Page 32 of One Hellish Wedlock
She trotted to the bar and placed her order. With a sly glance over her shoulder, she noticed he was watching her—of course he was. No sneaking in a shot tonight. Maybe after this whole charade, she’d sneak one anyway. She paid, took a long sip of the lemonade, and made her way back.
“This is my favourite song,” she announced as the DJ switched tracks. “Come on, let’s dance.”
She grabbed his wrist, but Reyansh pulled her back, making her plop onto the couch, next to him, again.
“We’re not here to dance,” he said sternly. “I don’t waste time. Every minute I spend goes into building something—money, legacy, success.”
Aanya pouted dramatically. “Typical businessman. I thought I was here to meet my husband, not pitch a startup.”
His jaw ticked. She leaned back and rifled through her purse.
“What are you doing?” he asked, narrowing his gaze.
“Looking for my card,” she muttered.
“Card? Why?”
“To pay you for your prestigious time, obviously. You just said your time is precious and you wouldn’t waste it on people like me. I might as well compensate you for wasting it.”
He instantly regretted his earlier remark.
“I… didn’t mean it like that,” he offered, his tone softening.
“Thank God,” she sighed, zipping her purse shut. “Because I’m broke. Completely bankrupt. And in case you haven’t guessed, that’s why I’m here to claim my share of Mom’s will and get the hell out of this country.”
He’d suspected she was broke, but now he had confirmation. Whatever excuse Anand Malhotra had fed her to lure her backclearly tied to finances. Reyansh felt an ounce of sympathy, but it didn’t erase the truth that she was broke because of her own reckless choices.
“Anyway,” she said, clearing her throat, “let’s get to the point. You want me to follow your orders like some personal assistant, and only then you’ll agree to the new venture with Dad. Right?”
He nodded. “It’s not as simple as it sounds.”
She laughed, sharp and sarcastic. “Obviously. Ifyoumade the condition, it was never meant to be simple.”
“You don’t know me yet.”
“I’m sure I don’t. Never had the time, did I?” she snapped. “I was… busy.”
“Busy drinking, partying with your useless friends, wasting yourself in places like this?” he snapped back.
Her eyes flashed with rage. “Exactly. And you know why? Because I was doing whatyouasked me to—stop bothering you.”
The silence that followed cut through the thundering music. In that moment, despite the chaos around them, they both heard the painful resonance of the truth with each other’s heartbeats. Aanya had meant every word. Reyansh remembered vividly the last time they’d spoken before she vanished, he had told her just that.Stop bothering me.
And she had. She’d vanished, without a trace, without a goodbye. It took him a week to track her down. And when he did, his fury had burned white-hot… only to fizzle under the weight of ego, work, time, and distraction. He’d never reached out, never attempted to fix what they’d shattered. And now, here she was, still broken… but still fighting.
He knew, deep down, some ofthiswreckage was his fault too. He had built walls. She had chosen escape.
“Sorry,” Aanya muttered, pausing as guilt brushed her voice. “See… this is exactly what happens when I don’t drink. I start hurting people. I’m here to convince you to do business with myfather, not push you away with pointless rambling. I’m really sorry.”
Reyansh didn’t appreciate the needless apology, especially when it came from her lips. But before he could counter it, she changed the subject.
“So, what are your terms?” she asked bluntly. “I’m all ears.”
“I’ve had them drafted,” he replied coolly. “You’ll get the official copy tomorrow at my office. But there are a few specific ones I wanted to discuss in person.”
“I’m listening,” she said, taking another slow sip of her lemonade, her gaze fixed on him.
“I have a sister…Radhika Negi,” he began, the faintest hint of pride lacing his voice.
