fall down, baby."

Her head jerked slightly toward me as she looked at me from the corner of her eye. Her heart was beating but not so loud.

"Excuse me?" She growled, looking at me with half-dazed eyes. "I said-"

"Do not repeat yourself, I heard you loud and clear." I leaned back, a slow smile spreading across my lips, my fingers rubbing up and down her waist. "Oh?"

We pulled apart. She moved to walk, but I grasped her arm, yanking her back into my arms until I felt her soft curves against my torso. "Don't I get to know your name, amore?" She looked me as if she wanted to punch my face.

"No. I don't think you've earned it." She wrenched her waist from my grip and walked away.

✧✧✧

🖤 So here is the first chapter!!

🖤 Tell me how it was. 🙎 Also, do vote and drop your comments. It makes me feel confident.

🖤 How do you feel about the character Vanraj? Will he get her name?

COCO- Next part is going to be fun and interesting when Vanraj stalks her and they end up with a kiss and much more, who knows.