Chapter 1 The Man Who Bought My Life
I was just about to publish the biggest story of my life.
The one that could destroy Arjun Malhotra.
My fingers were still on the keyboard when my editor called me into his office.
His face was serious.
Not the “we need to fix a comma” kind of serious — the “your life is about to change” kind.
“Pack your things, Meera,” he said quietly, sliding an envelope across his desk. “The company’s been sold.”
My heart thudded. “Sold? To who?”
He didn’t answer.
Someone else did.
A deep, steady voice from the doorway.
“I believe that would be me.”
I turned. And there he was.
Arjun Malhotra.
The man I had just exposed.
The man who was supposed to be hiding from the world.
He stood there in a dark suit, perfectly calm, like he’d walked out of a magazine. But there was steel in his eyes.
“Surprised?” he asked.
That voice was smooth, but every word felt like a warning.
“You bought the company?” I managed to say.
He stepped closer. “No, Miss Kapoor. I bought you.”
My stomach dropped. “Excuse me?”
The envelope wasn’t my termination letter. It was my new contract.
Personal assistant to Arjun Malhotra.
Start: Tomorrow.
Salary: More than I had ever earned.
And one line in bold: Breaking the contract will cost you everything you own.
I looked up at him. “I don’t work for people like you.”
His lips curved, not quite a smile. “You already do.”
In that moment, I knew I wasn’t free anymore.
Not in my job.
Not in my life.
I was his.
