Page 41 of One Hellish Wedlock
Kyle’s amusement faded instantly, replaced by suspicion. Before she could dig for answers, Anand’s voice rang out from the main hall.
“Aanya?” he called, stepping into view.
Aanya turned toward him, a flicker of warmth lighting up her face. “Hey, Dad. Thank God you are home.”
She paused, then delivered the news. “I’ve got something to tell you. Reyansh has agreed to the joint venture. Someone from his office will contact you soon.”
Anand’s eyes lit up with pride and relief. But even through his joy, concern flickered in his expression.
“What did you do to make it happen?”
The smile on her face faltered for a second. She couldn’t tell him the truth. She had signed a confidential contract with Reyansh, and one of its clauses was explicit:no one was to know about their arrangement. Not even her own family.
“Oh, please,” she said with forced laughter. “I’m his wife. Why wouldn’t he listen to me? A little charm and sweet talk, that’s all it took.”
“That’s a lie,” Kyle cut in sharply. “Reyansh doesn’t bend for charm. He’s strategic and manipulative. He never agrees to anything unless it profits him.”
Aanya felt her throat tighten. Were they going to pressure her into revealing the truth? That couldn’t happen.
“You know,” she said icily, “it’s funny how you both criticize him now, when you’re the ones who married me off to that man.”
Her words stung, and she could see it in their faces.
“Aanya,” Anand said carefully. “I just want to understand what’s happening between you and Reyansh. Are you really moving in with him?”
She nodded. “One hundred percent.”
His face lit up again. He stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. “I’m glad you’re doing the right thing this time.”
Aanya returned the hug, her expression softening. No matter how many times her father had failed her, intentionally or otherwise, he was still her father. The only one she had. Whether he saw her the same way or not, she had stopped caring.
She pulled away. “I have to go. I’ve got a lot to prepare before I move in with Reyansh. Bye.”
Anand tried to stop her, but she was already turning, already walking away like a gust of wind, determined not to slow down.
Kyle turned to Anand the moment Aanya disappeared through the doorway. “Preparations? What the hell does that mean?”
Anand dismissed her suspicions with a chuckle. “Come on, Kyle. She’s never lived with him. She’ll need to shop—clothes, maybe gifts. Did you forget everything you did when we got married?”
Kyle blushed. “And I still try to impress you, don’t I?”
Anand kissed her forehead gently. “Go enjoy your party. I’ll be upstairs.”
“You’re not meeting them?”
“Not today. I’m not in the mood for their shallow jokes.”
He smiled and turned away, leaving Kyle to return to the cackling guests, while his thoughts remained tangled around the daughter who always seemed just out of reach.
CHAPTER 8
The next four days passed in a blur. Aanya spent most of her time with Sunny, sometimes at Navya’s place, other times in quiet cafés, learning everything she needed to know about Radhika, the Chopra family, and the conduct expected of her once she stepped into that house. The entire process grated on her nerves. Not because she disliked learning, but because of the implication behind it, that Reyansh Chopra didn’t think she was capable of pulling this off without being groomed first. That stung. She might not be a conventional homemaker, but she wasn’t a home-wrecker either. She knew how to keep people around her happy. She just hadn’t been given the chance. And Reyansh? He wasn’t offering one either. He was simply drawing his boundaries and commanding her to walk within them.
She hadn’t seen him again since the training began. And she was grateful for that. Every time she laid eyes on him, it only ignited another spark of resentment. She was winding down for the night, tucked under the sheets, when her phone rang. It was Reyansh calling her.
She picked up. “Hello?”
“How’s the training going?” he asked, jumping straight to the point.
