The first rays of the sun were a brutal intrusion, slicing through the heavy velvet curtains of the master suite. Maya's neck was stiff, her body aching from the forced vigil in the upright chair. She hadn't slept—not because of Vikram's command, but because the sound of his steady, deep breathing had been a hypnotic torture that kept her heart racing all night.She watched him wake. It was like watching a predator stir. There was no grogginess, no vulnerability. Vikram Khurana simply opened his eyes and was immediately, lethally present.He sat up, the silk sheets sliding down his waist to reveal the devastating symmetry of his torso. He didn't say a word. He simply looked at Maya, his amber eyes tracking the dark circles under her eyes with a cold, triumphant satisfaction."You stayed," he noted, his voice a morning rasp that sent an unwanted heat through her."I didn't have a choice," Maya replied, her voice thick with exhaustion."Always the victim," Vikram remarked, swinging his legs out of bed.Before Maya could respond, the heavy double doors of the suite swung open without a knock."Vikram, darling, I was thinking we should—"Sonia froze in the doorway. She was wrapped in a silk robe that cost more than Maya's family home, her face perfectly made up even at this hour. Her gaze darted from the shirtless, rumpled Vikram to Maya, who was sitting in the corner, looking disheveled and worn.The silence in the room was deafening."What is she doing here?" Sonia's voice went from honey to acid in a split second. She stepped into the room, her heels clicking aggressively on the hardwood. "Vikram? Why is the help in your bedroom at seven in the morning?"Maya stood up, her legs nearly giving way. "It's not what it looks like—""Silence," Vikram interrupted. He didn't look at Maya; he looked at Sonia, his expression bored, almost mocking. "Maya was performing her duties, Sonia. I required her assistance with... certain matters throughout the night."The ambiguity of his words was a deliberate blow. Maya's jaw dropped. He was making it sound like they had been together, fueling Sonia's rage just to see her react."Certain matters?" Sonia hissed, walking right up to Maya. She looked Maya up and down with a sneer of pure disgust. "You pathetic little social climber. You think because you have a pretty face and a desperate story, you can worm your way into his bed? You're a maid. You're the dirt on his boots.""I am a person," Maya said, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and shame. "And I didn't ask to be here.""Oh, please," Sonia laughed, a sharp, ugly sound. She turned back to Vikram. "Get rid of her, Vikram. I want her off the estate today. She's an eyesore and a liability."Vikram stood up and walked toward them. He was a towering, half-naked god of malice. He stopped between the two women, but his focus remained on Sonia."I don't take orders in my own home, Sonia," he said softly, yet the threat in his voice was unmistakable. "Maya stays. She has a debt to pay, and I am the only one who decides when she is finished.""But she's—""Leave us," Vikram commanded.Sonia looked like she wanted to scream, but no one argued with Vikram Khurana when he used that tone. She threw one last, murderous look at Maya before spinning on her heel and slamming the door behind her.The room settled back into a heavy, suffocating quiet."You did that on purpose," Maya whispered, her eyes stinging. "You let her think... you let her say those things. You want her to hate me.""I want everyone to know exactly where you belong, Maya," Vikram said, turning toward her. He stepped closer, his shadow falling over her. "You are mine to use, mine to punish, and mine to protect from anyone who isn't me. Sonia is a lesson for you. The world will see you as a plaything. Only I know the truth of the Vow."He reached out, his hand gripping her chin and tilting her head back. "Now, go. Change your uniform. You're going to the office with me today.""The office? Why?"Vikram's thumb brushed her lower lip, his gaze darkening with a sudden, sharp intensity. "Because I've decided that having you under my roof isn't enough. I want you in my boardroom. I want you to watch as I dismantle the last of your father's legacy, piece by piece. I want you to see exactly what happens to anyone who stands in my way."He let her go, his expression turning back to ice."And Maya? Wear something... professional. We have a meeting with your father's old business partners at noon. I want them to see his daughter serving my coffee."
Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: The Morning Scandal
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