The Monster King

Chapter 47

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Reyansh felt a surge of heated betrayal course through him. Deep down, he had always suspected that Kiara wouldn't sit quietly beside him on the wedding stage, but he hadn't expected her to run off. He had taken her compliance for granted, mistaking her calm demeanor before the wedding as acceptance of her fate. How wrong he had been. And now, he was certain she couldn't have escaped without help from someone inside the house.

His eyes scanned the sea of faces, searching for any sign of guilt or complicity. Then, his gaze locked onto Meera, who stood staring back at him blankly. Understanding dawned on him, and his suspicion turned to certainty.

"Meera!" he hissed under his breath, the name a venomous curse.

Meera had always been Kiara's closest confidante, the one person she spent most of her time with. She must have been the one who helped Kiara escape. Reyansh's teeth ground together in fury as he fixed a bitter, accusatory glare on her.

In return, Meera's lips curled into a small, triumphant smile, her eyes gleaming with a hint of defiance. It was as if she had won an internal war, and her victory stung him more deeply than he cared to admit.

The hall seemed to close in around Reyansh as he stood, seething with a mix of anger and humiliation. He had been outmaneuvered, and the realization only fueled his possessive rage. His heart pounded with a relentless beat; his mind consumed by thoughts of retribution. He would not let this betrayal go unpunished.

From the corner, Deviyan watched as the drama unfolded, a sense of relief washing over him. The grand hall, filled with murmurs and shocked gasps, was now focused entirely on the mighty king whose bride had run off on their wedding day. What a shame, Deviyan mused, savoring the spectacle of Reyansh's humiliation.

"Great job, bhabi-sa," he thought with a wry smile. "You did what I couldn't do in years."

With a sense of satisfaction in his heart, Deviyan turned and walked away toward his guest bedroom. The weight of his own pain and resentment toward Reyansh felt lighter now, as if Kiara's bold escape had lifted a burden he had carried for far too long. For the first time in years, he felt a glimmer of hope and the bittersweet taste of vindication.

Reyansh, seething with anger and frustration, ripped the wedding turban from his head and began to storm off the stage. But before he could take more than a few steps, he felt a hand grasp his wrist. He turned to see Sumarnika, her eyes pleading.

"Don't go, Reyansh. Please marry me. Kiara has run off and she's never coming back," she implored, her voice trembling with desperation.

"Yes, Reyansh," Jeevanta interjected, her voice filled with urgency and a manipulative edge. "Kiara is a traitor. She was never a good match, and I knew it from the beginning. Beggars can never be trusted. Sumarnika is the right fit for our kingdom. Marry her, we cannot leave the guests hanging-it will bring us so much shame."

Reyansh's eyes blazed with a mixture of rage and confusion as he looked from Sumarnika to Jeevanta. Their words swirled around him, each one an attempt to manipulate him into abandoning his feelings of betrayal and moving forward with the wedding.

He shook off Sumarnika's grip, his voice a low growl. "You think I care about the shame? About the guests? Kiara was supposed to be my bride. You can't replace her just like that."

Sumarnika's eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling. "But Reyansh, I'm here now. I can be everything you need. We can still save this day."

Reyansh glared at her, his mind racing. The weight of his grandmother's words pressed down on him, but his heart was in turmoil. He couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal, the anger at being manipulated by those he trusted.