Page 36 of One Hellish Wedlock
Every inch was a heartbeat.
And with each tug, something inside her melted.
A flutter low in her belly. A breath she didn’t know she was holding.
Reyansh wasn’t too far either to feel the crackle of electricity between them. When his knuckles brushed her bare skin, blood gushed into his lower organ so fast that he could literally feel it. His hand stilled for a second midway.
Aanya looked up at him, her lips slightly parted, her breath grazing the edge of his throat. She wasn’t even thinking about the damn zip anymore. She was just...there…in the moment, in his hold, in something they both pretended didn’t exist for far too long.
And Reyansh?
He was dangerously close to not pretending anymore.
Finally, with great effort, regaining his focus, Reyansh zipped it up and released her.
She instantly pulled away and stepped out of the car, pretending like the moment never happened. She was about to turn away when his voice stopped her.
“Meet my assistant Sunny at my office tomorrow for the paperwork. He’ll guide you.”
Aanya blinked at him, exhaling a sharp, disbelieving sigh.
“May God bless you with some common sense before it’s too late,” she muttered.
He didn’t say a word in return.
Not because he didn’t have one. But because if he stayed a second longer, she might have read it all over his face—the questions, the confusion, the pull he didn’t understand and didn’t know how to name. He didn’t even know what had just happened in that car. Or why it had shaken something in him loose.
So he just drove off.
Aanya stood there, watching the car disappear into the dark street ahead. Was this really happening? Pretending to be a couple for two whole months just to sell a lie? How far was she willing to go to reclaim her independence… and at what cost?
CHAPTER 7
Singh’s Residence – Next Day
“What? Did he really say that to you?” Navya nearly shrieked in disbelief as Aanya recounted everything that had transpired between her and Reyansh the previous night at the disco.
“Yes,” Aanya replied, her tone clipped with irritation. “He wants me to play the doting wife in front of his sister. The same man who parades around with his spotless morals and perfect manners is now asking me to lie straight to a pregnant woman’s face. Tell me that’s not peak hypocrisy, Navya.”
Navya tilted her head thoughtfully. “Yeah, it does sound twisted. But... she’s critically pregnant, Aanya.”
“Exactly!” Aanya shot back. “That’s what worries me. What if she finds out we’re faking it? What if she falls ill because of the stress? God forbid, something happens, how will I live with that guilt? I already feel terrible for her.”
Navya watched her friend quietly for a few moments, a soft smile tugging at her lips.
“What?” Aanya frowned, catching the look.
“You’re already sounding protective about the Chopras. That’s new.”
“She’s a Negi. Radhika Negi,” Aanya corrected curtly.
“But she’shissister,” Navya teased, undeterred.
“Whatever!” Aanya grumbled, stuffing a piece of toast into her mouth to avoid continuing the discussion. She chewed hertoast aggressively and swallowed, then wiped her lips and stood up.
“I’ve got to be in his office in an hour. Can I take your car?”
“Of course, baby. It’s all yours,” Navya replied with a grin.
