Chapter 1: The Interview and move forward chronologically — interview → professional rivalry → Seoul moments → Han River romance → rajiv 's shadow .... part 2 → family meetings → engagement → marriage → honeymoon
Chapter 1: THE INTERVIEW.
The glass tower of Vyronix Technologies rose like a giant in the heart of Seoul, its steel and glass reflecting ambition itself. Inside, a storm was already brewing, but none could sense it—not even the man who ruled the empire.
Kian Singhania, the enigmatic CEO, was known for two things: brilliance and ruthlessness. At just thirty, he had turned Vyronix into one of Asia's fastest-growing tech giants. His employees feared his silence more than his words, and no one had ever dared to stand in his way.
Until Aadya Sharma walked into his office.
She wasn't like the others who applied for the role of his secretary. Aadya was Indian, with eyes that held quiet strength and a stubborn grace that made her presence impossible to ignore. She had left her homeland to chase her dreams, and though nervous, she wasn't about to be crushed under Kian's intimidating aura.
Kian didn't even look up from his laptop when she entered.
"You have five minutes," he said flatly.
Aadya lifted her chin. Five minutes? I'll make them count.
The questions came sharp and fast—technical knowledge, corporate policies, crisis management. Instead of stammering, Aadya shot back confident answers. Her voice trembled only once, when he asked, "Why Vyronix?"
"Because this company doesn't just create technology," she said softly, "it creates power. And power in the right hands can change lives. I want to be part of that."
For the first time, Kian looked up. Their eyes met, and something flickered between them—curiosity, defiance, and something unspoken.
"You're hired," he said, shocking her. "But remember… if you make even one mistake, you won't survive here."
Aadya swallowed, nodded, and walked out. She didn't know it yet, but she had just stepped into a world where ambition and emotions would collide… and where her destiny was tied to the cold-hearted CEO.
Chapter 2 : FIRST DAY OF VYRONIX
Aadya's first morning at Vyronix Technologies began with chaos. The building buzzed with hundreds of employees in crisp suits, the air humming with ambition. She tried to steady her nerves as she stepped into the executive floor, her badge dangling around her neck.
"Miss Sharma, the CEO is expecting you," a senior assistant whispered as though warning her before battle.
Inside, Kian was already at his desk, his eyes sharp as they scanned figures on a screen. Without looking up, he said, "You're late."
Aadya froze. "It's 8:55. My appointment said nine—"
Kian's eyes lifted, dark and cold. "At Vyronix, if you arrive on time, you're already late. From tomorrow, be here before me. Which means before eight."
Her mouth parted, ready with a protest, but she swallowed it. Instead, she nodded and muttered, "Understood, sir."
That word—sir—irked him more than he admitted.
The first few days were war. Kian demanded precision to the last detail, from arranging his meetings down to the temperature of his coffee. Aadya made mistakes, but unlike the trembling assistants before her, she refused to bow her head in defeat. She apologized, corrected herself, and faced his cutting remarks with a calm defiance.
One evening, after hours of endless work, Aadya stood in the elevator, exhausted. Just as the doors were closing, Kian entered. Silence filled the space. She could feel his presence like an electric charge, but she stared straight ahead.
"You survived the first week," Kian said, his tone unreadable.
"Survival isn't the goal, Mr. Singhania. Growth is."
The elevator dinged. For a split second, Kian's lips curved—half amusement, half intrigue. Aadya didn't see it, but she had done something no one else in Vyronix ever had. She had piqued his interest.Perfect ✨ Let's dive into the next stage of their journey.
Chapter 3 : CRACK IN THE ICE
For weeks, Aadya endured Kian's relentless tests. He pushed her into impossible deadlines, deliberately rescheduled meetings without notice, and once, even asked her to prepare a pitch presentation with only two hours' notice—something that would normally take an entire team.
Most assistants would have quit by now. But Aadya… didn't.
She stayed late in the office, her tired fingers flying across the keyboard, her eyes heavy but determined. Sometimes she looked like she might break. But she never did. And Kian, silently watching from the glass wall of his office, felt something unexpected—a flicker of admiration.
