Page 40 of One Hellish Wedlock
This reaffirmed what he’d suspected since last night. He had made the right decision. Aanya might be a firestorm, difficult and chaotic, but when it came to Radhika, her heart was in the right place.
And that... mattered more than he’d expected.
Malhotra Mansion – Evening
Aanya steered the car through the towering gates of the Malhotra Mansion, her mind brimming with the news she was eager to share. Reyansh had agreed to sign the joint venture with her father. Her father would be thrilled. He’d probably consider it a victory, and maybe, just maybe, her redemption.
She wasn’t exactly pleased with how the day had gone, especially after discovering Reyansh had been watching her etiquette session with Sunny through a live feed like she wassome experiment under observation. What was he playing at? If he thought she’d tolerate being monitored like a reality show contestant, he was dead wrong. She couldn’t back out of the sessions now, but from here on, the venue would be her decision.
Smirking to herself, she parked the car and stepped into the house.
The moment she entered the grand living room, her smile faltered. A group of overdressed socialites were gathered like birds around Kyle Malhotra, sipping tea and gossiping over designer handbags and imported snacks. Definitely not the ideal time to drop by.
Kyle straightened the moment she saw her.
“Aanya?” she said, rising from the couch, clearly startled.
“Where’s Dad?” Aanya asked, wasting no time.
“He’s not home yet,” Kyle replied stiffly.
One of the women, perched on the edge of the velvet sofa with exaggerated curiosity, chimed in. “Kyle, isn’t she your stepdaughter? I thought she ran off. What’s she doing back here?”
“Malti, please,” Kyle cut in sharply, surprising even Aanya.
Malti rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the plate of chips, pretending disinterest.
Aanya narrowed her gaze at Kyle. “You don’t need to defend me.”
“I wasn’t defending you,” Kyle retorted coolly. “You’re Anand’s daughter. I simply refuse to let anyone humiliate this family under my roof.”
Aanya crossed her arms. “I came to see Dad. I’ve got a message for him.”
Kyle led her away from the guests into the hallway, where prying ears couldn’t follow.
“What message?” Kyle asked.
“Why should I tell you?” Aanya countered.
Kyle’s frown deepened. “What is this attitude, Aanya? After everything you’ve done, how do you still act like the victim here?”
“Iamnot the victim,” she snapped. “And I’m not suffering either. I’m stronger than you people think. You’re the one acting high and mighty, as if this house isn’t mine too.”
The sharpness in her voice seemed to jolt Kyle. But she folded her arms calmly, her expression unreadable.
“If you believe this is your home, then stay here. Why continue to parade around like a martyr, living with your best friend instead of under your father’s roof?”
Aanya plucked an apple from the nearby fruit bowl and took a confident bite.
“You’re right,” she said nonchalantly. “But I won’t need to stay here much longer anyway. In two weeks, I’ll be living somewhere I have a legal right to be.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed. “Where?”
Aanya grinned, biting into the apple again. “Chopra Mansion,” she said with a wink.
Kyle let out a short, scornful laugh. “Don’t bluff.”
“I’m not bluffing,” Aanya replied coolly. “And I know you won’t believe it until you see me there. But don’t worry. I’ll invite you and Dad for lunch once I’m settled in.”
