"Since we are officially married... it is our first night. So, let's complete the rituals, shall we?"

Ananya didn't wait for him to finish. With a surge of desperation, she shoved his chest with all her might and reached under the edge of the bed. Her fingers wrapped around a sharp, jagged piece of glass, a large shard from a flower vase she had secretly smashed earlier and hidden away just for this moment.

She raised her arm, ready to drive the shard straight into his chest.

But Rey was unnaturally fast. His hand snapped up, clamping around her wrist like a vice and stopping the glass just inches from his skin.

He looked at the sharp edge, then back into her raging eyes. A slow, dark smile spread across his face. "Don't make me fall for you more by doing things like this, kitten..."

"Let go of me!" she screamed, struggling with every ounce of strength to free her wrist.

In her frantic effort to twist out of his grip, she squeezed the jagged glass tighter and tighter. The sharp edge sliced deep into her own palm. Warm, thick blood began to pour from her hand, dripping down her wrist and staining Rey's fingers.

Seeing the blood, Rey's mocking expression vanished, replaced by sudden rage. He tried to force her fingers open to make her drop the shard.

"Leave that fucking piece, u mad woman!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the dark. "If you want to attack me, couldn't you at least use a proper knife?!"

With a swift, brutal movement, he twisted her arm behind her back, forcing her to drop the glass, and shoved her down onto the mattress. He pinned her against the bed for a split second just to grab the fallen shard from the sheets.

"More dangerous than me," he said, a strange, twisted note of pride in his voice.

He flung the bloody piece of glass across the room, where it shattered against the far wall. The moment the weapon was gone, he let go of her and walked back a few steps, giving her space.

The second she was free, Ananya scrambled off the sheets. Instead of backing away, she lunged off the bed straight at him, her fingers grabbing his shirt collar with a wild, desperate strength.

"Die! Die! Die!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, shaking him blindly.

Rey didn't strike back. He simply caught both of her wrists in one massive hand, pinning them together to stop her flailing. He pulled her flush against his chest, locking her body tight against his so she couldn't move, her head resting right under his chin.

He leaned his face down toward her ear, his breath hot against her skin. "Don't worry... I won't touch u till u want me to."

Ananya let out a hysterical, broken laugh, screaming right into his chest. "You fucker! You are already touching me! You touched me before, you forced me into this, and now you're trying to act nice?! Leave me alone!"

"Be happy I am trying to be nice," he muttered.

He let go of her wrists and stepped back completely. Ananya instantly recoiled, pulling herself to the opposite side of the bed, her chest heaving as she watched him.

Rey walked calmly across the room to the dark corner where he had thrown the shard. He picked up the bloody piece of glass so she couldn't use it again, then turned around to face her.

"A maid will come to treat your wound," he said, his voice flat and steady. "Like I said, I won't touch you until you want me to. I am trying to be nice, and I am a man of my words."

He walked over to the door, placing his hand on the knob. Before stepping out into the hallway, he stopped and looked back at her bleeding palm.

"Next time... if u want to attack, use a knife instead of this," he said, his eyes scanning her trembling figure one last time. "See? You wanted to hurt me, but you only ended up hurting yourself. It's a waste of your own energy."

With that, he opened the door, stepped out into the dark corridor, and closed it behind him, leaving her alone with the echoing silence of the room.

-----------

The next morning, the bright sunlight streamed through the large windows of Ryan's home. Ryan groaned, rubbing his temples. He was absolutely exhausted, and his head was pounding with a sharp, blinding ache.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and picked it up.

"Good morning, sir," his personal assistant said on the other end.

"Morning..." Ryan muttered, his voice thick with sleep.

"Sir, your new lawyer handled everything perfectly," the PA reported. "He officially proved in court that the person in that video is not you."

Ryan scoffed, leaning back against his pillows. "Of course he had to prove it. Because that wasn't fucking me!"

Tired of the drama, Ryan cut the call, threw the phone onto the bed, and forced himself to get up. He walked downstairs, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, but stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the dining room.

The entire table was covered in a massive, warm spread of traditional Indian breakfast food.

"Good morning, R—"

Avantika walked out of the kitchen holding a dish, but she instantly stopped herself before finishing his name. Her face twisted into a momentary look of deep confusion, her eyes scanning his posture and expression. Then, a wave of pure relief and happiness washed over her. She recognized the warmth in his eyes. She understood instantly, this was Ryan, the real Ryan.

"Avani?" Ryan's face lit up with a genuine smile. "When did you come here? I didn't even know you had arrived!"

"You were sleeping so soundly last night, so I thought it was best not to disturb you," Avantika replied, setting the dish down.

Ryan smiled warmly, walked over to his sister, and kissed her forehead gently. They both sat down at the dining table.

Ryan looked at the spread of food, his eyes widening. "Wow... it's been years since I've eaten food like this. Every single day it's just bread, toast, coffee... I am so tired of it. This, right here, is real food."

He immediately dug in, making Avantika burst into a soft laugh.

As he ate, Ryan looked up at her, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "So, tell me. How is your family back in India? Your husband and your in-laws? How is everything?"

Avantika's bright smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "My in-laws are the best. They are wonderful people. But... my husband? Let's just not talk about him."

Ryan stopped chewing, looking at her with concern. "Why? Did you two fight?"

Avantika let out a small, bitter laugh and sighed. "I am sorry that I never told you this before, Ryan... but we are not together anymore."

"Huh?" Ryan frowned, setting his fork down. "Why? What happened?"

"It's a long story," she said softly, staring at her plate. "We just separated our ways."

Ryan looked at her for a long moment, then nodded understandingly. He didn't want to push her. "Well, look at the bright side. Now you are free, in a sense. Live your life freely from now on. Anyway... the real reason I called you here is because in two days, it's mine and Anna's marriage."

Avantika's eyes went wide, and a huge smile broke across her face. "What?! You should have told me this before! I would have come a whole month early to help with the preparations!"

"If you had come a month ago, you would have just been sitting here alone," Ryan laughed.

Avantika sighed, rolling her eyes playfully. "Yeah, I guess that's true."

But then, her expression grew serious. She looked across the table at Ryan, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of her cup. "Ryan... actually, I need your help to find someone."

Ryan looked at her, matching her serious tone. "Who?"

"My sister-in-law."

"What happened to her?" Ryan asked, his brows furrowing.

Avantika let out a heavy, stressed sigh. "I can't reach her at all. I heard from the family that she has gone completely missing. Yesterday, I spent the entire day going from one police station to another trying to get information on the case. But the police are being incredibly shady. They didn't tell me anything and practically kicked me out."

She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a panicked whisper. "And today, I heard a news report saying that she is dead. They claim she committed suicide because of academic pressure and financial expenses. Ryan, that is a complete lie! She is not someone who would ever commit suicide. Pressure? Financial issues? She is earning so well on her own! And the police won't even show the body. It feels like someone fake-reported her death... but why would anyone do that?"

Ryan listened intently, his face darkening as he processed the strange details. He looked at his sister's desperate face. "I have no idea why someone would fake a death... Can you share all of her details with me? Her name, her photos, her college? I will look into it immediately and do something."

Avantika nodded quickly, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "I will share everything right now... I just hope she is fine wherever she is."

Ryan reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, Avani. I will find her. She is your family, which means she is like my sister, too."