Chapter 6 - Let the War Begin

Adhya's POV

On Monday, I woke up with a singular mission-make Reyan Malhotra regret underestimating me.

Okay, fine, maybe that wasn't my only mission. But after last night's interaction, I had a deep, burning need to shake up his perfectly controlled, robotic world.

And I was going to do it with style.

If I was going to work in his company, I needed to make a statement.

I pulled on a crisp white button-up, tying it at the waist to give it a casual yet power move look. Paired with tailored high-waisted black trousers and red stilettos, I looked like I belonged in a Vogue editorial rather than an office.

My hair was in a sleek ponytail, and I added a swipe of bold red lipstick for good measure.

Take that, Mr. Malhotra.

The moment I walked into the towering glass building, I could feel the eyes on me.

But was it also because I walked in like I owned the place? Absolutely.

I strutted straight to the receptionist, flashing a charming smile. "Hi! I'm Adhya Chauhan, here for my internship."

The poor woman looked nervous. "Oh, um-Mr. Malhotra asked for you to wait in the conference room."

Oh, no. Not this again.

I plastered on a sweet smile. "That won't be necessary. I'll just go find him myself."

Her eyes widened. "But-"

"Thanks, love!" Before she could protest, I turned on my heel and marched toward the executive floor.

Bad decision.

Because the moment I reached Reyan's office, a woman practically materialized in front of me, blocking my way like a well-trained bodyguard.

A tall, perfectly put-together woman, dressed in an immaculate beige suit and towering heels. She looked at me like I was an unwanted fly in her pristine world.

"Miss Chauhan." Her voice was sharp. "You can't just barge into Mr. Malhotra's office."

I crossed my arms. "Oh? And who exactly are you?"

She lifted her chin. "Malini. His executive assistant."

Oh. Great.

"I don't care if you're the Prime Minister," I shot back. "I need to speak to him."

She narrowed her eyes. "Mr. Malhotra doesn't entertain unannounced interruptions."

I smirked. "Lucky for me, I'm not here to entertain him."

Before she could respond, I sidestepped and pushed open the door.

Reyan was standing near his desk, speaking on the phone. The moment I walked in, his gaze snapped to me.

His expression didn't change, but I felt the slow drag of his eyes over my outfit.

Interesting.

He murmured something into his phone and hung up.

I caught the slight flicker of irritation before he masked it. "Miss Chauhan," he said smoothly. "Breaking workplace rules on your first day?"

I folded my arms. "Oh, so now we're talking about rules? Let's talk about making someone wait for hours then."

His brows arched. "You waited for three minutes."

I scowled. "Well, it felt like hours."

His lips twitched slightly, like he was amused.

Malini appeared behind me, looking beyond displeased. "Mr. Malhotra, I tried to stop her."

Reyan leaned back against his desk, exuding effortless dominance. "Of course you did."

Then, his gaze pinned me. "Miss Chauhan, I'd suggest you remember that this is a professional environment. You're not here as my fiancée. You're here as an intern."

I smirked. "Oh, trust me, Mr. Malhotra, I don't plan on playing the fiancée role here."

Something dark flickered in his eyes.

Behind me, Malini's perfectly manicured fingers brushed against Reyan's desk as she leaned in, her voice unnecessarily sultry.

"Should I show Miss Chauhan to her new office, sir?" she asked, her tone dripping with honeyed sweetness.

And then she smiled at him.

Not a polite smile.

A seductive one.

Oh, hell no.

I watched as Reyan nodded, completely unaffected. "Yes. Take her to the intern space."

Malini's smirk widened.

That should have been my first warning.

The moment Malini pushed open the door, I froze.

What. The. Hell.

The so-called "office" was nothing more than a tiny, old storage room with a dusty desk, flickering light, and a rickety chair that looked like it belonged in a haunted house.

I turned to Malini. "You must be joking."

She gave a fake sympathetic smile. "Oh, no. This is all yours. Enjoy."

I clenched my jaw.

She thought she won?

Cute.

I spun on my heel and stormed straight back into Reyan's office.

Reyan barely glanced up from his laptop. "Problem?"

I placed my hands on his desk and leaned forward. "Yes. Huge problem."

His gaze flickered to my red nails tapping against the glass. "Enlighten me."

I exhaled sharply. "Why am I being put in a storage closet?"

He leaned back, fingers steepled. "That's the space assigned to interns."

I narrowed my eyes. "Bullshit."

His lips twitched. "Language, Miss Chauhan."

I let out a humorless laugh. "Don't play smart with me, old man."

His brows lifted slightly. "Old man?"

I huffed. "Yes! You're thirty-two! That's ancient in my world."

For a second, he just stared at me.

Then-

He laughed.

A low, deep sound that sent a shiver down my spine.

I gawked at him. "Did... did you just laugh?"

His amusement disappeared instantly. "No."

I squinted. "You totally did."

He ignored me. "You want a better office?"

"Yes."

"Earn it."

I sucked in a sharp breath.

This. Man.

I pointed a perfectly manicured finger at him. "You have no idea what you just started."

He smirked. "We'll see about that, Miss Chauhan."

Oh, it was on.