“Hi Jane,” Dr. Sophia said with a warm smile. “How are you feeling today?” “Better, thanks to you,” Jane replied with a forced smile. Dr. Sophia nodded. “You are welcome, Jane. I’m glad you are recovering well.” After another series of checkups, Dr. Sophia gave Jane instructions on what she shouldn’t do in the meantime before she left. Jane and Lucy didn’t continue their earlier discussion. They just sat quietly in the ward. Not long after, Lucy's phone rang. The caller ID indicated it was Dylan calling. She excused herself as she went to receive the call. Jane was deep in thought, her mind drifting to that night on that bridge, where the kind Leonard saved her from committing suicide. Her lips couldn’t help curling up remembering her arguments with him on the bridge that night. “How stupid Jane.” She whispered to herself. Her gaze drifted to the hospital window, watching the city bustle below. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. She thought
At Leonard’s office. After a long stressful day at the office, Leonard was prepared to work overnight as usual, but his mind kept on drifting to Jane’s pictures that were displayed on his desk. Leonard’s face lingered on Jane's smiling face in the picture, his thoughts consumed by her. He couldn’t focus on the reports in front of him. A soft knock was heard as Rachel opened his office door. By now almost all the employees are off work. It’s late already. She was also preparing to leave the office after finishing her work. Knowing her boss would still be here working overtime as usual, she wanted to ask if he needed anything before she called it a day. Sir, do you need anything? She asked, closing the door behind her. Leonard shook his head. “No Rachel, you can leave.” As Rachel departed, Leonard's gaze returned to Jane’s pictures. He recalled their encounter on the bridge the day he saved her. Her desperation, and his instinctive response. “Why was he drawn to her? He
Two months later. Jane sat in Leonard’s luxurious living room, sipping her coffee. She had been living with him since she was discharged from the hospital. This is because she doesn’t have anywhere to stay. She can’t even go back home, due to her misdeeds. Lucy, who she should have stayed with, is living together with her boyfriend Dylan, so she has to go with the last option, which is to stay with Leonard. As the heiress of the Lockwood empire, she had properties at her disposal where she could stay, but she couldn’t go there for now, so as not to alert her family of her return. She is not ready to meet them yet. As Jane pondered her situation, Leonard entered the room, his presence commanding attention. "Good morning, Jane." "Morning, Leonard," she replied, her voice soft. "I hope you slept well?" he asked, sitting beside her. Jane nodded, feeling a mix of emotions. Gratitude for Leonard's kindness, guilt for imposing on him, and anxiety about her uncertain future. "L
Jason's mind wandered back to the fateful arguments they had a year ago, the memories still etched vividly in his mind. He recalled the determination in his daughter's eyes, the fiery passion in her voice, as she stood firmly against the arranged marriage he had planned for her. "No, Father, I won't do it!" Jane exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion. "I won't marry some man I've never met, just to secure the family's business interests. I won’t involve myself in any arranged marriage whether you like it or not. I won’t be involved in your business deals of using your daughter for your selfish gain.” How dare you talk to me like that? If you don’t fulfill my wish, I will disown you as my daughter. You won’t be getting any of my properties as a Lockwood. The man shouted as his voice shook with anger. “If that’s the solution to me not getting married to someone you arranged for me, someone I don’t love, then I ceased being your daughter from today onward”. After saying this, s
Not knowing about the commotion at home, Jane was busy dressing up for her reunion with her family after more than a year. Jane smoothed out her dress, checking herself in the mirror. It had been over a year since she'd last seen her family. She took a deep breath, preparing for the emotional reunion. Just as Jane finished adjusting her hair, Leonard badge into her room, his expression serious. "Jane, I don’t think it’s right to meet your family for now.” Jane's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean by that?” Her voice trembled with emotions. "It's about your return to your family," Leonard said, his voice measured. "I'm afraid it's not possible... at least, not yet." Jane's face fell, disappointment washing over her. "What happened?" Leonard hesitated before speaking. "Someone's been using your disappearance to taunt your family, demanding ransom in exchange for your safe return." Jane's eyes widened in shock. "That's impossible! I'm right here, safe and sound." Leon
The night air was tense as Agent Lee led her team as they set up surveillance around the designated location, a deserted warehouse on the outskirts of town. As hours ticked by, Agent Lee's team remained vigilant, scanning the surrounding area for any sign of movement. The designated time arrived, and right on cue, a figure emerged from the shadows. “Drop it there, and raise your hands.” A lady voice sounded behind Desmond who was holding the bag of cash. She pointed the gun in her hand at Desmond. "Target spotted," whispered Agent Thompson, binoculars trained on the figure. Agent Lee nodded, her eyes locked on the figure now approaching the warehouse. "Let's move in." The team converged on the warehouse, surrounding the figure. Agent Lee stepped forward, gun drawn. "Hands up! You're under arrest." “Didn’t I tell you not to inform anyone? It’s like you don’t like your sister enough Mr. Lockwood. She glared at Desmond angrily with her mask-covered face. Not caring about Age
