Rathod Industries functioned on one unspoken rule—fear.
Fear of mistakes. Fear of failure.
And above all, fear of Kabir Rathod.
Everyone in the building knew it. People straightened their backs when his name was mentioned. Conversations dropped to whispers when he passed through corridors. Kabir rarely spoke unnecessarily, and when he did, his words carried weight.
Which was why, when Kabir Rathod spoke for Aara Sharma—
The entire office noticed.
---
It happened late in the afternoon.
Aara stood near the printing section, struggling with a system error she didn't fully understand yet. Her brows were furrowed, fingers hesitant as she tried not to draw attention.
A junior employee, Rohan Mehta, noticed her discomfort and stepped forward.
"Need help?" he asked kindly.
Aara hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, please."
He leaned in slightly, explaining the process. Nothing inappropriate. Nothing wrong.
But from the glass cabin above—
Kabir saw everything.
And something inside him snapped.
---
He walked out of his cabin.
The sound of his footsteps alone was enough to silence the floor.
Heads lowered. Screens froze.
Kabir stopped near Aara's desk.
"Problem?" His voice was calm—but dangerous.
Aara froze.
"N-No, sir. It's resolved," she said quickly, eyes downcast.
Kabir's gaze shifted briefly to Rohan Mehta.
"That won't be necessary again," Kabir said coldly.
Rohan stiffened. "Sir, I was just—"
"I know," Kabir interrupted. "She'll be assigned proper guidance."
And just like that—he walked away.
The office exhaled.
---
Whispers erupted the moment Kabir disappeared.
"He spoke for an intern?"
"That never happens."
"Who is she?"
Aara stood still, her heart racing.
She hadn't asked for this.
She hadn't wanted attention.
Yet somehow, Kabir Rathod had noticed her.
And that scared her.
---
Inside his cabin, Kabir shut the door harder than necessary.
What are you doing?
He clenched his jaw.
He had crossed a line.
Kabir Rathod did not interfere. He did not protect. He did not care.
And yet—
He had.
The realization unsettled him.
This wasn't attraction.
This was something else.
Something deeper.
---
That evening, Aara returned home shaken.
Her mother noticed instantly.
"Something wrong?" Meera asked.
Aara hesitated, then said softly, "The owner of the company… he spoke to me today."
Meera's hands stilled. "Kabir Rathod?"
Aara nodded.
Meera didn't like the fear in her daughter's eyes.
"Stay careful," she warned gently. "Powerful people aren't always safe."
Aara nodded again.
---
Late that night, Kabir stood alone on his terrace.
The city lay beneath him, obedient and silent.
He lit a cigarette—but didn't smoke.
His phone buzzed.
"Sir, do you want us to move the intern to another department?"
Kabir's answer came instantly.
"No."
Then, after a pause—
"Keep an eye on her."
Protection.
Or possession.
Kabir wasn't sure anymore.
---
He stared into the darkness, her face haunting his thoughts.
Kabir Rathod had spent years controlling crime, business, enemies.
But one girl—
One intern—
Had managed to shake him.
And the most dangerous truth of all?
He wasn't ready to stop it.