The morning passed in a blur of sharp commands and fast typing.
Riaan Khurana didn't believe in easing anyone in. No polite instructions, no orientation tour. Just a cold stack of tasks, back-to-back meetings, and a schedule tighter than the knot in Aanya's stomach.
By noon, she'd already delivered three perfect reports, organized his entire weekly calendar, and rescheduled a lunch meeting with a board member who didn't sound pleased.
But she hadn't cracked. Not yet.
She looked up from her laptop as Riaan's door opened.
"Inside," he said simply.
She stood and followed, her heels muffled on the carpet.
He didn't glance at her as he sat down.
"There's a contract file missing," he said. "Q-Tek merger. Find it."
She blinked. "Sir, that file wasn't in the digital archive."
His eyes lifted. Dark. Unforgiving.
"I don't care where it is," he said. "I want it on my desk in ten minutes."
She nodded, pulse quickening. "Yes, sir."
"And Miss Verma?"
She turned.
"Close the door behind you."
The door clicked shut, muffling the outside world. She stood still for a beat, heartbeat loud in her ears.
He was watching her now—really watching.
"You're not afraid to challenge me," he said suddenly.
Her breath caught. "I didn't mean to—"
"You should be."
Aanya straightened her shoulders. "I just want to do my job well."
That faint, sharp smile again. The one that made her wonder if he was mocking her—or testing her.
"Let's see how well you handle pressure, then," he said. "Because working for me means knowing how to think… and when not to speak."
Her throat went dry. The words felt layered, laced with something more than work.
She didn't respond. Just turned, quietly determined, and walked out to begin her search.
But as she left, she felt it—his eyes on her back. A stare that didn't just observe. It owned.
And deep inside, she wondered…
Was this the beginning of her rise…or the start of being undone?