The Art of Control and Manipulation

The heavy oak doors of Veer's cabin loomed before them. Zara's heart pounded, the weight of the revelation still pressing down on her. Veer Khanna. The sole heir of Ethereon Pharmaceuticals. The same man she had met in the most unexpected of circumstances.

"You're still in shock, aren't you?" Elara's teasing voice pulled her out of her trance.

Zara blinked, inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "A little… okay, a lot."

Elara smirked but said nothing as she pushed open the doors.

The cabin was large, bathed in the dim glow of warm lighting. A massive mahogany desk stood at the far end, papers stacked neatly. The scent of aged leather and a faint trace of Veer's cologne filled the space. But what caught Zara's attention was him.

Veer leaned against the desk, his hands tucked into the pockets of his suit pants, watching them with a knowing smirk. His sharp eyes danced with amusement, but something else lurked beneath—an unreadable intensity.

Zara took a step forward.

"Thank you," she said, her voice carrying both gratitude and disbelief. "I never expected to be chosen… let alone by you."

Veer's smirk deepened. "You say that as if you don't deserve it." His voice was low, smooth, like a melody laced with dark promises.

Zara shook her head, her thoughts still scrambled. "It's not that… it's just… you're Veer Khanna. If I had known that this company belonged to you—" She stopped, narrowing her eyes. "Wait a minute."

Veer arched an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Why didn't you tell me last night?" she asked, folding her arms.

Veer tilted his head, feigning innocence. "Tell you what?"

"That I was interviewing for a job in your company?" Zara's voice rose slightly, her frustration slipping through.

Instead of answering directly, Veer pushed off his desk, stepping closer.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he countered smoothly, his gaze locking onto hers. "You only said you had an interview at a pharmaceutical company. You never mentioned it was Ethereon Pharmaceuticals."

Zara opened her mouth, then closed it.

Damn.

He had a point.

A soft chuckle broke the silence.

Elara, who had been watching their exchange with increasing amusement, suddenly crossed her arms. "Wait… wait… I have a question," she said, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Veer and Zara both turned to her.

"Are you two sure you only met last night?" she asked, tilting her head. "Because I swear, it feels like you've known each other for much longer."

A brief silence followed before Veer's smirk returned, dangerous and knowing.

"What do you think, Elara?" he asked, his voice smooth as silk.

Elara huffed, rolling her eyes. "You two are impossible."

Zara, despite herself, smiled. But then, her thoughts shifted, her amusement fading into something more serious. She met Veer's gaze again, this time with quiet determination.

"Veer…" she hesitated for a moment, then continued, "why have you never mentioned your elder brother?"

The smirk on Veer's lips vanished. The warmth in his eyes darkened into something colder.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then, slowly, he turned away, walking to the massive window overlooking the estate. His hands curled into fists at his sides.

"Because I didn't want to burden you," he said at last, his voice quieter than before. "After everything you've told me about your past—your brother, your father—I didn't want to remind you of pain."

Zara's breath hitched.

Elara, sensing the shift in the air, stayed silent.

Veer inhaled sharply.

"But you deserve to know."

He turned back around, and for the first time, Zara saw something raw in his eyes. Something unspoken.

"My brother was killed. Right outside this estate."

A chilling silence.

"Killed?" Zara whispered.

Veer nodded, his jaw clenching.

"It happened when I was younger. Before the estate had proper boundaries or a main gate. My brother and I were out late, wandering near the forest. It was a summer evening, but oddly, the air felt… cold. Like winter."

His voice had a haunting quality, as if he were reliving the memory in real time.

"And then… we saw it."

Zara's spine tingled.

"A shadow. Emerging from the Vast Forest. It crossed the open field, stepped onto the road, and before we could run—" Veer's voice wavered slightly.

"It grabbed him."

The room felt suffocating.

"His screams—" Veer inhaled sharply, closing his eyes. "—they didn't last long. The creature sucked the life out of him within moments. When he fell… his body was pale, lifeless, with two distinct fang marks on his neck."

A shudder ran through Zara.

"I was frozen. I couldn't move. I just… watched." Veer's hands trembled. "Then, realization hit me, and I screamed. I screamed until my throat burned."

His voice broke.

"And then I blacked out."

Zara's heart ached. She took a step closer, but Veer continued.

"When I woke up, I was in the hospital. My parents were there. I asked about my brother, but… my father said I had been unconscious for a week. And that my brother had already been buried after forensic research."

Tears slipped down Veer's face.

The mighty Veer Khanna, the powerful heir, the confident man who never lost control—was breaking.

Zara couldn't take it anymore. She moved forward, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Veer," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Elara, too, stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder before wrapping her arms around him as well.

Veer's arms instinctively tightened around them.

And that's when it happened.

A sudden heat surged through Veer's body, something dark, intense, primal.

The softness of Zara and Elara's bodies pressing against him, the warmth of their curves, the way their breasts pressed against his chest—

Something inside him snapped open.

Zara's breath hitched. She felt it—a shift in energy. A power awakening.

Her eyes widened.

"Veer…" she whispered, her voice barely audible, suddenly understanding. "Your power of control and manipulation… it awakens through direct physical contact with two women at once."

Veer's grip on both of them tightened. His fingers pressed into Zara's waist, while his other hand instinctively settled on Elara's lower back.

Zara smirked.

Elara, however, stiffened. Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red as she suddenly pulled away.

"I-I should go," she muttered, avoiding their eyes.

Zara stepped back too, recognizing that now wasn't the right time.

Veer, regaining control, exhaled sharply. He turned away, rubbing his temples.

"Thank you," he muttered. "And… I'm sorry for what just happened."

A silence followed.

Then, as if nothing had happened, Veer suddenly smirked.

"Now," he said, his usual confidence returning, "when do you plan to officially join, Ms. Zara?"

Zara, despite the storm of emotions, found herself smiling.

This was only the beginning.

(TO BE CONTINUED…)