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The golden rays of the morning sun streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow over two entwined souls. In each other’s arms, they looked like the perfect couple—content, peaceful, and deeply in love. But reality was far from what it seemed. Only they knew how shattered they were inside. The world saw their strength, but only in each other did they find solace.

Rudransh Singh Rathore, the ruthless CEO of Rathore Inc., stirred as the sunlight hit his face. Blinking away his sleep, his gaze dropped to the woman nestled in his arms. Aaradhya Raghuvanshi—his Aaru. She looked so serene, her grip on him firm, as if she feared he would slip away. Like every other night, she had stayed awake to comfort him, soothing his nightmares that had haunted him for the past fifteen years. Before she entered his life, those nightmares often led to panic attacks, leaving him breathless and restless. But now, her mere presence calmed him.

A soft sigh escaped his lips as he gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. He placed a tender kiss on her head, causing a small, sleepy smile to form on her lips. They had never confessed their feelings, yet they understood each other in ways words never could.

For a moment, he simply watched her, memorizing every little detail. But duty called. Carefully, he adjusted her position on the bed, ensuring she remained undisturbed before heading out for his morning workout.

An hour later, as he returned, his eyes immediately fell on Aaradhya. A chuckle left his lips as he took in the scene before him—she was sprawled across the bed in the oddest of positions. One leg was kicked high in the air as if she was fighting off enemies in her dreams.

"Is she really the CEO of AR Groups?" he mused, shaking his head in disbelief.

Throwing his towel onto a chair, he walked over and sat beside her. Gently stroking her hair, he called out,

"Aaru... Aaruuuu."

"Hmmm…" she mumbled in her sleep.

"Wake up, bacha," he coaxed.

"Nooo... let me sleep, Ansh," she whined, snuggling deeper into the covers.

"Aaru, you have three important meetings today," he reminded her.

"I don’t wanna go, Ansh," she protested, pulling the blanket over her head.

Rudra sighed. He knew this stubborn woman too well.

"Alright then," he said mischievously. "But don’t blame me for what happens next!"

Before she could react, he attacked—mercilessly tickling her until her laughter filled the room.

"Ansh! Stop!! I’m up! I’m up!!" she shrieked between fits of giggles.

Rudra finally relented, grinning at her breathless form. They were so lost in their moment that they failed to notice the time. The shrill ring of the alarm shattered their bubble.

Their eyes widened in horror.

"8:30?!" they exclaimed in unison.

In a flurry of movements, they rushed to get ready.

Fifteen minutes later, they were seated at the dining table, dressed in sharp suits. Just as they began eating, Arjun, Aaradhya’s bodyguard and secretary—handpicked by Rudra—entered.

"Good morning, ma’am," he greeted.

Aaradhya shot him a glare, making him gulp. Rudra, on the other hand, smirked in amusement.

"Ahh... Good morning, Aadhya," Arjun corrected.

"Better. And Good morning to you too, Arjun," she replied.

"Good morning, sir," Arjun greeted Rudra.

"Good morning, Arjun. Join us," Rudra offered.

"No, sir. I’ve already eaten," he declined.

"Alright, then get the car ready. We’ll be leaving soon. Oh, and tell Neeraj uncle I need to stop by the airport before heading to the office," Rudra instructed.

Aaradhya raised a brow. "Airport?"

Rudra mentally cursed himself for slipping up but quickly covered it up. "Mr. Mehra is arriving today. I’m going to pick him up."

Though unconvinced, Aaradhya let it slide. Rudra exchanged a glance with Arjun, silently conveying something. Arjun gave a subtle nod before excusing himself.

Finishing their breakfast, Rudra and Aaradhya headed to their respective offices.

The headquarters of AR Groups buzzed with activity. Employees rushed around, ensuring every detail was perfect. Their boss was known for her perfectionism—and her temper. A single mistake could cost them their job.

At precisely 10:00 AM, a sleek black Jaguar, flanked by three Range Rovers, pulled up in front of the building. The moment the car door opened, silence fell. Aaradhya Raghuvanshi stepped out in a striking black suit and matching sunglasses, exuding an aura of power and intimidation.

The once-bubbly girl was long gone. Now, she was a force to be reckoned with—more ruthless than most male CEOs in the industry.

The sound of her heels clicking against the marble floor was the only thing heard as she strode inside, Arjun trailing behind her with her files.

Once in her cabin, she called in her employees one by one to submit their reports. Among them was Ayana Singhania, the head of the finance department and daughter of one of their investors, Sooraj Singhania. Despite her father's respectable stature, Ayana was more interested in socializing than working. Aaradhya had tolerated her incompetence long enough, but today, she had reached her limit.

Taking the report from Ayana, Aaradhya’s eyes darkened. The numbers were all wrong—again.

With a sharp flick of her wrist, she threw the file at Ayana’s face.

"Miss Ayana Singhania, how many times do I have to tell you to do your job properly?" Aaradhya’s voice was dangerously calm. "This is the third time you’ve made the same errors. I even pointed them out last time. And I’ve warned you before about distracting the male staff."

Ayana stuttered, "I—I only used the information given to me! And I wasn’t chasing after them, they came to me!"

Aaradhya slammed her hands on the desk, turning her monitor toward Ayana. The screen displayed CCTV footage—clear proof of her lies.

"So, are you saying these recordings are fake?" Aaradhya’s tone was icy.

Ayana’s ego flared. Instead of apologizing, she lashed out.

"Yes, I was with them! It’s my life! I can do whatever I want!" she yelled. "And you know what? I messed up those reports on purpose to make your company suffer!"

A smug smirk formed on her lips before she delivered the final blow. "And look who’s talking—the woman who traps CEOs like Rudransh Singh Rathore in her web to reach their beds! You seduce men like Arjun, too, don’t you?"

Aaradhya didn’t even flinch. She had heard worse. But she didn’t care what the world thought. Rudra knew her truth, and that was all that mattered.

Her voice was calm but final. "You’re fired, Miss Ayana Singhania."

Ayana’s face drained of color. "Wh—what?"

Aaradhya’s lips curled in a cold smirk. "YOU. ARE. FIRED. Now get out. I’ll personally inform your father of your ‘good deeds.’"

Fuming, Ayana stomped out.

Aaradhya sighed, rubbing her temples. Just as she was about to call Arjun for coffee—

"Surpriiiiiseee!!" a familiar voice rang out.