One night, long past midnight, the corridors of Vyronix were deserted except for the glow of screens. Aadya was still at her desk, hair tied up, papers spread around her. Kian stepped out, loosening his tie.
"You should go home," he said.
She didn't even look up. "I will, once I finish this. You told me this project can't wait till morning."
His brows rose. No hesitation, no fear. Just dedication.
For the first time, Kian walked closer. He leaned against her desk, watching her work. "Why are you really here, Aadya? Vyronix eats people alive. You don't look like someone who belongs to the battlefield."
Her fingers paused on the keyboard. She met his gaze, steady and unflinching. "Because I refuse to be ordinary. And because people like you… think I can't handle this world. I'm here to prove you wrong."
The silence that followed was heavier than any words.
For Kian, it was a dangerous moment. He had built walls, forged by betrayal and ruthless ambition. Yet this girl, with her stubborn fire, was chipping away at them piece by piece.
And when Aadya turned back to her work, dismissing him like he was no more than a distraction, something inside Kian shifted. For the first time in years, the mighty Kian Singhania felt vulnerable.
But instead of stepping back, he smiled coldly to himself.
If Aadya thought she could survive Vyronix, he would make sure she faced her greatest test yet.
What neither of them knew was that in trying to break her… Kian was already beginning to fall.
Chapter 4 : THE FIRST SPARK
It started with a phone call.
A high-profile investor presentation—one that could make or break Vyronix's next expansion—was suddenly advanced by two weeks. Panic rippled through the company. The software prototype wasn't ready. The pitch deck was incomplete. And the lead developer had just quit.
Kian, known for his composure, clenched his jaw so tightly the tension was visible. Everyone in the boardroom sat frozen, waiting for his verdict.
Then, his eyes fell on Aadya.
"You," he said, pointing toward her. "You'll coordinate this project. You'll work with me directly."
The room gasped. Assistants never handled billion-dollar presentations. But Aadya simply swallowed hard and nodded.
That night, Vyronix transformed into a war zone of ideas, deadlines, and chaos. The glass office became their battlefield, and for the first time, Aadya wasn't just the assistant fetching coffee—she was the partner, sitting across from Kian, challenging him.
"No, this design doesn't highlight user security properly," she said, pushing the draft away. "Investors will think it's risky."
Kian raised an eyebrow. "You think you know more than me?"
She met his gaze without flinching. "Not more. But enough to see when something won't work."
Instead of snapping back, Kian smirked. A dangerous, approving smirk. "Prove it, then."
And so, they worked—side by side, night after night. Their arguments turned into debates, debates into brainstorming, and brainstorming into an unspoken rhythm. He'd speak half a sentence, and she'd finish it. She'd point out a flaw, and he'd instantly provide a fix.
Somewhere between the coffee-fueled nights and the shared silences of the 2 a.m. city skyline, something changed.
One night, Aadya fell asleep on the couch, files still clutched in her hands. Kian, emerging from a call, stopped in his tracks. For a long moment, he just stood there, staring at her peaceful face, the faint curl of her hair brushing her cheek.
No one had ever dared to stand this close to his fire without burning. Yet here she was—fearless, unbroken, and impossibly real.
For the first time in years, Kian felt something stir inside him. Something he had buried deep beneath ambition and ice.
The spark.
And sparks… were dangerous.
Chapter 5 : CRACK IN THE ARMOUR
The investor presentation was a thunderous success. Vyronix's valuation shot up overnight, and Kian Singhania, once again, was hailed as the untouchable visionary of the tech world.
But Aadya noticed something no one else did.
After the applause, after the champagne, when the office lights dimmed, Kian didn't celebrate. He retreated to his corner office, blinds half-drawn, city lights casting long shadows on his sharp profile. His phone buzzed once. He looked at the screen, his jaw tightening, and then silenced it without a word.
Aadya, on her way out, hesitated. Something pulled her back. She knocked lightly.
"Come in," came his clipped voice.