Agent Lee swiftly escorted Desmond to the FBI base, her expression resolute. "We'll get to the bottom of this." She assured as they entered the interrogation room, which Leonard nodded Inside the interrogation room, Iris sat calmly, her eyes fixed on Desmond. Her face looked pale. It’s like she had come back to her senses, but there isn’t any medicine for regret. She can’t undo what had happened earlier. "Tell us about your partner," Agent Lee demanded. Iris smirked. "You'll never find them." She stubbornly refused to reveal anything. Agent Lee leaned in. "We have evidence. Your partner's identity will come out. If you don’t want to talk, I will fish them out myself”. She confidently said. “You blackmailing people is already a criminal offense that can put you in jail for a few years. Iris's confidence wavered as she heard about the imprisonment. "Fine," Iris said, her voice shaky. "I wasn't alone. Richard initiated me." Desmond's eyes widened. "Richard? You mean my uncle
Two weeks after the blackmailing incident, Agent Lee's investigation had reached a dead end. Despite Iris's confession, there wasn't enough evidence to link Richard to the crime. He was so smart that he met Iris in a secluded place, where his face or their conversation wouldn’t be captured and recorded. He was careful enough. Richard walked out of the police station, a smug smile on his face. "No charges will be filed," his lawyer announced. He nodded before boarding his car and took off. Iris, on the other hand, was sentenced to five years in prison for blackmail and extortion. Weeks passed, and the Lockwood family continued searching everywhere for Jane. Evelyn’s health began to decline, her worry for Jane consuming her. When Jane ran away from home, her family thought she was throwing a tantrum, but as days turned into months, and months turned a year, they came to realize she was serious when she told her father she ceased being his daughter that year. They’ve looked for
Singapore. Bank Group Headquarters. 10:00 P.M. At the top floor of one of the tallest skyscrapers in the Marina Bay district in Singapore, Leonard, who was sitting poised behind the expansive mahogany desk in his office, was a picture of refined elegance. His broad back was a testimony to his rigorous workout routine. His slender fingers danced across the keyboard of his sleek, shiny black laptop, the words flowing onto the screen with lightning speed. As he typed, the soft glow of the desk lamp cast a warm, golden light upon his chiseled features, illuminating the sharp planes of his face and the intense focus in his eyes. The city skyline outside, a dazzling tapestry of twinkling lights and towering skyscrapers, seemed to hum with energy, a subtle counterpoint to the quiet intensity of Leonard's work. Finally, with a soft click, Leonard shut down the laptop, his fingers stilled on the keyboard. He leaned back in the plush, black leather armchair, his eyes closing in a mom
Jason's grip on the phone tightened as he anticipated whatever the Banks wanted to say. He just hoped they hadn’t found anything about his daughter’s previous marriage.“Hi Jason, how have you been?” Reginald's cheerful voice echoed in the silent living room from the phone. Jane shifted her butts on the sofa impatiently.“I’ve been good Reginald, thanks for asking.” Jason tried sounding as calm as possible. Reginald's cheerful voice continued, “Great, great! I was calling to discuss the rehearsal dinner for tomorrow. We've finalized the details, and we are using the ‘fruitful palace’ restaurant. I will send the details to you later.”Jason's tense shoulders relaxed slightly as he realized the call wasn't about Jane's previous marriage. He glanced over at Jane, who was watching him with bated breath. He gave her a subtle nod, and her face relaxed, relief written all over it as she sagged back on the sofa.After speaking with Reginald for some minutes, the call comes to an end.Jane’s
“Dad, I’m telling the truth, believe me, Dad. I’m in love with Leonard. I would never call off this wedding.” Jane's hand was placed on her chest trying to make her father see her sincerity.Jason's expression was incredulous. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His daughter, who ran away from home just because of this marriage, was in front of him declaring her love for the same man she escaped. This is unbelievable.Jason shook his head, still trying to process what Jane just said. “Jane, I don’t know what you are playing at right now, but let me tell you, I won’t let you try anything stupid this time around,” Jason said, his voice firm. “You always hated the idea of getting married to Leonard and now? Jason took a step closer to Jane, his footsteps heavy, “what changed Jane, what changed.”The aura emitting from Jason was so strong that Jane took a shaky step back, trying to be as far away from her father as possible. “Dad,” Jane's shaky voice tumbled out. Though she was afrai
