The mornings in the Singhania mansion were always quiet. Too quiet.

Kiara folded the sheets neatly, her movements practiced, mechanical. On the other side of the bed, the pillow was untouched, perfectly aligned. Aryansh hadn’t slept there last night. He hardly ever did.

She glanced at the side table while dusting, her eyes falling on a leather-bound file. For a moment, she hesitated. She remembered seeing Aryansh place it there two nights ago, but he had left early this morning without it. A small frown creased her face. Business mattered to him more than anything now. She knew that much.

With a soft sigh, she picked it up. The weight of it felt heavier than paper should. Perhaps it was because she knew she would have to step into his world, a world that had never once opened its doors to her, the world she never wanted to be hers but is.

Downstairs, the family driver looked up when she appeared, a file clutched in her hands.
“Uncle, can you drop me at the company?” she asked the family driver, her tone polite but carrying a trace of nervousness.
“Of course, child,” he said with a smile.

The car ride was quiet, Kiara looking out of the window, watching the city roll past. She wasn’t thinking of Aryansh; she hadn’t let herself think of him for a long time. This was only about the file, nothing more.

When the car stopped, she stepped out and tilted her head back. The company building loomed above her, tall and imposing, the glass catching the morning sun. It was her first time here. Her husband’s empire, his pride, his identity… and yet, for her, it was as unfamiliar as a stranger’s house.

Inside, the polished lobby echoed with footsteps and the faint hum of conversation. She walked to the reception, her long black hair swaying against her back, and offered a small smile.
“I’d like to meet Mr. Aryansh Singhania,” she said softly.

The receptionist’s expression shifted instantly, polite professionalism replaced by suspicion.
“Ma’am, you can’t meet him without an appointment.”

Kiara tried again, her voice patient. “It’s important. Could you call him once, please? Just tell him it’s urgent.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Ma’am, just leave. We don’t want random girls walking in and claiming to know him.”

Kiara stiffened, her hand tightening on the file. She had no number to prove her words,she had deleted his contact long ago, back when silence had stretched too wide between them.

Before she could respond, a voice broke through.
“Bhabhi?”

She turned. It was Ayush, Aryansh’s younger brother, staring at her with open surprise.
“How come you’re here?”

Wordlessly, she held out the file. “Your brother forgot this.”

Ayush flipped it open and exhaled sharply. “This is for his next meeting. If he forgot it, he’d have skinned me alive.” His tone carried sarcasm, but there was relief hidden in it. “Thanks for saving me, bhabhi.”
{bhabi- sister in law}

Just then, the elevator doors slid open, and Aryansh appeared. Tall, broad-shouldered, with his sharp black hair perfectly in place, and eyes so dark they seemed unreadable. His gaze fell first on Ayush, then shifted to the woman standing behind him.

Silence stretched. The air grew heavy.

Ayush cleared his throat. “Bhabhi brought the file. You forgot it.” Then, sensing the tension, he quickly excused himself. “I’ll… take this and leave.” And with that, he slipped away.

The receptionist leaned forward nervously. “Sir, she was asking for you without an appointment, so I didn’t let her in.”

Aryansh’s jaw tightened, but his voice was low, gruff. “I see. Next time she comes, send her in.”

Kiara had already turned, quietly walking toward the glass doors, her small frame almost swallowed by the expanse of the lobby.

“Wait.”

The single word, spoken in that deep voice of his, froze her mid-step.

Kiara stopped in her tracks, turning with a confused look. Her brow arched slightly as her black eyes met his dark, unreadable ones.
What’s up with him now? she thought, a flicker of irritation in her chest.

Before she could speak, Aryansh strode over, his presence sharp and commanding. Without hesitation, he caught her wrist. His grip was firm, not painful, but enough to remind her that resistance would be pointless.

“You are coming with me,” he said, his voice low and decisive.

She blinked at him, stunned. For a moment she didn’t move, the file in her other hand pressed against her side. Then, slowly, she shook her head.
“I’m not coming anywhere. I have to go home, driver uncle is waiting for me outside.” Her tone was calm but steady, carrying a quiet finality.

Aryansh’s jaw flexed, his dark eyes narrowing. But before he could cut in, she added, “And don’t you already have a meeting? You should prepare for that, not drag me into… whatever this is.”

She tugged at her wrist, trying to pull free, but his grip only tightened. Not harsh, but unyielding. His voice dropped a note lower, carrying a weight of warning.
“Don’t try much, Kiara. You know it’s useless.”

Her lips parted in protest, but he was already pulling out his phone with his free hand. He pressed a number, the action smooth and practiced. She watched him in disbelief.

“Uncle,” Aryansh said curtly once the driver answered. “You can leave. Kiara won’t be coming right now.”

Her mouth fell open slightly. “You can’t just” she began, anger edging her words. But then his eyes cut to hers, a sharp warning glinting in the dark brown depths, reminding her of where they were his office, his territory, eyes everywhere.

Kiara pressed her lips together, exhaling through her nose. Her wrist was still caught in his grasp, and after a tense pause, she gave in, walking with him toward the elevator.

The doors slid open with a soft chime. Aryansh pressed the button for his floor, his thumb firm against the panel. As the elevator ascended, silence filled the small space. Kiara stood stiffly beside him, arms folded, her wrist now free but the ghost of his hold still lingering on her skin.

She didn’t like this. Not one bit. She had come here simply to return a file, not to be pulled into his world. Her brows furrowed, and her lips pursed into a faint pout she didn’t realize she wore.

Aryansh, standing with his hands in his pockets, glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The frown, the pout, it tugged at something buried deep within him. A flicker of memory. A thought he didn’t allow often.
You truly haven’t changed.

The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. As Aryansh stepped out, still a commanding figure in his tailored suit, Kiara followed reluctantly, her steps slower, smaller. The sudden shift in atmosphere was instant. Employees looked up, eyes widening in surprise.

Whispers rippled through the corridor. The CEO was walking with a woman. Not just any woman, but one no one in the office had ever seen by his side before. Their gazes followed, speculative, curious, daring.

Aryansh ignored them all, his expression carved in stone. His stride was steady, purposeful, and he didn’t slow until he reached the glass doors of his cabin. Pushing them open, he guided Kiara inside without a word.

The doors clicked shut behind them, cutting off the stares and whispers.

For the first time since that morning, Kiara found herself alone with him,truly alone.