Inside, she found him staring at an old photo on his desk—a rare sight, since his office was devoid of anything personal. It was a family portrait. A younger Kian, smiling faintly, with a woman and a man beside him.
"You never smile like that anymore," Aadya said softly before she could stop herself.
His eyes snapped up, cold steel once more. "You're crossing a line, Miss Sharma."
But instead of leaving, she walked closer. "Sometimes lines need to be crossed… especially when someone keeps hiding behind them."
Kian's lips curved, but it wasn't a smile. "You think you want to know me, Aadya. You don't."
"Try me," she whispered.
For a long moment, silence stretched between them—thick, electric, dangerous. Then, with a bitter laugh, Kian leaned back.
"My mother left when I was twelve. My father buried himself in business, and when he died, I inherited everything—along with the lesson that attachments are liabilities. People leave, Miss Sharma. Always. And when they do, they take pieces of you with them."
Aadya's heart clenched. She had expected arrogance, maybe even cruelty, but not this raw honesty.
She wanted to reach out, to touch his hand, but stopped herself. "Not everyone leaves, Kian. Some people stay."
His eyes darkened, almost pained, and for a fleeting second, his walls wavered. But then he stood, buttoning his coat, masking the moment with practiced precision.
"Goodnight, Miss Sharma. Get some rest."
Aadya left, but she couldn't shake the image—the man behind the CEO, the boy who had been left behind. And in that moment, she realized something dangerous:
She wasn't just working for Kian Singhania anymore.
She was falling for him.
Chapter 6 : FIRE & ICE
Monday morning, the Vyronix boardroom gleamed with glass walls and quiet menace. Executives sat stiffly in their chairs, screens glowing with quarterly reports. At the head of the table, Kian Singhania exuded his usual aura of authority—cold, controlled, untouchable.
Aadya sat three seats away, her laptop open, her notes precise. But inside, her pulse raced. She had spent the weekend replaying his words, the vulnerability he had revealed, and the icy mask he had worn right after.
The meeting began with Kian's clipped voice. "Our expansion model for Europe is being delayed. I want solutions, not excuses."
Executives exchanged uneasy glances. One mumbled about regulatory issues, another about manpower shortages. Kian's jaw tightened.
"Pathetic," he said coldly. "You run multimillion-dollar departments and yet can't think beyond obstacles. Vyronix wasn't built on excuses."
Silence fell. No one dared to speak.
No one—except Aadya.
She cleared her throat. "With all due respect, Mr. Singhania, maybe what the team needs isn't more pressure. Maybe they need direction."
Every head in the room snapped toward her. No one talked back to Kian Singhania. Ever.
Kian's eyes lifted slowly, locking onto hers. Steel meeting fire. "Excuse me?"
Aadya swallowed but didn't back down. "You demand results without listening to the people bringing them. You shut them down before they finish. How do you expect solutions when the atmosphere you create makes people afraid to think?"
A stunned silence gripped the room. Someone actually dropped their pen.
Kian's face remained unreadable, but his eyes burned with a mix of fury… and something else. Challenge.
"Miss Sharma," he said softly, dangerously, "are you lecturing me on how to run my company?"
She leaned forward, her voice steady. "No. I'm reminding you that it's not just your company. It's also the people who build it every day. If you can't trust them, then why should they trust you?"
The boardroom held its breath.
For one long second, Kian didn't move. Then, unexpectedly, his lips curved—not in anger, but in the faintest, most dangerous smile.
"Interesting," he murmured. "Very interesting."
The meeting moved on, but everyone knew they had just witnessed something historic: someone had stood up to Kian Singhania… and lived to tell the tale.
Later, as the room emptied, Kian brushed past Aadya, leaning close enough that only she could hear.
"You play with fire, Miss Sharma," he whispered. "Be careful you don't get burned."
Her heart pounded, but she met his gaze without flinching. "Or maybe, Mr. Singhania, it's you who's afraid of the heat."
For the first time in years, Kian found himself shaken—not by an investor, not by a rival, but by one woman who refused to fear him.
