Chapter 22
Reyansh
I slam my hand down on the dining table, causing the whiskey to spill over the rim of the glass . It’s past eight in the evening, an hour since I returned from the office, and I can’t shake off the anger that’s boiling inside me. I had thought about dropping by Kavya’s house, but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. I am still caught in a fit of rage, and all I can think about is the chaos that has upended Kavya’s life. It fucking pains me to see her going through all of this. The fact that she’s running around, struggling to find answers, breaks my heart. What’s worse is not having her here with me in my house, where I can wrap my arms around her and calm the storm that’s raging within her. The fact that I can’t erase her fears completely leaves me feeling utterly helpless.
I slump forward, resting my elbows on the table, with my hand wrapped around the back of my neck. A grin tugs at my lips as I think about how I called her my wife. There was no need for me to address her as my wife ; I could have easily gotten the information Kavya was looking for with a snap of my fingers. But calling her my wife gave me a strange, indescribable kind of satisfaction, fuelling the desire to turn it into reality. I close my eyes tightly, pondering the irony of a playboy like me finding stability, yet it doesn’t surprise me. I knew that was bound to happen with Kavya. I knew she would change my world and become everything to me. Now, all I want is to make her mine in every way; every fiber of my being yearns for that, but I know I need to give her time. She’s gradually letting her walls down with me, so pressuring her now would be the worst thing I could do, especially considering the stress she’s already going through.
The sudden ring of my phone snaps me out of my thoughts. I lift my head to see who’s calling. As soon as I see Karan’s name flash on the screen, I answer immediately. He’s under strict instructions to call me right away if anything happens.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, my voice tinged with panic as I shoot up from my seat . I instinctively grab my car keys from the table and head toward the door.
“I found a tracking device under Kavya ma’am’s car.”
I freeze mid-step, my hand hovering over the door knob . “What?”
“It happened when Kavya ma’am went inside the house after coming back from work. I was keeping watch outside when I suddenly spotted someone in a mask sneaking out from under her car. I went to confront him, but the moment he saw me, he took off. I tried to chase him but he got away. S ensing something fishy, I decided to search her car, and that’s when I found the tracking device. I’ve already informed Sidharth sir, and he’s following up on it,” he explains.
I let out a shaky breath, my grip tightening on the keys. “I’m on my way. Stay alert and vigilant. Ensure that she is safe. Not even a scratch on her. Protect her with your life. Got it?” I command sharply, loosening my tie, suddenly feeling suffocated. My chest tightens after hearing the news he just shared.
“You can trust me on that.”
“And not a word to Kavya about this,” I say as I end the call.
I waste no time getting behind the steering wheel and speeding to Kavya’s house. Throughout the drive, my mind is in turmoil—I fucking can’t think straight. Everything feels chaotic and out of control, and Sidharth still doesn’t have answers about who’s behind all this. I know it’s too soon to catch the asshole, but I have zero patience when Kavya’s safety is on the line.
Thirty minutes later, I pull up in front of Kavya’s house and spot Karan standing a few feet away, leaning against his SUV with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes fixed on Kavya’s house. The moment he senses my arrival, his eyes flick to mine, and I give him a curt nod. Just as I’m about to step out of my car, my phone buzzes with a message notification meant for Kavya, but it shows up on my screen since her mobile is linked to mine.
Deepak : Kavya, I can’t stop thinking about you , especially after we met the other day. Can we please meet again? Please, for old times’ sake.
My vision clouds with fury as I read the message. I immediately know who this fucker is—the asshole from her past who hurt her. And now, he wants to meet her and ask for another chance? Over my dead body! There’s no way I’ll let him anywhere near Kavya. But what’s troubling me more is that Kavya met him and didn’t even bother to tell me. Why? She definitely has some explaining to do. I know it’s not right for me to read her messages, but logic flies out the window when it comes to Kavya, turning me into a possessive, obsessed lover with no bounds.
As if that message wasn’t enough to make my blood boil, another message lights up my screen—this one from an unknown number.
Unknown: I had sent one of my men to your house today, and he nearly got caught. I also heard that you visited Nisha’s college. I hope you’re not trying to outsmart me, or you’ll regret it. Don’t forget my warning!
I slam my hand on the steering wheel. That scumbag is keeping tabs on her. If he so much as lays a finger on her, he’ll be facing my wrath. But he’s not the only one on my radar—h er asshole of an ex is right up there too . These two men are hell-bent on pissing me off, but what they both don’t realise is that they’re messing with the wrong person. Kavya is off-limits, and I’ll make sure neither of them touches a single hair on her head.
Just as I’m trying to calm my anger, my phone pings again. This time, though, the message has me grinning.
Kavya : Deepak, it’s over between us. Get it through that thick skull of yours. Also, if you don’t stop messaging me, I’ll ask your girlfriend to put a leash on you.
The next message pops up, this time to the unknown stalker.
Kavya: I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was in college to pick Kiara’s certificates. I’m following your instructions and haven’t contacted Officer Viraj.
My heart tightens in my chest. Damn, my woman is fierce—handling all this on her own. But I can’t sit idle. I need to do something. Immediately, I dial Sidharth’s number, waiting impatiently for him to pick up the phone.
“Her ex contacted her,” is the first thing I say the moment he answers.
“Yeah, I read that. Seems like an innocent message,” he replies casually, which makes me fly off the handle.
“Her ex messaged, and you’re telling me it’s an innocent message?” I fire back.
He lets out a huff. “What do you expect me to do?”
