Aarvi sat in the chair opposite his desk, trying to breathe normally, but nothing about this room felt normal. It was too clean. Too silent. Too controlled—just like the man standing in it.
Riyan Malhotra didn't move towards her. He simply walked behind his desk with the kind of confidence that came from knowing the world bent for him.
"Your duties start now," he said without looking up. "You'll manage my schedule, filter my calls, and ensure my time isn't wasted."
Aarvi nodded quickly. "Yes, sir."
"And don't call me 'sir' every three seconds," he added.
Her lips parted in surprise. "Oh… I—I'm sorry. I mean—"
His eyes lifted sharply.
She stopped speaking immediately.
After a few seconds, he handed her a tablet and a thin folder. "Read everything. Memorize what's necessary."
"Okay… sir— I mean, Mr. Malhotra."
He didn't react, but she caught the faintest shift in his expression, like he was trying not to ridicule her nervousness.
Aarvi set her bag down quietly and scanned the folder. Meeting lists, vendor names, client calls, travel plans… it was overwhelming. Her previous jobs were nothing like this. This was a world run on deadlines and silence and expectations she wasn't sure she could meet.
But she had no choice. Failure wasn't something she could afford anymore.
A sudden buzz broke her focus.
Riyan's phone.
He glanced at it once, jaw tightening the slightest bit before he answered.
"What now?" His voice turned colder than she'd heard so far.
Aarvi looked away, pretending not to listen—but the conversation wasn't hard to hear.
"I told you I'm not interested in any joint ventures," he said sharply. "If they can't accept that, the meeting is cancelled."
There was a pause.
His fingers tapped the desk.
That tiny movement revealed what the rest of him tried to hide.
Annoyance.
Or maybe something deeper.
When he hung up, he didn't speak for a few seconds. Aarvi thought he might be calming himself. But the truth was—Riyan Malhotra didn't look like a man who calmed down. He looked like someone who kept everything bottled until it broke him from inside.
He finally turned to her.
"Miss Sharma."
She straightened. "Yes, Mr. Malhotra?"
"You will accompany me to today's meetings," he said. "Listen, take notes, and do not interrupt anyone. Speak only when I ask you to."
Aarvi nodded quickly. "I can do that."
"You'd better," he replied quietly, almost to himself.
His gaze lingered on her for a moment—longer than before. Not inappropriate. Just… studying. As if he was trying to understand why a woman who looked this soft had walked into his world.
She lowered her eyes nervously.
Riyan cleared his throat and stood. "We leave in five minutes."
Aarvi gathered her things, trying to hide the tremble in her hands. As she reached for her folder, her pen slipped and rolled across the floor.
Before she could bend to pick it up, he stepped forward and picked it up instead.
She froze.
He handed it to her without expression. "You're too nervous."
Her cheeks warmed. "I'm just not used to places like this."
He stared at her for a moment that felt strangely long.
"Then get used to it," he said softly.
Not harsh.
Not cruel.
Almost… guiding.
Before she could respond, he walked out of the office, leaving her breathless in a way she didn't understand yet.
Aarvi clutched the pen.
She had no idea that the rules he made for her were the ones he would break first.