Jane smiled weakly, her hand on Desmond's own that was holding hers as she reassured him. “I'll be fine, Des. Don't worry.” She gently pulled her hand out of his grasp, giving her mother a small reassuring smile before following her father to his study.As Jane walked to the study, her heart was heavy with how her confrontation with her father might go. As she entered the study, she saw her father standing by the window, his back facing her. The room was dimly lit, with only a few rays of sunlight peeking through the blinds. The air was thick with the scent of papers and ink, a familiar smell that always brought her back to her childhood memories of playing with her father in this very room. This was the first time she was entering his study after her disappearance. Everything was just as she left it.The study was cozy, revealing its masculine space, with dark furniture and grey interiors, burgundy carpets that muffled her footsteps. The walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling booksh
Leonard picked up the phone, his brow furrowed at the caller ID. Rachel, his assistant, wouldn't have called him by this time if it wasn't important. Leonard taps on the green answer icon on his phone before placing the phone on his right ear. “Yes, Rachel, is anything the problem?”Jane felt uneasy at the mention of that feminine name. She didn’t know anything about who worked for Leonard, so she didn’t know Rachel was his assistant. She tried covering her unease by playing with the button on Leonard’s white shirt. As Leonard listened to whatever Rachel was saying, his brow furrowed even more. “What do you mean the Heart project has been compromised?” Leonard's voice rose, his words sharp with anxiety. “How did this happen? The team that was handling this project, didn’t they see this coming?” Leonard roared into the phone as his hand which was caressing Jane's hair froze midair. Jane felt a shiver run down her spine. She hadn’t seen Leonard being angry before. It’s like he was dis
“Ahh,” Jane shrieked at the sudden spank on her butt. “Leonard, don't be so shameless.” she hit him on his shoulder as he walked towards her bed.“How did hitting my fiancée butt made me shameless huh?” He nibbled on her right ear as he placed her on the king-size bed. Jane's eyes widened in surprise as Leonard's warm breath tickled her ear. She tried to play it cool, but her cheeks flushed with excitement. “Hmm, her lips parted as a light moan made its way out of her red lips.After Leonard placed Jane on the bed, he stood up looking at her flushed face. Leonard almost loses control of his almost naked body. The silence between them was not awkward at all. Jane shyly gazes at Leonard's naked upper body. This was the first time she saw almost the naked Leonard, though they both slept in the same room every day, they respected each other.Jane's eyes roamed over Leonard's chest, her gaze lingering on the sharp lines of his collarbone. She felt a flutter in her chest as she took in the
“Jane?” Leonard whispered her name as he stared at her reflection through the bathroom mirror. Was she sleepwalking? He didn't think she would be waking up soon after all the drama earlier. The soft glow of the bathroom light illuminated her face. Jane, who was still oblivious that someone was in her bathroom, walked to the toilet seat and lifted her gown to pee.Leonard swiftly turned around, his gaze fixated on the little woman who hadn't realized he was in there with her. Jane lifted her pink nightgown to her navel region, her black panties on display giving Leonard quite a show.Leonard's eyes widened in surprise at her plump backside, he quickly averted his gaze, his face heating up with a mixture of embarrassment and desire. He stood frozen, unsure of what to do next, as Jane continued to prepare for her late-night bathroom visit.Jane, still oblivious to Leonard's presence, lifted the toilet seat and began to take care of her business. The sound of the toilet paper roll spinnin
Ten in the Night.Leonard parked his car quietly in front of the Lockwood main gate. Since it was the wee hours, he decided not to alarm anyone in the mansion. Only the security at the gate who opened the gate for him knew of his arrival. Leonard silently strolled into the Lockwood mansion, his footsteps silent as he walked down the dim hallway. He was impressed by the top-notch security placed around the mansion. If not for his kin sense of security, he would have been caught by one of the security devices installed around the mansion. He sneaked into the main house, walking straight to Jane's room. He wondered which room might be hers. He only knows the floor her room was, and not her exact room location. He had been there just once.He walked down the hallway wondering which of the rooms with numerous doors was hers. The full moonlight that seeps in through the window and the dim light in the hallway guide him on a pale path down the corridors. After a few minutes of walking, he f
“Jason, how dare you slap our daughter like that?” Evelyn rushed forward, standing in front of Jane, shielding her from her father's fury.“Get out of the way.” Jason, whose veins were still bulging at Jane's earlier revelation, warned his wife.“No, I won't. Had you listened to me two years ago and discussed her marriage with her understandably, would all this happen?” Evelyn's words tumbled out of her mouth not minding her husband's fury.There was a slight crease in Jason's eyebrow, but he didn't want to back down from this issue. “If you hadn't spoiled her so much, she wouldn't have made such a big decision without our knowledge. And did I hear you blaming me for forcing her into a marriage?” Evelyn's gaze shifted from her husband at his words.“Have I ever made a wrong decision for her? Who among the women in this country doesn't want Leonard? She is my daughter and I can't push her into something bad for her future.” Jason harshly shoves Evelyn out of his way due to his anger, m