𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙖☽

I lost my parents when I was very young.

I don't remember much about them anymore. Just a few blurred memories... my mother's warm smile, my father's gentle voice, and the feeling of being loved.

After they were gone, my grandmother, my nani became my entire world.

She wasn't wealthy. She wasn't young anymore either. But she spent every ounce of her strength raising me with love. She worked hard so I could study, dreaming of the day I'd stand on my own feet and give us a better life.

And today...

That day had finally come.

Today was my interview at Royal Company one of the biggest companies in the country.

If I got this job as the CEO's assistant, everything would change for us.

I could help Nani, She's growing old, and I don't want to be a burden on her anymore. It's not that she has ever made me feel like one....never. She has loved me unconditionally and given me everything she could without asking for anything in return. But I have to understand her too. At this age, she shouldn't have to work so hard just to take care of me. She spent the last seventeen years raising me with endless love and sacrifices, making sure I never felt the absence of my parents. Now I'm twenty-three years old. It's my turn to stand on my own feet, take responsibility, and give her the peaceful, comfortable life she truly deserves. From now on, I want to be the one who takes care of her.

The thought alone made my heart flutter.

I stood outside the company's massive building, staring up at its towering glass walls.

"So this is Royal Company..."

A nervous smile appeared on my face.

"I'm really here."

At the same time, my stomach twisted into knots.

"Calm down, Amaira," I whispered, placing a hand over my racing heart. "You've worked hard for this. Just answer confidently."

Taking a deep breath, I walked inside.

The elegant lobby was far grander than anything I had ever seen. Employees hurried from one place to another, each looking busy and professional.

I suddenly felt out of place, I approached the reception desk.

"Good morning."

The receptionist smiled politely.

"Name?"

"Amaira Joshi. I have an interview."

She checked her computer before nodding.

"Please go to the ninth floor. Cabin number three."

"Thank you."

I stepped into the elevator, clutching my file tightly.
With every passing floor, my heartbeat grew louder.

Ninth floor.

The elevator doors openedI walked down the long corridor until I reached the cabin.

𝗖𝗘𝗢, 𝗔𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗶.

I stared at the nameplate.

"So this is where my future will be decided."

Taking one final deep breath, I knocked.

"Come in."

A deep, emotionless voice came from inside. I slowly pushed the door open.

The cabin was enormous, decorated in shades of black and grey. Every corner reflected power and discipline, Behind the large desk sat a man dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, His eyes never left the laptop in front of him, Without sparing me a glance, he spoke.

"Sit."

His voice carried no warmth, No politeness, Just an order, i quietly sat down, The room fell silent.

Only the sound of his fingers typing on the keyboard echoed through the cabin.
Several seconds passed before he finally closed the laptop, He slowly lifted his head.

The moment our eyes met...

My breath caught.

H-him...

The man from that day.

The one whose cold gaze had frightened me before, My eyes widened in panic.

"I-I'm sorry..." I stammered, immediately standing. "I think I've entered the wrong cabin."

I hurried toward the door.

"Stop."

His voice wasn't loud, Yet it carried enough authority to freeze me in place.

I slowly turned around, He looked at me with the same unreadable expression.

"Amaira Joshi?"

"...Y-Yes."

"You're in the right cabin."

I blinked.

My heart nearly stopped.

He...He's the CEO?

I swallowed nervously.

"I... I'm sorry, sir."

He didn't respond, Instead, he simply gestured toward the chair.

"Sit."

I obeyed immediately, He picked up my file and began reading it, Not a single expression crossed his face, The silence became unbearable.

"So..." His eyes finally lifted from the papers, "You're Amaira Joshi."

"Yes, sir."

"Hm."

That was all, One small sound, Yet somehow, it made me even more anxious, He closed the file.

"You don't look like someone who belongs here."

My heart sank.

"I know I don't have experience, sir," I said quickly. "But I learn fast. I'll work hard, and I won't disappoint you."

He studied me for a long moment, "I wasn't talking about your experience."
I looked at him in confusion.

"You look naïve." I smiled awkwardly.

"Thank you... sir?"

His expression remained unchanged.

"I wasn't complimenting you." My smile disappeared immediately.

"Oh..."

He stood up, Every step he took toward me made my heartbeat quicken, He stopped just a short distance away.

"I don't tolerate carelessness."

"I understand, sir."

"I don't repeat instructions."

"I'll remember them."

"If you make mistakes..." He paused.
"...you'll answer for them." I nodded nervously, "I'll do my best not to make any."

His eyes remained fixed on mine for another second before he turned away.

"Good." He returned to his chair.
"You start today."

For a moment, I simply stared at him.

"I... got the job?"

"Did I stutter?"

"N-No, sir."

"Then report to HR."

A smile spread across my face before I could stop it.

"Thank you so much, sir!"

He had already returned to his work, The conversation, for him, was over, I quietly walked toward the door, Just before leaving, I looked back, He hadn't looked up even once, His attention was already on another file, As though I had never been there.

I stepped outside, closed the door gently, and released the breath I'd been holding.

"Oh my God..."

My hands were still shaking.

"He's even scarier than I remembered."

But despite everything...I couldn't stop smiling, I had gotten the job, Nani was going to be so happy.

But... wait.

He's that man, isn't he? The one I saw that night...

Yes. I'm sure of it. It's him.

