Page 219 of One Hellish Wedlock
Reyansh had been thinking three steps ahead all along.
But something else tugged at her thoughts. She turned to him, narrowing her eyes.
“Is that why you’re shifting to California for the next three months?”
Reyansh gave a lopsided smirk, his thumb brushing along her cheek. She had guessed it.
Of course, he couldn’t depend solely on guards to protect her. He needed to be there, himself.
“It’soneof the reasons,” he admitted. “But the real reason is this—” his voice lowered as he leaned in, “—I want to shower my wife with the love and attention she has always deserved. That’s my top priority.”
Her heart clenched in the best way possible. She cupped his face and pulled him into a fierce kiss, pouring all her emotions into it. Reyansh responded instantly, rolling her gently onto the bed with him. When they finally broke apart, Aanya’s mind was still spinning, as she had one more question.
“And where does Shagufta fit in all this?” she asked breathlessly.
He exhaled, gaze turning cautious.
“I don’t know yet. It’s just a gut feeling... but I suspect she’s involved somehow. She has no business being in California right now. So why is she there? What if she’s joined hands with Vicky?”
Aanya’s eyes darkened with concern. “Do they even know each other?”
“Yes,” Reyansh confirmed with a sigh. “Shagufta’s father and Vicky’s father go way back. Old political ties. That’s what triggered me to put someone on her trail too. I’m still waiting for confirmation, but it’s not impossible they’re working together.”
Aanya pouted, frustration bubbling inside her.
“What a mess. Two people from our pasts trying to destroy the future we just built.”
“I won’t let that happen,” Reyansh vowed, pulling her closer until their foreheads touched.
“I know you won’t,” she whispered, her voice filled with faith. She kissed him again, slow and passionate, sealing the promise between them with her lips.
Whatever storm was waiting, they would face it together as soulmates—finally, completely, irrevocably in love.
A few hours later
Reyansh had taken Aanya out to explore the city, determined to make every remaining moment count. She would be flying back to California with Radhika the next day to resume work, and the thought of parting again gnawed at his heart. So, he held her hand a little tighter, laughed a little louder, and memorized every smile she gave him as though it were the last.
They wandered into a quaint jewelry store nestled between cafes and boutiques, drawn in by the soft glint of diamonds in the window display. Aanya’s eyes sparkled the moment they stepped in, and Reyansh didn’t need a second to decide. He watched her linger in front of a delicate yet radiant diamond bracelet.
“This,” he said, lifting it carefully, “is for my beautiful wife.”
He fastened it around her wrist with tenderness, brushing a soft kiss to her knuckles once it was in place.
Aanya stared at it, touched. “Reyansh… this is way too expensive.”
“You deserve to be spoiled every day,” he said, eyes fixed on hers.
She melted into him, slipping her arms around his neck. “Now what should I giftyou?” she whispered against his lips, her gaze trailing across his face with intimate curiosity.
He gripped her waist, drawing her closer. Their eyes locked in a heat-laced stare before he leaned in and whispered something sinful in her ear.
She gasped, playfully shoving him away as her cheeks flushed. “Never,” she said, fighting her grin.
“Excuse me?” Reyansh feigned offense. “I wasn’t asking. That was a command.”
She laughed, trying to push him away playfully, but he held her tighter.
“Say yes,” he murmured near her ear. “Although I’ll miss you, give me something to miss you really hard that I’ll have no choice but to fly back to you…sooner and forever.”