Chapter 7 : THE BREAKING POINT
By the end of the week, the entire company was whispering about it. The girl who stood up to Kian Singhania. Some called her brave. Others, foolish. A few, jealous of her sudden spotlight.
In the cafeteria, hushed voices followed Aadya. "Did you hear? She told Kian off—in front of everyone."
"She won't last a month."
"Or maybe… she's the only one who can tame him."
Aadya pretended not to hear. She had work to do, deadlines to meet. But the weight of so many eyes, so many murmurs, pressed against her.
The real trouble, however, began inside the company's upper circle.
Rajiv Malhotra, Senior VP and one of Kian's most loyal executives, slammed a file shut in his office. "She thinks she's clever. Challenging him like that. What happens when others get ideas?"
He wasn't alone in his resentment. To many, Aadya wasn't a rising star—she was a threat.
That evening, as Aadya left the building, she found her code project locked, her access suddenly revoked. Panic prickled through her veins. She had spent weeks perfecting it.
She hurried back to IT, only to be told calmly: "Your permissions were suspended. Directive from the top."
Her heart sank. "From Mr. Singhania?"
The man shrugged. "That's what it says.''
When she confronted Kian the next morning, storming into his office without knocking, he didn't even look up from his laptop.
"You wanted to see me?" he asked, voice calm, almost mocking.
"My access has been revoked," Aadya said sharply. "My project was locked. Your project."
He finally looked up. His eyes were unreadable. "Yes."
The word cut through her like ice. "Why? You trusted me with it. You said—"
"I said a lot of things." His tone was cool, detached, but his eyes… they betrayed conflict. "This company isn't a playground. You made enemies when you opened your mouth in that boardroom. Do you think I can shield you from them? Do you think I want to?"
Aadya's breath caught. "So you're punishing me too?"
Kian leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "I'm protecting you, Aadya. Even if you're too stubborn to see it. Sometimes, to keep you safe, I have to be the villain."
Her chest tightened. His words sounded like concern, but his expression was pure steel. "You don't get to decide what I can or can't handle."
Kian's jaw flexed. For a moment, the mask cracked. His voice dropped, low and dangerous. "You don't understand. The higher you rise here, the more they'll want to break you. And if you get hurt…" His hand curled into a fist. "…I can't allow that."
Silence hung between them.
For the first time, Aadya saw not just the ruthless CEO, but the man trapped beneath—fighting something even he couldn't control.
But she also knew this wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
Chapter 8 : LINES AND LOYALTY
Aadya didn't sleep that night. The memory of Kian's words—Sometimes, to keep you safe, I have to be the villain—echoed endlessly in her mind.
She sat at her small desk, her laptop glowing in the dark, fingers racing across the keys. If he had shut her out of the system, she would find another way in. Not to sabotage, not to rebel for the sake of rebellion, but to prove that she wasn't fragile. That she didn't need Kian Singhania—or anyone—to fight her battles.
By dawn, she had written a new module. Something leaner, faster, more efficient than the prototype she'd been assigned. A silent rebellion written in lines of code.
The next morning at Vayronix, Aadya walked through the office like nothing had changed. Her access was still locked, her name quietly blacklisted from the main project. But she didn't panic. Instead, she smiled. She had her own weapon now.
Meanwhile, in the upper levels of power, trouble was brewing.
Rajiv Malhotra watched her from the glass-paneled conference room. His lip curled into a smirk. "She's still working? After being cut off? Bold… or foolish."
Beside him, a shadowy figure leaned against the wall—Ananya Mehra, head of Corporate Strategy. She was elegant, ambitious, and dangerous in ways few understood. "She's becoming a distraction for Kian," Ananya murmured. "And distractions don't belong in this company. Perhaps it's time she was reminded of her place."
Rajiv's smile widened. "Leave it to me."
That evening, as Aadya packed her things, she noticed her laptop behaving strangely. Files disappeared, new ones appeared. Her project was tampered with, code corrupted.
Her stomach dropped. She scanned the changes quickly—and her blood froze.
Someone had planted a virus inside her program. If this was leaked or discovered, she would be branded as the saboteur.
