Page 15 of One Hellish Wedlock
But before Aanya could move, a sudden tug stopped her. Reyansh’s hand gripped her arm, holding her back. She turned to face him.
Seeing the intensity in his gaze, Navya released her hold from Aanya’s arm and stepped away. Without a word, Reyansh dragged Aanya out of the disco, away from the pounding bass and the flashing lights.
“Where the hell are you taking me?” she demanded.
He didn’t answer until they were outside, beneath the quiet night sky.
“What are you doinghere? In Delhi?” he asked coldly.
“Why should I tellyou?” she shot back, chin lifted.
He seemed ready to say something, something raw and territorial, but caught himself.
“What kind of behaviour was that? You know what you did inside? It’s embarrassing, Aanya. Grow up. And if you can’t, thenstop showing up in places where you clearly don’t know how to behave in public.”
Aanya stepped closer, face flushed with fury. “This place isn’t yours. And I don’t needyoumanaging my life. I’m notyourresponsibility, Reyansh.”
He took a step toward her. “Watch your tone, Aanya.”
Instead of retreating, she smiled, slow and wicked. Her hands reached up, wrapping around his neck. “Oh darling, did anyone ever tell you how hot you look when you’re angry?”
His brows furrowed, unsure whether to be enraged or disarmed.
Her gaze dropped to his lips, lingered there for a moment, and then lifted back to meet his eyes. She could see the confusion flicker across his expression, and honestly, she mirrored it. Whatever she was doing, even she didn’t fully understand. Their marriage, hasty and humiliating, had played out like a bad business deal sealed with signatures instead of sentiment. It had unravelled into chaos the very same night she became his wife. That night hadn’t just ended a beginning. It had buried whatever fragile hope might’ve existed between them.
From that point on, she had severed every emotional tether tying her to her father, and also shut every door that connected her to the man he had practically bartered her off to, for power, prestige, and an expansion deal.
Reyansh held her stare while she wandered inside her own storm. He wasn’t a fool easily stirred by beauty. Looks, to him, were currency that lost value over time. He had always imagined a life with a woman of poise and control. Someone who aligned with his goals, understood the gravity of his ambition, and played by the rules. Aanya, with her impulsiveness and untamed spirit, didn’t fit that mould. She never had.
But some decisions, made in haste, left no room for reversal. She wasthatkind of mistake…unpredictable, wild, and carvedfrom a completely different code than the one he lived by. Getting involved with her in any capacity now…emotionally, physically, or otherwise, was a risk he couldn’t afford.
And yet, they stood there, tangled in a silence louder than any argument they had ever had. Their eyes locked for longer than either intended, and for the first time since that disastrous wedding night, he noticed something different. The girl he had married eighteen months ago had vanished. In her place stood a woman…still reckless, still volatile, but with a depth behind her gaze that unsettled him.
There were shadows in her eyes now, like thoughts she didn’t voice, wounds she didn’t show, and for the life of him, Reyansh couldn’t read them. He couldn’t decipher her anymore. And that, more than anything, made her dangerous.
Just then, Navya’s voice shattered the moment.
“Aanya!”
Reyansh was the first to react. He stepped back, peeling her arms off his neck.
Aanya’s smile turned sarcastic. “Let’s go home, babes. This party really sucks.”
Navya reached her, giving Reyansh a wary glance before the girls turned toward the car.
“What was that?” Navya whispered. “Did you two… kiss?”
Aanya shoved her playfully. “Shut up.”
But before getting into the car, she turned back once more…just once…and found Reyansh still watching her. Still confused. Still stuck between resistance and desire!
CHAPTER 4
Same Night – Chopra Mansion
When Reyansh returned home later that evening, he spotted his Nani seated on the living room couch, engrossed in a video call. He didn’t have to guess who was on the other side of the screen. With a silent sigh, he walked over and sank down beside her, joining the conversation.
“Hey, Di,” he greeted, lifting a hand in a casual wave toward the screen where his elder sister, Radhika Negi, appeared. She was nestled comfortably in her California apartment, the faint glow of her kitchen behind her.
