The 15th floor of the Malhotra Industries headquarters was ruled by a silence so profound it was terrifying. Even the sound of an employee's footsteps would fade before reaching Ayan Malhotra's cabin. Ayan Malhotra—the future CEO of the Malhotra empire, a man for whom emotions were as lifeless as the papers buried in his files.
Ayan sat behind his luxurious mahogany desk, his dark eyes fixed on the laptop screen. Suddenly, the door creaked open. A junior manager, drenched in sweat, entered with a file.
"S-sir... the presentation was delayed by 2 minutes because..."
Ayan looked up. The ice in his eyes froze the manager's words in his throat.
"I don't have time for excuses," Ayan's voice was cold and flat. "Discipline is the only law in Malhotra Industries. You wasted my time. I want your resignation on my desk by this evening."
He delivered the punishment without a hint of hesitation. People called him 'strict' and 'heartless,' but Ayan didn't care. He loved only his company and his work.
The Shadow of a Painful Past
Behind Ayan's stone-like exterior lay a dark, forgotten night. When he was only ten years old, his parents' car plunged into a ravine on a stormy night. That single accident changed Ayan's entire world. He watched his parents take their last breaths before his very eyes. Since that day, Ayan stopped crying. His grandfather, Vikram Malhotra, and his grandmother raised him. But that childhood trauma distanced him from relationships. He felt that everyone you love eventually leaves. Thus, he shackled himself to work and kept his distance from women.
The Call from the Hospital
Suddenly, Ayan's phone rang. It was his manager.
"Sir, the Chairman... he's had a heart attack. He's at City Hospital."
The pen slipped from Ayan's hand. He rushed to his car immediately. Arriving at the hospital, he saw his grandmother in tears. Ayan supported her, but his own face remained a mask of stoicism, hiding a deep, internal dread.
Inside the ICU, his grandfather looked fragile amidst the web of machines.
"Ayan..." his grandfather gripped his hand. "I fear that after I'm gone, this company will fall into the hands of your greedy cousin. That traitor is dealing with our rivals."
Ayan's jaw tightened. He knew his cousin would stoop to any level for the CEO's chair.
"I won't let that happen, Grandfather."
"Then fulfill the final condition of my will," his grandfather said weakly. "You must marry immediately. I need an heir for this company. If you do not marry, all power will transfer to your cousin according to the will."
Ayan's Decision
Ayan was stunned. Marriage? Something he considered a burden. But it was the only way to save the company.
"Fine, Grandfather. I will marryHere is the comprehensive, 1,200+ word version of Chapter 1 in English. This version is structured specifically for Webnovel, focusing on Ayan's cold persona, his tragic past, and the intense hospital ultimatum.
Chapter 1: The Iron-Hearted Heir
[The Throne of Power]
Silence reigned on the 50th floor of the Malhotra Industries headquarters. It was not a peaceful silence, but a heavy, suffocating one. Even the sound of a clock ticking felt like the rhythmic strike of a hammer against the glass walls. Ayan Malhotra sat behind his massive mahogany desk, his sharp, coal-black eyes fixed on a glowing laptop screen. He was the future CEO of the Malhotra empire—a position for which he had sacrificed his sleep, his youth, and his peace.
In Ayan's world, the word 'mistake' did not exist. He was a man of iron discipline who followed his own rules with religious fervor and expected the same from everyone else. Suddenly, his cabin door creaked open. A senior manager, who had been with the company for ten years, entered with trembling hands.
"S-sir, there was a slight delay in the shipment because of the traffic—"
Ayan looked up. The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly. "Rule number one," Ayan's voice was low but razor-sharp. "Wasting time is equivalent to wasting the company's future. And there is no room for liabilities in my office. Clear your desk and leave. Now."
The manager tried to plead, but Ayan had already returned to his files. He loved his work and his company beyond measure, and he would never tolerate anyone who threatened its perfection.
[The Ghost of the Past]
Behind this ruthless behavior lay a deep, unhealed scar from a dark night many years ago. When Ayan was just ten years old, a horrific car accident changed his world forever. On a stormy night, he watched from the backseat as his parents took their last breaths amidst twisted metal and shattered glass.
That tragedy stripped away his innocence and forced him to grow up far too soon. Although his grandfather, Vikram Malhotra, and his grandmother raised him with immense care and love, they could never fill the void left by his parents. The loss turned his heart to stone. Ayan deliberately stayed away from women because he had no faith in the bond of marriage; he believed that emotions were a sign of weakness and that everyone you love eventually leaves.
[The Shadow of Betrayal]
While Ayan built the future, a shadow lurked within his own family. His cousin watched the CEO's chair with eyes full of greed and jealousy. The cousin was ready to do anything—no matter how unethical—to seize power. He had already begun making secret deals with rival businessmen, sharing company secrets just to see Ayan fall.
Ayan was not blind to this betrayal. He knew exactly what moves his cousin was making in the shadows. He had vowed that the legacy his grandparents built with their blood and sweat would never fall into such corrupt and incompetent hands.
[The Hospital Ultimatum]
A phone call shattered the cold routine of the afternoon. Ayan's grandfather had suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. Ayan arrived at the ICU to find his grandmother in tears. For the first time, a flicker of genuine dread appeared on Ayan's face.
Inside the ICU, his grandfather looked fragile amidst a web of tubes and monitors. "Ayan..." the old man gripped his hand weakly. "Time is short. There is a condition in my will that I never told you about. To be declared the official CEO and protect this company from falling into the wrong hands, you must marry immediately."
Ayan stood frozen as if struck by lightning. "Marriage? Now? Grandfather, you know I don't believe in these things."
"I need an heir for this company, Ayan," his grandfather gasped. "If you do not marry, the power will automatically transfer to your cousin as per the legal clauses."
Ayan's jaw tightened. The thought of his traitorous cousin sitting in his chair was unbearable. "Fine, Grandfather. I will do it."
As he walked out of the hospital, Ayan's mind raced with cold, calculated thoughts. He didn't want a real marriage; he wanted a business deal. He decided to find a girl for a "Contract Marriage"—someone who would play the role for one year, secure his CEO position, and then leave. But the burning question remained: where would he find a girl desperate enough to marry a man who had forgotten how to love?
Next Step: Would you like me to write Chapter 2, where Ayan spots Nilima at the pharmacy in the rain and makes her the life-changing offer?