She wasn't just being silenced anymore. She was being framed.
Hours later, Kian's office door slammed open. Aadya stormed in, laptop in hand, her voice trembling with fury.
"You did this, didn't you?!"
Kian rose slowly from behind his desk. "What exactly do you think I've done now?"
"You set me up. My code is infected. If this spreads, I'll be blamed. You wanted me out, and now you've got your excuse."
His eyes darkened like storm clouds. He crossed the room in three strides, his presence overwhelming. "Aadya Sharma," he said in a voice that was low and lethal, "if I ever wanted you gone, you wouldn't last a day here. Don't mistake me for my enemies."
Her anger faltered for a moment. "Enemies?"
"Yes," Kian hissed. His gaze flickered past her, toward the glass windows overlooking the floor below. "And if you don't stop underestimating how ruthless they are, you won't survive them."
But Aadya wasn't about to back down. She lifted her chin, fire blazing in her eyes. "Then let them come. I'm not afraid of them. And I'm not afraid of you."
For the first time, Kian's mask slipped. His lips parted, a breath caught in his chest. His hand hovered for a moment—like he wanted to touch her, to silence her defiance—but he stopped himself.
Instead, he turned away, his voice rough. "You should be."
That night, as Aadya walked out of the building, she didn't notice the pair of eyes watching her from the shadows. Rajiv lit a cigarette, his smile cold.
"Bold girl," he muttered, smoke curling into the night air. "Let's see how long your fire lasts when I turn it against you.
Chapter 9 : THE TRAP
The day of the client presentation arrived. Vayronix's glass conference hall gleamed with polished steel and screens glowing with the company's crown jewel project. Investors, partners, and rivals all sat in sleek rows, their eyes sharp, hungry.
Aadya's name was on the agenda—Junior Developer, Aadya Sharma: Prototype Demonstration.
Her chest swelled with both pride and nerves. This was her moment. Finally, she would show her worth. Finally, she would step out of Kian Singhania's shadow.
The lights dimmed. Aadya walked to the center, laptop connected, code queued. She began her presentation, voice steady, fingers confident as they moved across the keys.
But the moment she ran her program—chaos erupted.
The screens behind her flashed red. Warnings screamed. The system she had built twisted into something monstrous, lines of malicious code devouring the display. A virus.
Gasps filled the hall. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"She compromised the system!"
"Sabotage!"
"Was this deliberate?"
Aadya froze, her blood turning to ice. No… no, this isn't me. Someone planted it.
She turned, her wide eyes instinctively searching for him. And there he was.
Kian Singhania stood at the back of the room, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.
Rajiv's voice cut through the chaos, dripping with false outrage. "This is unacceptable! A junior developer has endangered everything. Mr. Singhania, you've been far too lenient with her."
The room turned against her in seconds. Aadya could feel the weight of their judgment pressing down, suffocating her.
Before she could speak, Kian stepped forward. His tone was sharp, commanding, impossible to defy.
"Enough."
The crowd silenced.
Kian's eyes locked on hers—piercing, merciless, but… protective. He moved to the console, his fingers flying over the keys faster than the eye could follow. Within moments, the red screens vanished, order restored.
Then he straightened, his voice cutting like a blade.
"This," he declared, gesturing to the corrupted code, "was never hers. This was an attack. And whoever dares to use my employee as a pawn in their petty games… will answer to me."
Gasps rippled through the hall again—but this time, different ones. Respect. Fear. Obedience.
Aadya's heart pounded. Relief flooded her veins—but it was tangled with something darker.
Because the way he said my employee didn't feel like protection. It felt like possession.
And when he glanced at her—just for a flicker of a moment—his eyes weren't asking if she was okay. They were warning her: Stay in line. Don't fight me again.
Later, as the crowd dispersed and the crisis "resolved," Aadya confronted him in the shadows of the hallway.
"You saved me," she whispered. "But you also used me. You made me look like I was nothing without you."
Kian leaned in, his breath grazing her ear, his voice a dark whisper.
"Good," he said coldly. "Now maybe you'll finally understand—without me, you'll burn. With me… you'll rise."