“Get me his address so I can bury him six feet under the ground.”
“Whoa, easy there, caveman. I think you’ve forgotten, but my job here is to track the bad guy threatening her, not go around pulling addresses from her list of exes,” he retorts.
I think this asshole is in a mood to provoke me. The mere thought of Kavya with anyone else makes me see red. “There is no list,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Fine, no list. Now, can we talk about the stalker? He also dropped a message.”
“Did you get anything on him?”
“Not yet. Whoever he is, he’s smart. The number he’s contacting from is untraceable, but I’m still working on it . Can you talk to Kavya and ask if she has any new lead? That would be of great help. I heard she dropped by the college to get a list. I’m sure she knows something.”
“I’ll talk to her,” I say, running my hand through my hair.
“Cool, I’ll wait.”
“Later,” I say as I hang up the call.
After taking a few moments, I step out of the car and walk to Kavya’s house.
When I reach her front door, I ring the bell and wait. A few seconds later, I hear the lock turn and the door creak open. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of her. H er hair is piled into a messy bun on top of her head, and she’s wearing the cutest pink teddy bear pyjamas and a black tank top. Fuck! Even in this simple attire, she is so graceful and beautiful that just looking at her makes my chest tighten.
“Hi,” I greet, kissing her cheeks, noticing the way she blushes.
“ I thought you weren’t coming tonight ,” she says, her voice soft.
I arch a brow, smirking . “Were you missing me?”
“Of course not,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“I beg to differ,” I quip.
“Come on in before your big ego explodes at my door,” she teases, stepping aside to let me enter. I throw my head back and laugh, following her to the living room and sitting next to her on the couch. I glance around the quiet house when she speaks.
“Aunty went to bed early,”
“Good, I wanted some alone time with you,” I say, l ocking eyes with her , noticing hers widen with apprehension and a glimmer of desire. “To talk,” I add with a wink. Despite my dick having other ideas, I need to focus on having this conversation with her.
“What is it?” she asks softly, looking at me.
I pause for a moment, wondering how to broach the subject delicately. How do I tell her that I’ve been monitoring her phone without upsetting her? Taking a deep breath , I gently cup her face in my hands. “There’s something important I need to discuss with you,” I begin, my tone soft but serious.
“Please tell me it’s not bad news,” she whispers, her hands balling into fists on her lap as she searches my face.
“I’ve had your phone linked to mine, and I’ve been monitoring all the calls and messages you’ve been receiving,” I say directly, ripping off the bandage.
Her mouth drops open in surprise. “You hacked into my phone?” She lets out a quiet gasp, her eyes growing wide.
“I had to, Kavya, to ensure your safety,” I say calmly.
“Are you really going to use my safety as an excuse to invade my privacy without asking for my permission?” she asks, narrowing her eyes.
“We are in a relationship,” I snap.
“So, does that give you the right to go behind my back and dig into things?” she asks, placing her hands on mine and trying to push them away from her cheek. But I don’t let go.
“I was worried, damn it,” I argue back.
“That’s still not a good enough excuse. I can’t believe you’ve been reading all my messages,” she exclaims.
“Kavya, we need to monitor every move that scumbag makes. It’s important for us to understand the situation fully so we can be prepared. I can’t have you keeping things from me , no matter how small, just because he’s threatened you or you’re scared. You need to understand that Karan almost caught someone outside your house , attempting to place a tracking device in your car.”
Her eyes widen in shock. “A tracking device?” she repeats.
“Yes, but we have it under control now,” I say, trying to reassure her.
“I still wish you had kept me in the loop and not gone behind my back,” she says quietly, her body relaxing a bit, but there’s still a hint of disappointment in her voice .
“ I promise, from now on, I won’t do anything without telling you first ,” I say, softening my voice. “Kavya, I want to ask you something. You went to college today to get the list of names of students. Why did you do that? Did you find out anything?”
“I did,” she sighs, closing her eyes for a few seconds before locking them with mine. “I was going through Nisha’s laptop and her personal diary, and I found out that someone from her class was stalking and threatening her.”
“Really? That’s a significant lead, sweetheart. It’ll help us in catching the asshole. Can you give me Nisha’s laptop and diary so I can have Sidharth check them out ?” I ask, and she nods in agreement.
“Do you suspect anyone?”
She shakes her head. “I went through her classmates’ names, but nothing clicked. However, I’m planning to meet Suman, Nisha’s best friend, tomorrow. I think she might be helpful,” she says thoughtfully.
“Good idea,” I agree. “I have one more thing to ask.”
She furrows her brows. “What?”
“Deepak.”
“I really hate that you read my messages,” she groans.
Ignoring her annoyance, I push forward . “Why did you meet that jerk?”
She sighs , looking resigned . “His name was on my sister’s call log, and I wanted to confirm that he had nothing to do with the accident.”
“You don’t think he’s involved?”
“No,” she mumbles. “He might have made bad decisions in his life, but I don’t think he would stoop so low. Deepak and I were in a relationship for a long time. He — ”
“Are you trying to make me jealous?” I interrupt as soon as I hear her name linked with that jerk.
“No,” she grins. “I was just stating a fact.”
“I don’t care about your fucking facts,” I say firmly. I’m done discussing that jerk.
Before she can say anything, I close the distance between us and press my lips to hers. She kisses me back, and I can’t help but smile . Her lips are soft and sweet, and I could spend an eternity kissing her. This woman has me completely under her spell — a spell I never want to break free from.