The Alibaug sun was setting, casting long, orange shadows across the Malhotra estate. Inside the study, the silence was heavy. Sia sat at the mahogany desk, her peach blazer looking sharp even after a ten-hour day of auditing.
Her Nana-ji, Ishwar Malhotra, watched her from his armchair. "You're seventeen, Sia. Most people are worried about prom. You're worried about the depreciation of our shipping fleet."
"Prom doesn't pay for the education of ten thousand employees, Nana-ji," Sia replied, her voice soft but absolute. She took a small bite of Rasmalai, the sweetness of the saffron milk a brief reward for her labor.
The door didn't just open; it swung wide with an air of entitlement. Mehak walked in. At twenty-one, she carried herself with a polished, expensive arrogance. She was the eldest of the four grandchildren, and in her mind, that meant she was the queen-in-waiting.
"Grandfather," Mehak said, ignoring Sia entirely. "The board members for the charity gala are asking for the guest list. I've taken the liberty of finalizing it."
Ishwar didn't look at the list. He looked at Sia. "Sia has already reviewed the foundations for the gala, Mehak. We've decided to shift the focus to tech-education this year."
Mehak's hand tightened on her designer clutch. Her eyes shifted to Sia—the "porcelain doll" who had somehow stolen her future.
"Of course," Mehak hissed, her voice dripping with forced grace. "The 'Master' has spoken. It must be nice, Sia. To have the world handed to you before you're even old enough to vote."
The Warehouse Escape
An hour later, Sia stood on the balcony, her black high ponytail swaying in the sea breeze.
"She's getting louder, isn't she?"
Sia didn't turn. She knew **Rohan's** footsteps. Her best friend was leaning against the railing, twirling his car keys. "Mehak thinks she's the rightful heir because she was born first. She doesn't realize Nana-ji isn't looking for a birth certificate; he's looking for a brain."
"She's meeting with the minority shareholders tonight, Rohan," Sia said, her "baby-innocent" face illuminated by the moonlight. "She thinks if she can prove I'm too 'socially unstable' to lead, Nana-ji will reconsider."
Rohan grinned. "Well, if she wants 'socially unstable,' let's give it to her. There's a party at the old textile warehouse. No cameras, no press. Just music and people who don't care about the Malhotra Group."
"I have a merger to review," Sia began.
"The merger will be there at 2:00 AM," Rohan countered, grabbing her hand. "The Rasmalai is finished. The suit is perfect. Let's go."
The Secret Audit
The warehouse was a cavern of bass and strobe lights. Sia felt the music thrumming through her boots, a sharp contrast to the quiet boardrooms she inhabited. She stayed in the shadows, enjoying her own company while Rohan danced his way through the crowd.
But even here, Sia wasn't just "partying."
She leaned against a rusted pillar, her hand sliding into her pocket to touch the cool surface of her copper disc. A faint blue hologram shimmered in the dark.
Query: Shareholders present at the warehouse VIP lounge.
Results: Three.
Sia's eyes narrowed. Mehak wasn't just here to dance. She had invited the most disgruntled members of the Malhotra board to a "casual" setting to poison their minds against Sia.
"I see them," Rohan whispered, appearing by her side, his playful demeanor gone. He nodded toward a raised platform where Mehak was holding court with three elderly men in suits.
"She's telling them I'm a 'cold, robotic child' who won't listen to their advice," Sia murmured, her pale skin catching the strobe light.
"Are you going to stop her?" Rohan asked.
Sia took a slow breath, her high ponytail snapping as she straightened her blazer. "No. I'm going to let her finish her drink. And then, I'm going to walk up there and show them exactly why Nana-ji chose the 'robot' over the 'socialite'."
The Confrontation
Sia walked up the stairs to the VIP lounge. The music seemed to fade as she approached. Mehak froze, a glass of champagne halfway to her lips.
"Sia? What are you doing here?" Mehak stammered. "This isn't a library."
Sia didn't look at Mehak. She looked at the three board members. "Gentlemen. I believe you were discussing the Q4 expansion. It's a shame Mehak forgot to mention that the logistics firm she's recommending to you is currently facing an insolvency hearing in Singapore."
The board members looked at each other, stunned.
"That's a lie!" Mehak shouted.
Sia tapped her copper disc. A small, crisp projection of a legal document appeared in the air between them. "I audited their parent company this morning. My 'Master's degree' isn't just a piece of paper, Mehak. It's a shield. If these men listen to you, they lose twenty percent of their personal portfolios by Christmas."
Sia turned to leave, stopping only to look Mehak in the eye.
"You're twenty-one, Mehak. You should be leading. Instead, you're just... loud. Go back to your party. I have an empire to run."
As Sia walked back down into the crowd with Rohan, the "Silent Takeover" had claimed its first three victims. The board members weren't looking at Mehak anymore; they were watching the seventeen-year-old girl in the peach suit disappear into the night.