Her fists clenched at her sides. "You don't own me."
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Then prove it."
And somewhere, just beyond the hallway's end, Rajiv listened—his smirk widening. The cracks between Kian and Aadya were opening wider, and he was ready to drive the knife in.
Chapter 10 : THE KISS OF BETRAYAL
The office was quieter than usual that night. Most employees had left after the disastrous presentation. Only the faint hum of servers filled the air.
Aadya sat in her cubicle, staring at her code. Her mind kept replaying the humiliation, the whispers, the way Kian had saved her like a damsel in distress.
He thinks I'm weak. He thinks I need him.
Her nails dug into her palms. "No. I'll prove him wrong."
---
She pulled up the system logs. Line by line, she traced the origin of the malicious code. Hours passed. Her eyes stung. But then—
There.
An external signature. A digital fingerprint hidden under layers of obfuscation. And it wasn't hers. It wasn't even an outsider's.
Her heart stopped.
It was Rajiv.
The realization hit like ice water. He framed me. He wanted me destroyed.
Before she could process, a shadow fell over her screen.
"You shouldn't be here this late."
Kian's voice. Low, dangerous.
Aadya jerked around. "And you shouldn't stalk your employees."
His jaw tightened, but his eyes flickered to her screen. In an instant, he saw what she had found. His body stiffened.
"You traced it."
"Yes," she shot back, anger sparking. "Rajiv planted the virus. And you—you let everyone think it was me. You didn't even defend me until it suited your little power play."
Kian stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "If I had exposed Rajiv then, it would have been war. You don't understand the stakes."
"And you don't understand me!" Her voice broke. "I'm not your pawn, Kian. I'm not your possession. I'm—"
She stopped.
Because he was suddenly inches away. His hand braced against her desk, caging her in. His eyes burned, not cold this time, but something else. Something dangerous.
"You think I don't see you?" he murmured, voice rough. "You think I don't notice the fire in you? That's what makes you reckless. That's what makes you—"
He stopped. Their breaths collided. The heat between them surged, pulling her forward, pulling him down.
For a moment, the world fell away. The tension twisted into something sharp, electric. His lips hovered just a whisper away from hers.
And then—
Ping.
A message flashed on her screen. An anonymous note:
> If you want the truth about Rajiv, meet me tomorrow. Alone. 10 PM. Warehouse 17.
Kian's eyes darkened as he read it over her shoulder. His hand tightened into a fist.
"Trap," he said flatly.
But Aadya's pulse thundered. "Or the only way to prove I'm not weak."
Their eyes locked. This time, no words could break the silence. Only the question hanging between them—if they crossed that fragile line, would it be passion.....or destruction?
Chapter 11. : WAREHOUSE 17
The night air was heavy with the scent of rust and damp concrete. Warehouse 17 loomed like a sleeping beast on the outskirts of the city—abandoned, silent, and threatening.
Aadya's footsteps echoed as she slipped inside. Her heart pounded, but her chin was lifted in defiance. I have to do this. For myself. For the truth.
The shadows swallowed her whole. And then—
A voice. Smooth. Mocking.
"So, you came."
Rajiv stepped out from the darkness, his smile twisted. His hands clapped slowly, theatrically.
Aadya's blood turned to ice. "Why? Why me? You ruined my name. You made me look like a fool!"
Rajiv's smirk widened. "Because you were perfect, Aadya. Perfect bait. You think Singhania doesn't know I'm gunning for his throne? He underestimates me. But if I can break you, break the golden boy's newest obsession, I win."
Her throat tightened. Obsession?
"What are you talking about?" she whispered.
Rajiv's eyes gleamed. "You think Kian kept you around because of your 'talent'? Please. You're his weakness. And I just turned his weakness into a weapon."
Before Aadya could respond, footsteps thundered behind her.
Kian.
He emerged from the shadows, his face carved from stone, his eyes ablaze with fury.
"You should have listened, Aadya," he said coldly, without looking at her. His gaze was locked on Rajiv. "And you… you just signed your death warrant."
