CHAPTER TEN : MY PROTECTIVE CHAIRMAN
She was busy in her thoughts of the pervious interaction with Aryan. Suddenly, a notification buzzed on Priya’s phone. She lazily picked it up and frowned. “Now who’s this?” she murmured and checked the screen.
Her eyes moved quickly across the message:
“We feel glad that you want to work with us, but we’re sorry, without the portfolio we can’t be able to give you any shoot.”
Priya sighed deeply, disappointment flashing across her face. “Now I feel that firstly I should have to create my portfolio… let me search for it,” she muttered to herself.
Before she could even begin searching, her phone rang. It was Aryan. She picked up immediately. “Hello!!!” she said.
On the other side, Aryan’s voice was sharp and commanding. “I forgot the presentation pen drive in the cabin. Send it to the meeting room by any male employee,” he said, deliberately emphasizing the word male.
“Okay,” Priya replied softly and cut the call.
She grabbed the pen drive and stepped outside. But when she looked around, she saw that everyone was deeply buried in work—phones ringing, papers shuffling, keyboards clattering. No one was free. She hesitated, Aryan’s warning from yesterday echoing in her ears. But then she thought rebelliously, ‘Let me give it myself.’
Forgetting his words and ignoring his warning, Priya walked toward the meeting room. Her steps were both nervous and determined. She knocked lightly and pushed the door open. “May I come in, sir?” she asked politely.
Without raising his eyes from the documents, Aryan muttered, “Come.” He granted permission, not realizing who the voice belonged to.
Priya stepped inside, walked closer, and held out the pen drive. “Sir, pen drive,” she said softly.
Hearing her, Aryan looked up in shock. His brows furrowed immediately. “You?” he said, his tone filled with disbelief.
“Actually, everyone was busy, so I came here,” she explained, her voice carrying innocence, but her eyes betraying nervousness.
Before Aryan could say another word, Albert, sitting across the table, leaned forward with a sly smile. “Mr. Aryan, who is she?” he asked, his tone dripping with curiosity.
Priya, not waiting for Aryan to respond, answered herself with a small nod. “I’m his assistant,” she said.
Albert’s lips curved into a half-smirk, his eyes scanning her shamelessly. “Hmm… impressive… Well, it is true that you do not lack beauty—whether it is in terms of place or…” He trailed off, his words carrying a double meaning.
Priya’s face stiffened, and she lowered her eyes, clutching her hands tightly in discomfort. Aryan’s jaw tightened as he shot a sharp look at Albert and then immediately turned to Priya. His voice was clipped and laced with anger. “Riya, you can go now.”
Priya nodded quickly, her throat dry. But Albert raised his hand slightly, still wearing that sly smile. “Why so soon? Give us a chance to talk to your assistant,” he said smoothly.
Aryan’s eyes darkened, his anger threatening to spill over. He glared at Priya as if silently scolding her for even being there, and she understood. Without another word, she quietly left the room, her steps hurried and her heart heavy.
Once the door clicked shut behind her, Aryan clenched his fists under the table, taking a slow breath to calm himself. He forced a professional smile back onto his face, though his anger still lingered in his eyes. “Shall we start the presentation?” he asked, his voice steady but colder than usual.
“Sure,” Albert replied casually, leaning back in his chair as Aryan began presenting.
After Aryan completed the presentation, he leaned back slightly, maintaining his composure. “Did you like it?” he asked, his tone professional but confident.
Albert smirked, crossing his arms casually. “Is there anything in it that I didn’t like?” he replied arrogantly.
Aryan tilted his head with a faint smirk. “I know there is nothing.”
Albert chuckled, tapping his fingers against the table. “It’s not what I meant… But still…”
Aryan’s brows furrowed, his voice sharp. “Still?” he asked, raising one eyebrow, already sensing something off.
Albert leaned forward, his tone dropping into something sly and shameless. “Look, your assistant is very hot… If you—”
But before he could finish his sentence, Aryan slammed his hand against the table and shouted, his voice echoing in the room, “Just shut your mouth!”
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy. Karan’s eyes widened in shock, while Albert leaned back in his chair with a crooked smirk, clearly amused by Aryan’s reaction.
