The valet pulled the black Rolls-Royce Ghost to the curb of the Taj, the engine purring like a predator in wait. The cool night air hit Myra's face, but it did nothing to stop the fire burning in her veins from Reyansh's touch under the table.
Rohan stepped forward, his hand reaching for Myra's arm. "Myra, I'll take you home. We need to talk about—"
Before his fingers could even brush her sleeve, Reyansh moved. It was a blur of dark wool and sheer force. He stepped between them, his large frame acting as an impenetrable wall.
"The Doctor has an early shift, doesn't he?" Reyansh's voice was like grinding stones. He didn't wait for an answer. He grabbed Myra's waist and practically hoisted her into the backseat of the Rolls-Royce.
"Reyansh! You can't just—" Rohan started, his face reddening with a mix of confusion and rising anger.
"I can do whatever I want with my employees, Doctor. It's a matter of project security," Reyansh snapped. He slammed the door shut, the heavy thud sounding like a prison cell locking. He didn't even look at Shanaya, who was standing on the steps looking stunned. "Khanna, drive."
Inside the car, the glass partition was up. It was just the two of them in a leather-scented tomb. Myra scrambled to the opposite door, pressing her body against the window..
"You're a psychopath," she breathed, her chest heaving. "You touched me... in front of them. You humiliated me!"
Reyansh didn't answer. He was busy unbuttoning his vest, his movements jerky and violent. He looked out the window as they passed the street lamps, the flickering light making him look like a demon.
"Why didn't you stop me?" he suddenly rasped, turning to her. His eyes were wild. "If you love him so much, if he's so 'stable' and 'kind,' why did you let me touch you like that? Why did you melt under my hand while your boyfriend sat three feet away?"
"I was terrified! I didn't want a scene!"
"Liar!" Reyansh roared, lunging across the seat. He pinned her against the door, his hands on either side of her head. "You didn't stop me because you know he can't give you what I give you. You know his 'gentle' hands are nothing compared to mine."
"He's a better man than you'll ever be!" Myra screamed back, tears finally spilling over. "He's helping me! He's the only one who cares that I'm drowning!"
Reyansh's grip on her shoulders tightened. "Helping you? By pretending to be someone he's not? I've seen the way he looks at you, Myra. It's not the look of a man who has held you at night. It's the look of a man who is waiting for permission to."
He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket—the report Khanna had delivered earlier that evening, which he had been too blinded by rage to read fully until the car ride.
"I had my men check his hotel records again," Reyansh hissed. "And his phone logs. And his flight details. Do you want to know what I found, Myra?"
Myra's heart stopped.
"There are no photos of you on his phone. There are no calls between you before three days ago. And the most interesting part?" Reyansh leaned in so close their noses touched. "He booked a single room at the St. Regis. A king bed. For one person. If he's your boyfriend of why didn't he stay at your place? Why didn't you stay with him until the 'storm' forced you to?"
Myra opened her mouth, but no sound came out. The web of lies was disintegrating.
"He's not your boyfriend," Reyansh whispered, a terrifyingly dark smile spreading across his face. It wasn't a smile of relief; it was a smile of victory. "He's an old college friend. A puppet. You used him to try and build a fence around yourself because you're scared of how much you want me."
He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at the monster she had tried to hide from.
"There is no Rohan. There is no 'Stable Doctor.' There is only a girl who tried to trick a king, and a king who just found out his prize is completely, legally, and beautifully... unclaimed."
Myra let out a broken sob. "He is my friend. He was trying to save me from you."
"Nobody saves you from me," Reyansh growled. He leaned down, his forehead resting against hers. The jealousy hadn't vanished; it had transformed into something pure and possessive. "Now that I know the truth... the contract is changing. No more office desks. No more pretend boyfriends. You're moving your things into my bedroom tonight. If you want a 'Stable Life,' Myra, you're going to have to build it with me. Whether you like it or not."
Author's Thought
GAME OVER! 😱🔥 The lie is officially dead! Reyansh realized Rohan was a fake because of a hotel booking! He isn't even mad that she lied; he's just thrilled that there's no one else in her heart. 🚩🚩🚩