Chapter 1 – The Meeting

The boardroom smelled of polished wood and power.

Every seat was filled with men in suits, their eyes fixed on the files before them, the weight of the upcoming government defense project pressing into the air.

At the head of the table sat Veeresh Rathore.

His presence was undeniable — sharp suit, sharper eyes. The kind of man who didn’t need to raise his voice to silence a room. He was the devil the business world whispered about — Lucifer.

He tapped a finger against the table, waiting. Numbers, budgets, strategies — all of it came naturally to him. But the moment the door opened, he stilled.

She walked in.

Poornima Rao.

Draped in a simple pastel saree, her hair tied neatly, her presence somehow softer than the steel-clad room. She wasn’t dressed to impress, yet every detail about her screamed grace.

For a moment, Veeresh smirked to himself. Trust her to walk into hell wearing innocence like armor.

She slid into a seat across from him, her eyes briefly meeting his. No one else would have noticed the flicker of recognition there — the silent language only best friends shared. But Veeresh caught it, and for the first time that morning, the corners of his mouth curved ever so slightly.

The presentation began.

Slides filled the screen with diagrams of missiles, defense systems, timelines, and government approvals. Numbers rolled off the project head’s tongue, and Veeresh listened with that unreadable calm of his.

Then his voice cut through the air.

“Projected budget?”

The official hesitated for a fraction before replying, “Within thirty crores, sir.”

Veeresh’s gaze sharpened. “And maintenance cost after induction?”

“Approximately five crores annually.”

A pause. Veeresh leaned back, studying the man as if peeling away every layer of truth. Then, as if satisfied, he gave the faintest nod.

But Poornima… she watched him with quiet awe. He was ruthless here, commanding respect with every word. Yet she knew another side — the boy who once sat beside her in class, the one who would silently pass her notes during exams, the one who had always protected her without saying a word.

Now he was Lucifer.

But to her, he was still Veeresh.

And he had just smirked at her like he remembered every piece of their shared past.