“Hey, she’s only your assistant,” Albert said with mock innocence, smirking wider. “So what’s the matter if she spends only one night with me…”
“I said just shut your fu**ing mouth!” Aryan’s voice thundered with rage. His veins pulsed against his temples as he lost all control. In one swift motion, he grabbed Albert by the collar, pulling him forward with such force that Albert’s smirk faltered for a second.
“Leader, relax!” Karan rushed forward, placing a hand on Aryan’s arm, trying to calm him down before things got worse. Turning to Albert, he snapped, his tone disgusted, “You just get lost.”
But Albert, instead of leaving, pushed further. His lips twisted into another smirk as he deliberately provoked Aryan again. “Did I say something wrong? Is your assistant not hot and sexy???”
Aryan’s fury burned hotter. His grip on Albert’s collar tightened as he hissed, “Just get lost before I beat you.” His voice was low, threatening, and dangerous.
Albert finally pushed Aryan’s hand away and straightened his coat, laughing mockingly. “You’re going to lose this deal because of a girl,” he said with arrogance, and without looking back, he walked out of the room.
The door slammed shut behind him, leaving a thick silence hanging in the air. Aryan’s chest heaved with heavy breaths, his fists still clenched tightly, his jaw locked in pure rage.
“This son of a bi*ch…” Aryan muttered through gritted teeth, glaring at the door as though he could still burn Albert down with his eyes.
“Leader, relax. Please, drink some water,” Karan said gently, handing him a glass. His tone was cautious, knowing Aryan could explode again any moment.
Aryan snatched the glass, his hands trembling slightly, and gulped the water down, trying to calm the storm within him. But his eyes still blazed with fury, and one thought kept repeating in his head. No one insults her like that. No one.
Priya was sitting at her desk, carefully booking her portfolio place. She was humming softly to herself when suddenly the door burst open. Aryan stormed inside, his face clouded with anger, his footsteps heavy and sharp. His presence was enough to make her freeze in place.
Confused, she looked up at him and asked gently, her voice filled with worry, “What happened? Did they… didn’t like the presentation?”
Aryan’s jaw clenched. His eyes blazed with fire as he snapped, raising his voice, “Presentation my foot. You tell me—who called you there? Huh?”
Priya’s breath caught in her throat. His shouting pierced straight into her heart, and her voice came out trembling, broken, “I… I… was… just… came there for giving you…”
Before she could finish, Aryan cut her off with another sharp shout, his anger boiling over. “Just shut up!”
Priya flinched, her eyes widening in shock. Tears welled up instantly, spilling onto her cheeks as her lips quivered. Her voice cracked, laced with pain and confusion, “Why are you shouting on me?”
Her tears pulled Aryan back to his senses. His anger faltered, replaced by guilt. Chest rose and fell heavily as he reached out with a shaky hand, softly wiping the tears from her face. His voice turned low, remorseful, “I’m… I’m sorry… But if you don’t make mistakes, I’ll never shout on you.”
Priya, still trembling, looked into his eyes, searching for answers. Her voice was small but full of hurt. “But at least tell me—what have I done?”
Aryan exhaled sharply, frustration and concern tangled together. His brows knitted as he asked, his tone still rough but not as loud, “Why did you come when I told you not to come there?”
She sniffled, her voice shaking yet honest as she explained, “Everyone was busy in their work, so I disliked disturbing anyone and I came there myself… But what if I had come?”
Aryan’s fists clenched at his sides. His voice grew heavier, filled with anger at Albert more than her. “That person is not good at all. He always looks at girls with dirty eyes… And about you, he said such things that…” But his words broke off. He couldn’t bring himself to say the vile things Albert had spoken. His throat tightened in rage.
Priya’s eyes widened, her heart pounding. She whispered softly, urging him, “That?”
Before Aryan could force the words out, Karan entered the room, breaking the tension. His face was serious as he said, “That leader had to beat him.”
Priya gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Her voice was full of shock, “What? That means the deal was…”
“Yaa, it’s canceled,” Karan completed her words with a sigh.
Priya’s eyes brimmed with guilt. She looked at Aryan, her voice heavy with sorrow, “I’m sorry. I know you were very excited about that deal, but you lost it because of me. I’m so sorry.”
Aryan turned to her, his expression softening despite the storm still inside him. His voice was firm but gentle this time, “It doesn’t matter. But from the next time, you have to keep in mind—if I say no to anything once, then you will not do that. Okay?”
