"Tangled in the Billionaire’s Web"

Chapter 1: The Interview I Wasn’t Supposed to Pass I stood outside the towering glass building, my resume crumpled from the ride, my nerves worse than ever. MehraTech. The name alone made interns shiver and job-seekers dream. I didn’t belong here. I knew it the moment the receptionist glanced at my plain black kurta and the cheap folder in my hand. Girls inside wore pencil skirts and high heels, while I had borrowed flats and a shaking voice. I whispered to myself, “Just do it, Sini. It’s only an interview.” When I stepped into the waiting room, other candidates were laughing, confident, polished. Some of them whispered, “He doesn’t even attend the interviews in person. He just signs off names based on a vibe.” He. The mysterious CEO. Aarav Mehra. The youngest billionaire in Mumbai. Never seen in public without his security. Cold. Brilliant. Dangerous, they said. Some even said he ruined lives with a smile. I sat quietly in the corner, hugging my resume. I didn’t have a powerful reference, or a designer bag. All I had was desperation and a secret I could never let anyone know — especially not him. One by one, the candidates were called in. Some came out crying. Some came out red-faced. One girl even mumbled, “He didn’t even look at my resume. He just said, ‘I don’t hire people who blink too much.’” What kind of man was he? Then suddenly — my name. “Sini Malhotra?” the assistant called. My heart dropped. When I stepped inside, the room was silent — too silent. A long glass table. Files stacked like weapons. And at the end, facing the window with his back to me, was him. Aarav Mehra. He turned around slowly. Black shirt, no tie, sleeves rolled, wristwatch worth my college fees. His eyes met mine — grey, unreadable, too intense. But the strangest thing? He kept staring. Longer than normal. I swallowed and said, “G-Good morning, sir.” He didn’t reply. Just tilted his head. Then he finally spoke. Deep voice. Cold. “Why are you here, Miss Malhotra? You don’t belong in a place like this.” My stomach twisted. I whispered, “I just… want a job.” He got up. Walked slowly toward me. I took a step back. He leaned in slightly and said, “What are you hiding?” My breath caught. Did he… know? Then he surprised me. “Start from tomorrow. 8:00 AM. You’ll be my new assistant.” Just like that. No questions. No formality. He turned away and said quietly, “Don’t ever lie to me, Sini. This company doesn’t forgive secrets.” I stood frozen. Did he just… hire me? But more than that — how did he know I was hiding something? And why… why did it feel like he already knew me? [End of Chapter 1]