Rajiv laughed, but there was a crack of fear in his voice. "You can't touch me, Kian. Not here. Not without exposing yourself."
Kian's hand flexed at his side, barely restrained violence.
Aadya stepped between them, her chest heaving. "Stop! This isn't about your stupid war! This is about me. My name. My life!"
For a split second, both men froze—caught off guard by her fire.
And then the tension snapped. Rajiv lunged forward, grabbing Aadya's wrist, but before she could scream—Kian was there. His fist connected with Rajiv's jaw, sending him sprawling into the dust.
The impact reverberated through the warehouse.
Kian stood over Rajiv, eyes burning like a storm. But when he turned back to Aadya, the fury softened into something far more dangerous—something that made her heart stutter.
"You should never have come alone," he said, his voice low, almost a growl. "Do you have any idea what I'd do if I lost you?"
Aadya's breath caught. The raw intensity in his words cut deeper than any kiss could.
For the first time, she saw it—the truth Rajiv had mocked her with. She wasn't just a pawn in Kian's empire. She was his weakness.
And that terrified her more than Rajiv ever could.
Chapter 12 : A DANGEROUS WEAKNESS
The city glittered beyond the glass walls of Kian's penthouse, but Aadya's eyes weren't on the skyline. She stood with her arms folded, the faint bruise on her wrist from Rajiv's grip still visible.
Kian had dragged her here after the warehouse chaos, silent the entire drive. Now, he paced like a caged predator, the storm in him barely leashed.
"You don't get it, do you?" His voice was low, sharp, cutting through the silence. "You could have been killed tonight."
Aadya lifted her chin, fire sparking in her gaze. "And whose fault is that? Yours, for keeping me in the dark. For thinking you can control everything, including me."
He froze mid-step, his shoulders tense. "Control?"
"Yes!" Her voice trembled, but not with fear—with fury. "You treat me like a liability, a weakness you have to shield. But I am not fragile, Kian. I won't be your burden."
The words hung between them, sharp and raw.
Kian turned, his eyes locking onto hers. And for the first time, Aadya saw something unguarded there—not just anger, but desperation.
"You think this is about control?" His voice dropped, rough, almost breaking. He moved closer, each step deliberate. "Aadya, I've built walls higher than this city's towers. No one gets in. Not partners. Not friends. Not lovers."
Her breath caught at that last word.
He stopped just a foot away, his presence overwhelming. "And yet you… you walked straight through every defense I've ever had. Do you know what that makes you?"
Aadya's heart thundered. "What?"
Kian's jaw tightened. "My weakness. And I can't afford weakness."
Silence. The truth lay bare between them, terrifying and undeniable.
Aadya swallowed hard, her eyes stinging. "Then maybe… you shouldn't have let me in at all."
She turned away, her reflection trembling in the glass.
Kian's fists clenched. Every instinct screamed at him to pull her back, to claim what he already felt slipping away. But his mind whispered the danger—Rajiv wasn't finished. If Aadya stayed close, she'd always be a target.
And yet, watching her retreat, Kian realized something chilling.
He could fight Rajiv. He could fight the entire world.
But he wasn't sure he could fight her.
Chapter 13 : THE TRAP IS SET
The following morning, Aadya sat in the vast glass-walled boardroom of Vayronix Technologies, her laptop open, her notes neatly arranged. She had been asked to present her progress on the AI integration project to the senior executives.
But as the slides began, a ripple of confusion swept through the room. The code Aadya displayed—code she had meticulously written—flashed with irregularities. Not only that, but the projection screen suddenly filled with confidential company algorithms, marked TOP SECRET, files Aadya had never even accessed.
The room erupted in whispers.
"Unauthorized breach…"
"Confidential data exposure…"
"This could be sabotage!"
Aadya's blood ran cold. "This isn't me. I—I never touched these files!" Her voice trembled, her eyes darting to Kian at the head of the table.
Kian's expression was unreadable, his dark eyes fixed on her. But Aadya knew—he was calculating, analyzing, deciding.
