Page 218 of One Hellish Wedlock
“He spiked my drink. Waited until I was alone, drowsy and disoriented. Then he cornered me, tried to humiliate me.”
“What did he ask you to do?” he asked, clenching his jaw.
“He.. he asked me to… strip,” she sobbed.
That’s it. Reyansh punched his hand hard on the table aside.
“I am going to kill him for this,” he growled in anger.
But he knew. She needed his strength now more than anything. She needed him to hold her up, to stand by her side. And he would.
He pulled her into his arms, letting her lean into his chest as she broke down softly. Her quiet sobs soaked into his skin, eachone carving a hollow space in his heart. He rubbed her back in slow, comforting circles, whispering against her hair.
“It’s okay... I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, Aanya. God, I wish I had been.”
She lifted her face, eyes swollen, lashes damp. He reached up and gently wiped away her tears.
“You couldn’t have done anything back then, Reyansh,” she said, voice trembling less now. “We didn’t even know each other.”
“Still,” he growled, his jaw tightening. “I should’ve known. I should’ve known everything. I would’ve made him regret every damn breath he took after what he did to you.”
Aanya’s heart clenched, but this time not in pain. The intensity of his concern, the fury in his voice, the protective grip of his arms around her... it overwhelmed her in the best way.
She hugged him again, tighter than before.
Then, after a pause, her voice returned.
“But Navya came in time,” she admitted. “She had kept looking for me since the party and she found me and stopped Vicky from touching me.”
Reyansh closed his eyes, a wave of silent gratitude crashing over him. He couldn’t have thanked Navya more.
“You didn’t tell your father?” he asked quietly.
“He was out of town. And Kyle…” She shook her head. “That wasn’t an option. I didn’t tell anyone. Just Navya. And now you.”
Reyansh swallowed hard, his grip tightening.
“So, on days when things go wrong, when I’m overwhelmed... that night comes back. The memory. The fear. The helplessness. It flashes through my mind like a film. That’s when the nightmares come.” She paused, looking up at him again. “But they’ve become rare now. Because I’m not alone anymore. I have you.”
Reyansh gently kissed her forehead, his lips lingering there as if sealing a vow.
“And I’ll be here, Aanya,” he whispered, his voice rough with emotion. “Until my last breath, I’ll be yours.”
“Don’t talk about death when our life has only just begun,” Aanya snapped.
Reyansh immediately nodded, understanding her fear. She took a moment to steady her breath, to gather the strength she had just regained.
“Now tell me,” she demanded, eyes locked onto his. “What happened in California? Was Vicky really stalking me again?”
“Not Vicky himself,” Reyansh replied, voice tight. “But his men. When my security team caught one of them, they confessed—it was Vicky who sent them. He wanted your whereabouts. Your details.”
“Why would he do that now?” Aanya asked, her brows furrowing. “It’s been years. I never filed a complaint. Never even mentioned his name publicly again. Why trace me after all this time?”
“Men like him don’t need reasons to play dirty,” Reyansh answered, jaw clenched. “I spoke to his MLA father. Vicky’s current location hasn’t been confirmed, but his father has assured me this stops. And if it doesn’t,” his tone dropped into something lethal, “he knows I’ll make sure he doesn’t win his next election.”
Aanya felt the chill run down her spine. Vicky still being untraceable terrified her. He could be anywhere. Watching. Waiting.
But her surprise lay more in Reyansh. How far he’d gone to protect her. How powerful his methods were.She finally understood why he had warned her not to use Vicky’s name in emails, and why he said their communication could be monitored or hacked. If Vicky’s father truly wanted to shield hisson from legal exposure, he’d scrub any trace that could tie him to criminal behaviour.
