The fabric of Rohan's hoodie felt like a curse against Myra's skin. Reyansh's grip was like iron as he hauled her toward the master bedroom, his silence more terrifying than any shout.
"Reyansh, stop! You're hurting me!" Myra gasped, stumbling as she tried to keep up with his long, furious strides.
He didn't stop until they were in the center of his cold, obsidian-tiled bathroom. He spun her around to face the massive vanity mirror. "Look at yourself," he commanded, his voice a low, jagged snarl.
Myra looked. She saw a girl who looked small, swallowed by grey cotton that didn't belong to her.
"You look like you belong to a middle-class doctor," Reyansh hissed, standing behind her. His large hands landed on her shoulders, the heat of his palms soaking through the hoodie. "You look like you've settled for a life of 'stability' and 'kindness.' But we both know that's a lie, don't we?"
With a sudden, violent jerk, he grabbed the collar of the hoodie and ripped it. The sound of tearing fabric echoed off the marble walls. Myra let out a cry of shock as the garment was stripped from her body and tossed into the trash can like garbage.
"That's the last time another man's scent stays on you," he rasped.
He turned on the shower, the water hissing as it hit the floor at a scalding temperature. He didn't wait for her to move. He pulled her under the spray, clothes and all, until she was drenched. The heat of the water clashed with the cold fury in his eyes.
He grabbed a sponge and a bottle of his own expensive, cedar-scented body wash. He began to scrub her arms, her neck, her shoulders—not with the gentleness of a lover, but with the intensity of a man trying to wash away a stain.
"Reyansh, please... it was just a storm," she sobbed, the steam rising around them.
"It was a choice, Myra!" he roared, pinning her against the wet tiles. "You could have stayed in the car. You could have walked to a hotel. But you went to him. You let him see you like this."
He dropped the sponge and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into his dark, chaotic eyes. "I told you that you were a distraction. I told you we were strangers. But I lied. I can't stand the thought of him looking at you. I can't stand the thought of his 'kind' hands on what I've claimed."
He leaned down, his mouth dropping to the crook of her neck. He didn't kiss her. He bit—a deep, possessive mark right over her collarbone, where no dress or scarf could easily hide it.
Myra gasped, her fingers clutching his wet shirt. The pain was sharp, followed by a throbbing heat that synchronized with her heartbeat.
"There," Reyansh whispered against her skin, his breath ragged. "Now, when you go to the office today, everyone will see. When your 'doctor' calls you, you'll feel my teeth in your skin. I'm erasing him, Myra. Inch by inch. Until there's nothing left of you that he recognizes."
He stepped back, leaving her shivering under the hot water, a dark red mark blooming on her skin like a brand. He had erased the trace of Rohan, but he had replaced it with something far more dangerous: his own obsession.
Author's Thought
THE TEARING OF THE HOODIE! 😱🔥 Reyansh has officially lost his mind. He's not even pretending to be a professional CEO anymore. He's a man marking his territory! 🚩🚩🚩