The CTO spoke sharply, "With all due respect, Mr. Singhania, the system logs clearly show Ms. Sharma's credentials accessed these files last night."
Gasps. All eyes turned to her.
Aadya shook her head furiously. "That's impossible! I wasn't even online last night. Someone tampered with my account!"
And in that instant, realization struck her—Rajiv. He had warned her. This was his move.
The tension in the room coiled tighter, every second dragging like a blade.
Kian finally spoke, his voice calm but cutting. "Enough."
The room fell silent. He leaned forward, his eyes locked on Aadya's. To everyone else, his expression was cold. But Aadya saw the flicker beneath the mask—the silent battle raging inside him.
"Until we know the truth, Ms. Sharma is suspended from this project," Kian said firmly.
Aadya's chest constricted. Suspended. The word felt like a blow.
She wanted to scream, to defend herself, to beg him to believe her. But Kian's gaze stopped her. His eyes—icy, unreadable—yet hiding something only she could see.
He was protecting her. By pushing her away.
As the meeting ended, the executives filed out with hushed murmurs. Aadya remained frozen, betrayed and wounded.
Kian rose, adjusting his cufflinks, his voice low as he passed her. "Go home. Stay out of sight."
Her lips parted, but no words came. She wanted to ask, Do you believe me? Or am I really alone in this?
But before she could speak, he was gone.
Far away, in the shadows of his office, Rajiv smiled at the chaos he had unleashed. The trap had worked.
And Aadya realized with chilling clarity: this wasn't just about stolen code. This was about destroying her—and breaking Kian from the inside out.
Chapter 14 : FIRE AND ICE...
Aadya sat on the edge of her bed that night, her laptop glowing faint blue against the darkness of her apartment. Her suspension was official—an email from HR had arrived that afternoon, cold and clinical.
She had cried for hours, her heart aching with betrayal. Did Kian believe her? Or had he just chosen the company over her?
But tears wouldn't solve this. If Rajiv thought she'd quietly vanish, he had underestimated her.
Her fingers flew over the keyboard, her mind razor-sharp. Aadya hacked into her own activity logs. She traced timestamps, IP addresses, login sessions. And then—there it was. A remote login from an unusual subnet, masked cleverly to look like hers. The trail was faint, hidden beneath layers of misdirection, but Aadya was relentless.
She whispered to herself, "You wanted a game, Rajiv? Fine. Let's play."
---
Meanwhile, at Vayronix headquarters, Kian sat alone in his glass-walled office. His tie was loosened, his jaw tight, eyes burning with the weight of decisions. On the desk before him were two files—one accusing Aadya of the breach, the other containing his silent doubts.
He replayed her face in the boardroom: the tremble in her voice, the fire in her eyes when she denied it. Aadya wasn't weak. She wasn't a liar.
He clenched his fist. Rajiv.
But he couldn't accuse without proof. One wrong step, and his empire would burn—and Aadya with it.
He reached for his glass of scotch, whispering to the empty room, "Don't let me down, Aadya. Find the truth. Before I'm forced to bury you in it."
---
Three nights later, Aadya cracked something big. She found traces of a ghost script hidden deep inside the mainframe—malware disguised as routine system checks. It matched the breach timing exactly. Someone had planted it.
Her heart pounded. This wasn't just sabotage—this was espionage.
But before she could celebrate, her screen flickered. A new message appeared:
"Careful, little hacker. You're walking into fire. – R."
Aadya's stomach dropped. Rajiv knew she was investigating. He was watching her.
She slammed her laptop shut, breathing hard. Fear clawed at her, but underneath it—burned something else.
Rage.
She stood, her reflection in the dark window looking fiercer than she'd ever seen herself. "I'm not afraid of you, Rajiv. And I'm not done."
---
Across the city, Rajiv leaned back in his chair, sipping wine as he watched her attempts through his surveillance taps. He smirked.
"This is just the beginning, Aadya. Let's see how far your fire can go before it turns to ash."
---
Kian, Rajiv, Aadya.
The triangle was set.
The war had only just begun.
Part 2 : IF. YOU. WANT