Page 38 of Shattered

“Sweetheart, you shouldn’t have come here dressed like this if you were worried about getting unwanted attention,” he growls, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now, answer me. What are you doing here?”

Beads of sweat start to form on my forehead. How on earth do I tell Reyansh that he needs to leave me alone? Being seen with him here is sure to lead to disaster and could endanger my sister’s life. Before I can contemplate a plan to escape, my phone buzzes in my hand.

Unknown:Change of plans. I couldn’t make it. Something came up. Go back home and wait for my next message.

I exhale sharply, relieved momentarily. However, Reyansh’s booming voice reminds me that I am not out of trouble yet.

“Whose message is that?”

I see his hand reach for my phone, but I quickly slip it into my jeans before he can grab it.

“No one,” I say, tipping my chin up defiantly and meeting his dark gaze head-on. Oh God! With every passing second, I witness the rage in his eyes intensify, and my brain screams at me,‘The sooner I get out of here, the better.’

“I… I am leaving,” I stammer, taking a step to walk past him. However, he firmly grabs my hands, stopping me in my tracks and pulling me back to face him.

“The hell you are,” he roars. “We need to talk,” he states, dragging me towards the nearby elevator.

“Reyansh, let go of me,” I insist, struggling to free my hands from his grip, but his hold remains stubbornly strong.

“Not until I get my answers,” he says, pressing the button for the lift. He then reaches for his phone and dials a number. “Give me the key to room two double zero four, the presidential suite,” he demands into the phone before abruptly ending the call.

Before I can protest or question him, the elevator doors slide open and Reyansh ushers me inside. The doors close behind us and I turn around to face him. His hands are still holding mine tightly, his gaze fixed on me.

“Reyansh, you’re being unreasonable,” I murmur, letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Unreasonable? You’ve got some nerve saying that to me,” he snaps back.

I swallow hard, taking in the sheer rage on his face. I clench my free hand into a fist, silently pleading for this night to end quickly. The elevator ascends smoothly, and my heart is pounding at double the speed, uncertain of what might happen next.

The ding of the elevator jolts me, and the doors open on the twentieth floor. Reyansh keeps a tight hold on my hand as he leads me down the corridor. We reach room two double zero four, where a bellboy is waiting with the keycard. Reyansh takes the key from him and dismisses him with a nod. He swipes the keycard, and with a quiet click, the door opens. Without another word, he gently but firmly guides me inside the room.

Once inside, Reyansh closes the door behind us and turns to face me, his eyes searching mine. I take a few steps back, ensuring there is enough distance between us, and wrap my hands around my stomach.

“Now start talking,” he demands, his voice low but commanding. “What do you think you were doing down there? And whose message was that?”

“It... it was a guy I met on a dating app,” I stammer, fumbling for a lie. “He invited me here, but he just messaged saying he couldn’t make it,” The words barely leave my mouth before Reyansh advances towards me, and before I know it, he’s pinned me against the wall.

“Don’t you dare feed me that crap; it’ll only make me angrier,” he growls. “Tell me the damn truth.”

His words reverberate through my chest, weakening my resolve, but I try to hold on. I can’t bring myself to tell him the truth. There’s too much at stake.

“I swear, I am telling the truth,” I try again, disregarding the flurry of nerves dancing in my stomach. “I just wanted to unwind a bit. And let’s not forget, you are here too, so don’t play the saint.” I press my hands against his chest, attempting to push him away, but he doesn’t budge, moving closer instead.

“Liar,” he murmurs against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine as my insides twist like a wrung-out rag.

“Reyansh, you need to step back,” I whisper, feeling suffocated by his proximity.

He searches my face and takes a step back, finally allowing me to breathe easily.

“For God’s sake, Kavya, tell me what you’re hiding from me. Stop playing this game,” he says, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

“I am not playing games, Reyansh. I just… I just wanted to have some fun,” I reply, feeling a mix of guilt and shame wash over me. I know my flimsy excuse is only making things worse, but I can’t bring myself to speak the truth.

“You want to have fun? Fine. Then, let’s have fun,” he suddenly says, his voice eerily calm, and I blink at him, taken aback by his words.

I hold my breath as he strides over to the mini-bar in the corner. Tension grips me as I realize my bluff is about to be exposed. He opens the cupboard, takes out a bottle of whiskey, and pours a glass, all while maintaining eye contact with me. He then walks back up to me with the glass in his hand, his expression unreadable but intense.

“Here,” he says, holding the glass out to me. “You said you wanted to have fun, so let’s lighten up a bit.”

---