Page 23 of One Hellish Wedlock
“Well,” she said, pulling her walls back up. “I won’t waste your precious time.”
“You already have,” he muttered, checking his watch.
“Whatever,” she scoffed, waving him off.
“‘Whatever’?” he echoed, walking toward her. “Do you even understand how valuable a single minute is to Reyansh Chopra?”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Name your price.”
His laugh was sharp, mocking. “You are bankrupt, Aanya. You can’t pay me a penny.”
Her face paled. That stung. And yet, it wasn’t wrong. She had no financial independence. Just a rich father and a richer husband, neither of whom gave her any control.
She inhaled sharply. “Fine. I’ll get to the point then. Dad wants me to convince you to continue the venture with Malhotras. Apparently, they think I botched the meeting with my ‘arrogance’.”
Reyansh crossed his arms. “Theythink that?Youdon’t?”
She bristled. “You pushed me into reacting that way. I didn’t mean to offend anyone.”
“You barged into a conference, insulted your father’s prestigious client,that’s me,and disrupted a deal months in the making. Patience, Aanya. Ever heard of it?”
She let out a laugh. “Prestigious client, huh? How can someone be so much self-obsessed?”
His cold stare didn’t budge. “Keep going. You’re making it harder for yourself.”
The teasing smile faded from her face. He was right. She was ruining her chances. She cleared her throat and stepped forward.
“Okay, look,” she said more seriously. “Please agree. Or else I’ll have to use... alternative methods to convince you.”
His brow arched. “Alternative methods?”
“Yes,” she said, stepping closer.
The scent of his cologne, the sharp lines of his jaw, the commanding presence was all intoxicating. And those eyes... smoky, intense, capable of hypnotizing any woman foolish enough to hold their gaze for too long. How many were still hoping to be his ‘escape’ from power and stress? A man like him who was disciplined, dangerously composed even under pressure, had to find his release somewhere. And men like him didn’t chase peace in silence. They found it in the softness of a woman.
The thought made something twist violently in her gut. It wasn’t jealousy. It was possession. And it burned.
“You were going to enlighten me about those… alternative methods,” he coaxed, dragging her deeper into the very storm she thought she could control.
She snapped out of her daze, realizing just how close she was standing. Her confidence faltered. She’d planned to use her charm, even a kiss, if necessary, but now that she was here, facing him, her nerves frayed.
She stepped back. “Huh! I don’t think this is the right place. This is your office, not… a bedroom.”
She almost winked again but stopped herself recalling his earlier advice or not lip biting or winking all the time.
He noticed and his lips twitched seeing her accepting his advises so soon.
“So?” she asked, trying to sound upbeat. “Are we good? Will you go ahead with the deal?”
Reyansh grinned and then crushed her hope with one word. “No.”
He walked back to his desk and sat down, effortlessly distant.
“And I’ve tolerated your presence enough at the moment. You may leave.”
Although rude, she knew he was testing her. Pushing her.
“I’ve never been so patient in my life!”
