Ayush sat at the grand Oberoi dining table, staring at his untouched plate of food. The atmosphere was thick with tension. Anirudh sat to his right, sipping his coffee silently. Aryan and Avni were across from him, watching the scene unfold with poorly concealed amusement.

And at the head of the table sat Arnav Oberoi—silent, composed, but with eyes sharp enough to cut steel.

"So," Arnav finally spoke, setting down his fork with a deliberate slowness, "you’re back."

Ayush shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah."

Arnav leaned back in his chair. "Anirudh tells me you want to ‘fix’ things."

Ayush hesitated. "I—yeah. I know I messed up. I’m trying."

Arnav’s lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smirk. "Trying isn’t enough. You lost my trust. Now you earn it back."

Ayush clenched his jaw. "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

Arnav set his napkin down and looked him straight in the eye. "Discipline. Responsibility. Obedience."

Ayush scoffed. "So basically, become your puppet?"

Anirudh shot him a warning glance, but Arnav remained unfazed. "No. Become someone worthy of carrying the Oberoi name."

Ayush opened his mouth to argue, but before he could, Arnav continued.

"From today, you will follow my rules. No drinking, no reckless spending, no disappearing without informing someone. You will take your internship seriously, and you will report to me weekly on your progress. If you fail—" Arnav’s eyes darkened, "—you leave."

Ayush’s fingers curled into fists. "You can’t just control my life like that!"

Arnav’s expression didn’t change. "Then leave."

The room fell silent.

Ayush’s breath was heavy, his heart pounding with frustration. This was exactly why he had left in the first place. Arnav treated everything like a contract, like a business deal. There was no warmth, no understanding—only control.

But this time… Ayush wasn’t the same impulsive fool.

He exhaled sharply and met Arnav’s gaze. "Fine."

A flicker of something—approval?—passed through Arnav’s eyes. "Good. Then you start today."

Ayush frowned. "Start what?"

Arnav smirked. "Your punishment."

Before Ayush could react, Arnav turned to Aryan and Avni. "Fifty push-ups. Now."

Aryan nearly choked on his juice. "Wait, me? What did I do?"

Arnav shot him a look. "Fifty. Now."

Grumbling, Aryan slid off his chair and started his push-ups. Avni rolled her eyes. "So stupid," she muttered, but got down on the floor and joined him.

Ayush gaped at them. "Wait, this is your idea of discipline?"

Arnav’s eyes gleamed. "No. This is the beginning."

Ayush swallowed hard. He had a feeling life under Arnav’s rule was going to be hell.

To Be Continued…