Chapter 3 #3
Akhil chuckled, a deep, rich sound that made her stomach do a nervous flip. He stepped closer, leaning down slightly so his lips were just inches from her ear.
"Deal," Akhil whispered, his hot breath brushing against her skin, sending a violent shiver down her spine. "Pack your bags, Miss Malhotra. Your new home is waiting."
***
An hour later, the dark sky over Mumbai was heavy with quiet clouds.
Shruti sat in the passenger seat of Akhil’s sports car once again, her packed suitcase and camera bags loaded into the trunk behind them. The journey from her family home to South Mumbai’s exclusive Worli sea-face neighborhood took twenty minutes.
As the car approached a set of massive, dark iron gates guarded by armed security personnel, the gates glided open automatically.
The car swept through a long, winding private driveway lined with tall palm trees and warm landscape lighting, leading up to a massive modern estate built right on the edge of the Arabian Sea.
The Raheja Mansion was an architectural marvel of dark glass, white marble, and warm timber, overlooking the endless black ocean.
Akhil parked the car near the grand entrance fountain. A well-dressed, elderly head butler and two house staff members immediately stepped down the wide marble stairs to greet them.
"Welcome home, Mr. Raheja," the head butler said with a crisp, respectful bow. "Everything has been prepared as you ordered."
"Thank you, Joseph," Akhil replied, stepping out of the car. He walked around to Shruti’s side and opened her door.
Shruti stepped out onto the cool marble driveway, looking up at the sprawling luxury mansion. It was breathtaking, imposing, and overwhelmingly grand, a physical representation of Akhil Raheja’s immense wealth and power.
"Joseph," Akhil instructed his butler, taking Shruti’s heavy camera bag into his own hand.
"This is Miss Shruti Malhotra. She will be staying in the primary ocean VIP suite on the second floor for the foreseeable future.
Show her staff the utmost respect, and make sure her every comfort is attended to. "
"Of course, sir," Joseph smiled warmly at Shruti. "Welcome to the estate, Miss Malhotra."
Shruti gave a polite, shy smile. "Thank you, Joseph. Please, just call me Shruti."
Joseph’s eyes crinkled with surprise and fondness at her humble nature, a stark contrast to the usual high-society socialites Akhil occasionally brought over for business dinners.
"Follow me, Miss Shruti," Joseph said softly, leading the way inside.
As Shruti walked through the grand double glass doors into the main foyer, featuring double-height ceilings, a floating glass staircase, and massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the crashing ocean waves, she felt Akhil’s presence stepping up right behind her.
She paused on the sleek marble floor, turning around to face him.
Akhil stood framed by the grand entry lights, his dark tuxedo shirt slightly unbuttoned, his hands resting casually in his trouser pockets. He looked completely at home in this palace of glass and stone, yet his dark eyes were fixed entirely on her.
"Satisfied with your golden cage?" Akhil asked teasingly, a subtle glint of humor in his eyes.
Shruti folded her arms, looking around the jaw-dropping foyer, then looked back into his eyes. "It’s big," she admitted dryly. "Easy to get lost in."
"Don't worry," Akhil murmured, taking a slow, deliberate step closer to her until the rich scent of his cologne surrounded her once again. "I know every inch of this place. If you get lost... I’ll always find you."
Shruti’s breath caught in her throat. The deep, heavy intensity in his voice was undeniable. For a second, she wondered if the danger outside was really the only reason he had brought her here, or if the dangerous attraction between them was about to ignite under this shared roof.
"Goodnight, Akhil," Shruti whispered quickly, breaking the intense eye contact before her heart jumped out of her chest.
"Goodnight, Shruti," Akhil replied softly, watching her back as she turned and followed Joseph up the floating glass staircase.
As her silhouette disappeared onto the second-floor gallery, Akhil stood alone in the grand foyer. The smirk on his face slowly dissolved, replaced by a dark, dangerous focus. He pulled out his phone and made a single call to his head of security.
"Mark," Akhil commanded, his voice cold enough to freeze water. "Initiate full lockdown protocols for the estate. Nobody enters or leaves without my personal clearance. And double the guards on the east sea wall near her suite."
"Understood, Mr. Raheja. Is there anything else?"
"Yes," Akhil stared out the glass windows at the dark, roaring sea waves outside. "Find Reyansh Khanna's personal holdings in Italy. I want to start dismantling his financial empire by sunrise."
Akhil ended the call, his grip tightening on his phone. Reyansh Khanna had made the biggest mistake of his life by threatening Shruti Malhotra. And Akhil was going to make sure he paid for every single drop of fear he had caused her.