But... how is that even possible? How can that man be the CEO of this company? If he really is the CEO, then... what was he doing that night? The memory alone sent a shiver down my spine. Even now, whenever I think about it, my heart races with fear. That night still haunts me.

And now... I'm working in his company. Worse... I'm his assistant.

No... what am I supposed to do? Should I quit? No... I can't. I desperately need this job. I can't throw away this opportunity not when Nani has sacrificed so much for me.

Then... what should I do?

Did he see me that night? If he had, would he have chosen me as his assistant? No... he wouldn't have. He would've made sure I never got anywhere near him. Or worse... he could've gotten rid of me or locked me away to keep me silent. But he did none of that.

Maybe... maybe he never saw me.

If that's true, then I still have a chance. I'll act as if I don't know anything. I'll pretend that night never happened.

But... isn't that wrong?

Shouldn't I report him to the police?

I should...

But what if he's too powerful? What if he has influence everywhere? If I make one wrong move without any proof, I'll be the one putting myself in danger. No... I can't act recklessly. First, I need to find out who Aryan Kalani really is. I need to gather information about him without letting him suspect me. Only then can I decide what to do.

Until then...

I'll continue working here. I'll act normal, do my job, and make sure he never realizes that I recognize him.

With those thoughts swirling in my mind, I made my way toward the elevator. Just as I was about to step inside, a voice stopped me.

"Hello, Ms. Amaira?"

I turned around and saw a man dressed in a neat formal suit walking toward me with a polite smile.

"Yes? Are you the HR manager?" I asked.

"Yes, Ms. Amaira. I'm Karthik from HR. Come with me, I'll show you your cabin."

I gave him a small nod and followed him through the long corridor on the same floor. We stopped near the end of the hallway, where he gestured toward a glass-walled cabin.

"This will be your cabin, Ms. Amaira."

I looked inside. It was simple yet elegant, a spacious desk stood neatly at the center, a comfortable chair behind it, and a few shelves filled with files occupied one corner of the room. Sunlight streamed through the glass walls, making the entire space feel bright and welcoming.

A smile unconsciously spread across my face.

This was my cabin.

My very first workplace.

"Thank you, sir," I said softly, turning to him with a grateful smile.

"You can just call me Karthik," he replied politely, returning the smile.

"Okay... Mr. Karthik," I said shyly, making him chuckle.

"All the best for your new job," he said sincerely. "But remember, it's your first day. Don't make any mistakes. If you do, sir will be very angry."

The smile on my face faded instantly.

"I-I'll try not to make any mistakes."

He raised an eyebrow before saying with a half-amused smile, "Don't say try. Everything has to be perfect."

"O-Okay..." I replied nervously, tightening my grip on my bag.

Noticing my expression, he smiled reassuringly.

"Hey, relax. It's your first day. Everyone feels nervous. Just stay calm, do your work sincerely, and you'll be fine."

His words eased my anxiety a little.

"Thank you," I said with genuine gratitude.

He nodded once before walking away, leaving me standing in front of my cabin.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside, silently praying that my first day wouldn't end in disaster.

_______

I was checking Mr. Kalani's schedule on my computer when I realized it was already past noon. According to his daily routine, this was the time he always had his coffee.

I got up from my chair and walked out of my cabin.

One thing I had noticed while going through his schedule was that he drank coffee almost every hour.

Every. Single. Hour.

Who drinks that much coffee?

I mean, I like coffee too... but not to this extent. At this rate, I wondered if coffee ran through his veins instead of blood.

Shaking my head, I made my way toward the private pantry that had been reserved exclusively for him.

The moment I stepped inside, I frowned.

There was no one there.

I looked around, expecting one of the staff members to walk in, but the place remained completely empty. I waited for almost ten minutes, glancing at the clock every few seconds.

Still... no one came.

Letting out a small sigh, I decided to prepare the coffee myself.

As I read the instructions, my eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

"No milk...?"

I stared at the note for a moment.

"Seriously?"

Who in the world drinks black coffee without milk?

Just imagining the bitter taste made me scrunch my nose.

"Maybe rich people have different taste buds," I muttered to myself.

Carefully following the instructions, I prepared the coffee exactly the way it was mentioned. Once I was done, I placed the cup on a tray and headed toward his cabin.

Standing outside the door, I took a deep breath before knocking twice.

"Come in."

His cold, emotionless voice came from inside.

I pushed the door open and stepped in quietly.

Aryan Kalani was sitting behind his desk, completely engrossed in his laptop. His fingers moved effortlessly across the keyboard as if nothing else around him existed.

I carefully placed the coffee on his desk.

"Sir... your coffee."

He didn't even look at me.

"Hm."

That was all.

Not even a glance.

Not even a simple "thank you."

For a second, I stood there awkwardly before quietly turning around and leaving the cabin.

"The least he could do is look at the person who's serving him," I mumbled under my breath as I walked back.

The moment I stepped into my cabin, the telephone on my desk rang loudly.

Startled, I quickly picked up the receiver.

"Y-Yes, sir--"

Before I could finish speaking, a cold, rough voice cut me off.

"Come to my cabin. Now."

The line went dead.

I froze, still holding the receiver against my ear, My heartbeat instantly sped up.

Why... why does he sound so angry? Did I do something wrong? Was the coffee not right? Or... did something else happen?

My palms turned sweaty as countless terrifying possibilities flooded my mind.

Swallowing nervously, I slowly placed the receiver back on its cradle.

"Please don't let me get fired on my very first day..."