Semua Bab His Ruin: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Rian I couldn’t stop thinking about her.She had looked at me as though I was about to hurt her. That single flinch replayed in my mind over and over again. I’d only wanted to move the strand of hair covering her face.Nothing more.Yet she’d recoiled as if my hand were a weapon. I leaned back in the chair inside my study and rubbed my temples.Something wasn’t right.At first, I’d convinced myself it was nerves. Any woman forced into an arranged marriage would be anxious. It was understandable.Expected, even.But the more I thought about it… the less that explanation made sense. It hadn’t just been fear. It had been instinct. The kind of reaction that came from experience. My thoughts drifted back to the bruise I’d caught beneath the sleeve of her blouse.It had only been visible for a second before the fabric slipped back into place. A dark mark against pale skin. Too large to ignore and deliberate to dismiss.I frowned.Had I imagined it? No. I was certain I’d seen it.But bruise

DrisanaI stayed on the edge of the bed for a while, staring at nothing.Eventually, I forced myself to move. If I stayed there any longer, I feared the nightmare would swallow me whole again. Dragging my feet across the polished floor, I disappeared into the bathroom.The cold water that poured from the shower washed away the sweat clinging to my skin, anything to wash away the lingering image of blood… of those faces… of him. I stood beneath it longer than necessary. Long enough for the water to turn cold and my fingers to wrinkle.When I finally stepped out, I brushed my teeth in silence, staring blankly at my reflection. The woman in the mirror looked unfamiliar. The light inside my eyes had disappeared. I dried my face before quietly returning to the bedroom.The morning sunlight had grown brighter.It spilled across the vanity table where a wooden hairbrush rested neatly beside a crystal perfume bottle. I lowered myself onto the stool.I sat there for several seconds, looking at

DrisanaThe clinic smelled of antiseptic and fresh lilies. It was oddly comforting—nothing like the chaos that had become my life.A nurse called my name, and I followed her down a narrow hallway before she opened the consultation room door.“Please, have a seat.”“Thank you,” I said quietly, and sat opposite the doctor’s desk. She looked to be in her forties, dressed in a crisp white coat with kind eyes and a warm smile that immediately put me at ease. She picked up my file.“So, Mrs. Malhotra…” The unfamiliar surname still caught me off guard.“…tell me what brings you here today.”I folded my hands in my lap.“I’ve been throwing up.”“For how long?” She asked. “A few days.”“Only in the mornings?”“Well…” I looked down at my finger, “… mostly but it has happened during the afternoon too.”She nodded and scribbled something onto my chart.“What about your appetite?”“I get hungry. Like very hungry.” I let out a tired breath. “But the moment I eat, I throw everything up.”She look

DrisanaMy fingers went numb.I stared at the ultrasound lying between us. The tiny, blurry image that had terrified me only hours ago now felt like the most dangerous thing in the world.I looked at Raj. He was still smiling. He looked amused. “How…” My voice barely came out. “How did you get that?”He leaned back against the sofa as though we’d just finished discussing the weather.“Does it matter?”“Where did you get it?”“You really thought you could hide something from me?” His smile widened. I swallowed. My eyes dropped back to the photograph. I had hidden it. I had kept it buried beneath everything in my handbag. I hadn’t shown Rian or told the servants. I hadn’t even allowed myself to look at it for more than a few seconds at a time. Yet somehow… Raj had it.“You’ve been watching me.”It wasn’t a question. His silence was answer enough. A cold shiver traveled down my spine. Raj reached for his tea and took a slow sip.“I have eyes everywhere, Drisana. You should know that by

ArmaniMexico was supposed to be temporary. A place to disappear until the heat in Chicago died down. Instead, it had become a cage. The villa was surrounded by men I trusted, cameras, locked gates, and enough security to make getting inside nearly impossible. None of it made me feel safe because the one person I wanted to protect wasn’t here. Drisana was still missing.And every day I woke up without knowing where she was, the walls around me seemed to close in a little more. The television played quietly across the room. I hadn’t been watching it. Not until her name caught my attention.I looked up.Raj was in front of a wall of cameras with tears running down his face. My jaw tightened.“My daughter is still missing… I just want her home.”I stared at the screen. The bastard looked devastated and desperate. A grieving father. The kind of man the world would sympathize with. Then my own face appeared. A photograph taken months ago. Underneath it were words that had become almost i