Stuck with the boss

Chapter 1 The wakeup call

Shreya woke up irritably to the shrill ringing of her phone. Groaning, she blindly reached for it and squinted at the screen.
The moment she saw the caller ID, annoyance flashed across her face.

Pain.

The very appropriate nickname she had saved for her arrogant, insufferable, playboy boss.
Of course.

The devil himself has decided humanity doesn't deserve peaceful sleep today.
She glanced at the time and nearly cursed out loud.
5:30 a.m.

What does this pain in the ass want so early in the morning?

Suppressing the urge to throw her phone against the wall, she answered half-heartedly.

"What do you want at this ungodly hour that can't wait another three hours?"

Reyhansh chuckled from the other side.
"Ms. Joshi, I don't remember paying you to sleep. I pay you to work for me with complete devotion and loyalty."

Shreya clenched her jaw.
Arrogant jerk.

Rey knew very well that Shreya was fiercely loyal to her work. But after what had happened last night, he had intentionally called just to get on her nerves.

The previous evening had been chaos.
When Shreya had walked into his office with his mother following right behind her, Rey had been busy making out with one of his girlfriends.
Usually, no one dared disturb him because everyone outside those office doors knew exactly what was happening inside.

But Shreya, simply to irritate him, had very deliberately walked his mother straight into the cabin.

The second his mother stepped inside, the silence in the room had become deafening.
The horrified gasp she let out still echoed in Rey's mind.

The girl beneath him had screamed, his mother had started yelling, and Shreya had stood there looking unbearably satisfied.
The image of his mother catching her six-foot-four son lying over a half-dressed girl was something Rey still hadn't recovered from.
Thinking about the incident, he casually instructed, "Be at my house an hour early. And bring today's meeting files."

The second she heard him, anger rushed through her.
She opened her mouth, fully prepared to scream.
The line disconnected.
She stared at the phone for a second before throwing it aside.
What a complete scoundrel.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, she got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom to finish her morning routine.
A while later, she stepped out and tried calling the kitchen from her bedroom intercom.
No answer.
Shrugging, she walked toward her walk-in closet and quickly got dressed.
A fitted black pencil skirt that fell just below her knees, a beautiful blue silk blouse tucked neatly in, three-inch black stilettos, subtle eyeliner, and lip gloss completed the perfectly polished corporate look.
Picking up her Da Milano laptop bag along with her Dior handbag, she stepped out of her room.
The marble floors felt cold beneath her heels as she crossed the massive hallway lined with expensive paintings and towering glass windows overlooking the sprawling front lawn of their estate.
She noticed one of the servants coming down the stairs, preparing for everyone's morning tea.

"Please keep these in my car," she said, handing over her bags.
The servant gave her an apologetic expression.
"Ma'am, your car has gone for regular maintenance."
She shut her eyes briefly and cursed under her breath.
Perfect.

Glancing at the clock nearby, she realized it had already struck seven.
Without wasting another second, she quickly headed towards her parents' room and knocked twice until her mother opened the door.

Her mother looked at her and smiled knowingly.
Ever since Shreya had started working under Reyhansh, that man had somehow managed to do what no one in the family ever could.
Turn their impossibly lazy daughter into someone responsible.
Sometimes she silently thanked him.

Her mother folded her arms and chuckled softly.
"Your boss really has performed miracles. Two years ago, waking up before noon would've required divine intervention."
Shreya rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Please don't remind me why I hate him."
Laughing softly, her mother stepped aside.
Shreya quickly asked, "Is Papa awake?"
"Yes, he's in the bathroom."
The moment she heard that, she rushed straight towards the attached bathroom of her parents' grand master bedroom.

Knocking on the door, she sweetly called out.
"Pops, my car has gone for repair, Dadu has already taken my second car for his yoga session, Mom needs hers today, Uncle and Aunty are still sleeping, so I can't ask them for their cars right now because I'm getting late..."

She paused dramatically.

"So... can I please borrow yours?"
A reply instantly came from inside.
"No. I need the small car today. I have somewhere important to go and I can't take the bigger ones."
A mischievous smile spread across her face.
"Or..."
She glanced toward the key holder.
"I can take your new car and promise I'll bring it back without a scratch."

"Absolutely not," her father snapped immediately.
Shreya rolled her eyes.
"That sounds like permission to me."
"Shreya!"
She laughed loudly.
"Yes... and I love you, Pops. Bye!"

Ignoring whatever protest was coming next, she marched straight towards the key holder and grabbed the keys to his brand-new jet-black Mercedes sedan.
Conveniently her favorite color.
She tossed both bags onto the front seat and quickly drove out of the family estate.
For exactly ten seconds, she felt oddly happy.

Then reality hit.
The excitement disappeared instantly.
She wasn't driving toward work.
She was driving straight into Reyhansh Malhotra's kingdom.
And with him...
Disaster was never a possibility.
It was a guarantee.
Letting out a long sigh, she tightened her grip on the steering wheel and mentally prepared herself for what was undoubtedly going to be a very long day.