It was the second watch of the night. Ewan Suryavanshi stood on the balcony of Suryavanshi Mansion, nestled among Mumbai's towering skyscrapers. In his hand, a crystal glass with whiskey on the rocks swayed gently. The cool breeze touched his face, but his mind was elsewhere—on Inayat Khurana.

He was fighting with himself.

"Who the hell is she?"

He had asked himself this question many times, but he had no answer. Inayat's face kept flashing before his eyes—those big, brown eyes, the innocence of her slightly lowered eyelids, those lips that turned pinkish every time she came before him.

"Shit!" He took a deep breath, placed the glass on the table, and closed his eyes.

But Inayat wouldn't leave his mind.

On the Other Side

It was 2:30 AM, but Inayat's sleep was gone. She sat on her bed, her face looking even softer in the dim blue light. In her hand was the file that had troubled her all day at the office.

But now, her mind was elsewhere.

Ewan Suryavanshi.

The man who was so rude, yet had something different inside him.

"Why do I feel like he is different from what he shows?"

Whenever his eyes lingered on Inayat, there was more than just the arrogance of a powerful businessman... there was something else—a depth, a restlessness, a passion that could captivate anyone.

She shook herself and picked up her phone.

"No, Inayat! He is your boss, just your boss!"

But her heart...

Her heart was slowly being drawn into Ewan's hands.

The Next Morning – A New Game

The bright morning sunlight filtered through the glass walls of Ewan's office. His cabin looked as luxurious and power-packed as ever.

Ewan sat in his black leather chair, busy with a file, but his mind was elsewhere.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Inayat entered. Today, she wore an olive green fitted formal dress that perfectly accentuated her curves. The soft click of her high heels echoed on the floor.

Ewan looked up... and for a few seconds, his breath caught.

"Damn! She is... stunning!"

But his face remained cold.

"Yes, Miss Khurana?" His voice was as cold as always.

Inayat placed the file on the table.

"This is the updated report, Sir."

Ewan opened the file and read it for a few seconds. Inayat stood there.

Then, Ewan closed the file and leaned back comfortably.

"Impressive, Miss Khurana."

Inayat took a relieved breath.

"Thank you, Sir."

But then...

Ewan gave a faint smile, which was even more dangerous.

"But..."

Inayat's heart pounded.

"But what, Sir?"

Ewan stood up and said, "I still think you need to learn a few things. And for that... you will have to stay back after office hours today."

Inayat's heart raced.

"Stay back? But why?"

Ewan came very close to her and whispered—

"Because I want to see how well you can handle pressure, Miss Khurana."

His voice was so low that Inayat felt like it was from another world.

A shiver ran down her spine.

Was Ewan Suryavanshi treating her just like an employee? Or was he playing some other game?

"The Desire of Throbbing Hearts"

It was 9:30 PM. The entire office was empty. There was an eerie silence all around, but Inayat's heart was pounding.

She stood in the conference room, her figure looking even more attractive in a sleeveless satin blush-pink shirt and black pencil skirt. The light makeup and open hair added a sensual charm to her innocence.

Then, there was a sound at the door.

Inayat looked up—Ewan had entered.

"So, Miss Khurana… Ready for the real test?"

There was something in his deep, heavy voice that made Inayat's hair stand on end.

"Yes, Sir."

But it was just an answer. Inside, she was nervous.

Ewan came close to her, so close that the scent of his woodsy masculine cologne filled the air around Inayat. His eyes held the same deep desire that made Inayat restless.

"You know, confidence is sexy, Inayat."

Inayat's breath quickened.

"But you are trembling…"

Ewan's eyes went to her slightly trembling hands.

"Are you nervous?"

Inayat tried to compose herself, but when Ewan snatched the file from her hand and placed it on the corner of the table, she didn't know what to do.

Ewan gently lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.

"Scared?"

Inayat's lashes lowered slightly. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"No, Sir…"

Ewan smiled faintly and whispered, running his fingers along her jawline—

"Good… Because I don’t like weak women."

His fingers were now on Inayat's bare arm, a soft, warm, electrifying touch.

Inayat's breath quickened.

She tried to step back, but Ewan gently pinned her against the edge of the table.

"You smell like wild roses…" he said softly, his fingers now on her delicate wrist.

Inayat lowered her head.

"Evan… this is not right."

"Is it?"

Ewan's head was now close to her shoulder, his warm breath touching Inayat's sensitive skin.

Inayat's eyes closed involuntarily.

Ewan lightly ran his fingertips along her neckline, making Inayat's body tremble slightly.

"Damn, you are so soft, Inayat."

There was a raw hunger in his voice.

Inayat grabbed his shirt to steady herself.

Ewan smiled faintly.

"What are you holding, sweetheart?"

Inayat realized she had been clutching Ewan's white crisp shirt tightly.

She quickly let go, but Ewan held her fingers.

"Don’t."

There was something in his voice that made Inayat's heart beat faster.

Ewan lightly placed his lips on her fingers—a slow, deep touch.

Inayat's breath quickened.

She whispered softly, "Evan… Please…"

But stopping Ewan was impossible.

He placed his hand on her waist and pulled her close.

Now there was no distance between them.

Inayat raised her long lashes and looked into Ewan's deep eyes.

There was only one thing in his eyes—Desire. Craving. Passion.

Ewan leaned close to her ear and said—

"You feel this, don’t you?"

Inayat closed her eyes.

"Yes…" she said softly.

Ewan said, "Good."

Ewan lifted her chin, gently touched her soft, pink lips...

Next Chapter – When Words Fall Short…

Will Inayat accept this strange feeling?

Is this just a game for Ewan, or is something else growing inside him?

Will Inayat be able to stop herself, or will this fire burn even brighter?