Page 5 of One Hellish Wedlock
“Everything okay?” he asked, noticing how firmly she still held onto his arm.
“Your daughter has managed to drain every one of her accounts again, before the month is even over,” Kyle grumbled.
Anand’s brows rose, but he shook his head as if this didn’t surprise him. “That girl,” he murmured. “She used to be so brilliant in school. I don’t know what happened. I’ve failed her somehow.”
“She’s not yours to handle anymore,” Kyle said pointedly. “She has a husband now. Lethimdeal with her.”
But Anand wasn’t convinced. Guilt weighed on his expression. Marrying Kyle without Aanya’s input… and thenpushing her into that marriage with Reyansh—he questioned both decisions more often than he admitted.
Kyle read the thoughts on his face and reached up to caress his cheek. “Sweetheart, don’t dig up the past. I just want to see you smile. Always.” She leaned in to hug him, and he embraced her without hesitation.
“She’ll need more money to survive until her next allowance,” he said under his breath.
Kyle pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, her voice hardening. “Don’t even think about sending more. She’s never going to learn the value of money if you keep rescuing her.”
Anand’s face darkened. “Kyle, Aanya is my daughter. I can’t let her go hungry.”
“She’s not going hungry,” Kyle said, folding her arms. “That’s already been taken care of.”
Anand’s expression tightened. “What do you mean?”
Kyle looked away briefly, then said, “She apparently called Reyansh this time.”
“What?” Anand barked, clearly stunned.
Kyle raised a hand to quiet him.
“Darling… there are people around,” Kyle murmured with a forced smile, throwing a glance toward Mr. and Mrs. Ahuja, who were now staring at Anand Malhotra with wide eyes, visibly horrified by the way he had just yelled.
Kyle quickly masked the tension with social grace and gently steered Anand away from the gathering. As they distanced themselves from the curious crowd, Anand’s urgency returned.
“She… she actually called him? Really?” he asked again, needing confirmation.
Kyle stopped and faced him. “Don’t get your hopes up, Anand,” she said flatly. “She was drunk. You know what people are like when they’re in that state. She didn’t call him out of will.”
“But still… Kyle, that’s some kind of progress, isn’t it?” Anand pressed.
Kyle let out a dry, sarcastic laugh. “Progress? Reyansh is furious. He called me. He wanted to know why Aanya was contactinghimfor money, and that too, before the end of the month.”
Anand sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Did he say anything else?”
“He said nothing beyond venting his frustration about your daughter,” Kyle replied. “But… he does want to meet us.”
“Meet us? Why?” Anand asked, his brow furrowed.
“I have no idea,” she admitted. “I just hope it doesn’t land us in more trouble. I’ve already asked your manager to prepare the charter plane. We’re flying back to India tomorrow. Reyansh is flying in from Tokyo too for this meeting.”
Anand gave a stiff nod ready to face whatever his son-in-law had called them for.
Next Day – Paris
“Get away from me,” Aanya mumbled in her sleep, pushing a pillow off the bed. Navya, who was casually scrolling through her phone at the side table, shook her head in disbelief.
“That’s just a pillow,” Navya called out, amused.
Aanya’s eyes fluttered open, slowly scanning the room. She was in her hotel bed. No one was around to bother her, just the lingering remnants of a night she couldn’t fully recall. A sharp pain stabbed her forehead.
“Ouch,” she hissed, pressing her temples hard.
