Her Deviant Husband

22. I'm Pregnant!

Reyansh's Pov.

I parked my sleek black SUV in the circular driveway of the Roy mansion.

On the passenger seat, the bouquet of pink roses and white lilies sat innocently, clearly unprepared for the storm of insanity I was about to wade into. I had probably not had this much human interaction in the entirety of my life. The flowers looked beautiful in their delicate simplicity, but I knew damn well they weren't going to soften the madness of the Roy clan.

I quickly stubbed out my cigarette in the ashtray, chewed a piece of gum like I was chewing through a world of problems, and spritzed a liberal amount of cologne—after all, Athira had been very clear about one thing: 

"No smelling like death when you meet my family, Reyansh."

I stepped out of the car, smoothing down my almost black but actually blue suit. Athira had insisted I wear something that wasn't black. 

I could practically hear her voice in my head, "You wear black suits like you're attending a funeral, Reyansh. Be a little more colorful for once." So here I was, in very black blue—close enough, right?

As soon as I set foot on the cobblestone path leading to the door, I saw her. Athira. Standing in the doorway like some ethereal being sent to torture my soul. She was a goddess in a flowing white anarkali that shimmered under the sunlight, as if she were glowing from the inside out. Her long, dark hair cascaded in soft waves, and her bold eyes locked onto mine with an unspoken challenge.

For a moment, the world stopped spinning.

She was breathtaking. Unapologetically beautiful, like the kind of woman who could steal your breath, your heart, and maybe your sanity all in one go.

I could feel my heartbeat quicken. I didn't know what and how to feel around her anymore.

I took a step forward, the flowers in my hand feeling heavier than I expected. When I reached her, I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice just enough for only her to hear.
"You look... ethereal."

Her eyebrows flicked up for a fraction of a second, surprise crossing her face before it was expertly masked by that beautiful smile I was beginning to recognize as her default setting.

"Don't overdo it," she muttered, but the flush creeping up her cheeks betrayed her, softening the sharpness of her words.

Ignoring her attempt at nonchalance, I handed her the bouquet, feeling an unfamiliar tension between us. But I didn't want to back down just yet. So, I leaned in again, this time brushing my lips gently against her cheek. "For you, sweetheart."

Her body stiffened for a heartbeat, but it was gone before anyone noticed. Athira recovered immediately, plastering a dazzlingly fake smile across her face. "Reyansh, if you keep this up, I might actually start believing you're in love with me."

I raised an eyebrow, letting my smirk widen. "That's the idea, isn't it?"

She rolled her eyes, though I could see a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she led me inside, her flush lingering despite her best efforts to hide it.

"Ahem, lovebirds!" Aiyanna, Athira's younger cousin, said with a teasing grin, dramatically covering her younger brother Evansh's eyes as if she were shielding him from some horrendous crime.

"I CAN SEE THROUGH YOUR FINGERS, DIDI!" Evansh piped up in his soft, fluffy voice, somehow sounding even cuter than a fluffy bunny despite his protests. He was 14 but looked like a walking, talking plush toy with his level of innocence.