Priya lowered her gaze, nodding silently, her voice no more than a whisper. “Hmm…”
A small, faint smile tugged at Aryan’s lips as he exhaled deeply, relief washing over him. “Good.”
The atmosphere slowly calmed, though the echoes of anger, fear, and unspoken emotions still lingered in the room like a heavy shadow.
After some time, Priya stood up from her chair, brushing off the invisible creases of her dress. She glanced at Aryan from the corner of her eye—he was buried in his laptop, his sharp jawline illuminated by the glow of the screen. She hesitated for a second but still made her way to the door. Aryan noticed the movement from the corner of his eye but didn’t say anything until she reached the door. His protective instinct rose before he could stop himself.
His voice came, calm but carrying authority, “Where are you going?”
Priya froze, like a schoolgirl caught sneaking out of class. She turned her head slightly and replied softly, “Just in cafeteria.”
Aryan’s eyes lifted briefly from the screen. He studied her for a moment, then gave a short nod. “Okay.”
Her lips curved in a faint smile as she stepped out.
As she left, Aryan leaned back in his chair, but something about her answer nagged him. Why did I even ask? She’s free to go wherever she wants… but still, I don’t like when she just disappears without telling me. Why do I care this much? He shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought.
On her way, Priya’s eyes landed on the small door labeled CCTV Room. Her heart skipped. Something inside tugged at her curiosity, and before she could stop herself, her feet carried her there.
She pushed the door open carefully. Inside, the guard was seated lazily on his chair, scrolling through his phone. Startled, he quickly stood up. “Miss, do you want something?”
Priya clasped her hands together, forcing her voice to sound casual. “Yes, I want to see the footage of this morning’s meeting room.”
The guard’s brows knit together. “I can’t show you that.”
Priya blinked, then straightened her back with fake confidence. “Mr. Aryan has given me permission to see that. If you don’t believe me, I can get you to talk to him.”
She held her phone, pretending to dial, her tone dipped lower in warning. “But yes, he is angry… and if he gets angry at you, then don’t tell me later that I didn’t warn you.”
The guard stiffened at the word angry. “Angry…” he murmured nervously.
Priya tilted her head and smirked a little, trying to appear fearless though her heart was racing. “Now tell me—should I call him?”
Inside her mind, she pleaded, ‘Please say no… please just let me see it. I need to know if he really stood up for me. If he did… then how.’
The guard scratched his head, clearly uncomfortable, and finally surrendered. “No, it’s okay. Come, I’ll show you.”
“Thank you,” Priya whispered, her smile softening.
The guard rewound the footage. Priya leaned forward, her breath caught in her throat. On the screen, she saw Aryan’s hand gripping Albert’s collar, his eyes blazing, his voice raised in defense of her dignity. For a moment, she forgot to blink. Watching him fight for her made her chest tighten, her lips part in disbelief.
‘He really stood for me… and with so much anger, like he couldn’t bear anyone insulting me. No one… no one has ever done that for me. He’s really such a nice person. I’m… glad. I’m really glad I’m his employee.’
Warmth spread in her chest as she stepped out of the CCTV room. She walked to the cafeteria, still lost in thoughts of him. Picking up two coffees, she made her way back to the cabin.
She gently placed one cup on his desk and said softly,
“Thank you.”
Aryan raised an eyebrow, confused. “Thank you, for what?”
“For taking my side in the morning,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion.
He froze for a moment, his mind flashing back to Albert’s disgusting words. His jaw clenched. If she really saw that footage, then she knows… she knows I almost lost control. “Means?” he asked, raising a brow.
“I’m just coming from the CCTV room… and you know what, it’s the first time in my life that a boy has stood for me. Otherwise, every time I’ve had to take a stand for myself only.”
Aryan felt his chest tighten. The vulnerability in her words struck him harder than he expected. His voice softened, though he tried to keep it firm. “But from now on, as long as you are my employee, you are my responsibility.”
Priya’s heart skipped. The way he said responsibility—it wasn’t just professional, it sounded like a promise. Her lips curved into a shy smile, her eyes twinkling.
When she smiled at his words, Aryan looked away quickly, pretending to sip the coffee. Why do I feel… proud? Like her smile means something more than it should. Damn it, Aryan, control yourself.
❁𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑❁
❀𝕴𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊 𝖎𝖙!❀
♡ 𝙳𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎, 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚎 ♡
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Loving it