At the last minute, the man caught one of her hands as her legs dangled in the air. Using all his strength, he tried lifting her.
“Why are you saving me, just let me go?” She shouted at the man that just saved her. “Just shut up, and stop struggling”. He said as he used all his strength to drag her falling body off the bridge. After making sure she wouldn’t try anything stupid after her feet touched the ground, he breathed a sigh of relief as he glared at her as if saying why is she so stupid to think committing suicide will solve all her problems? Too weak to say anything, Jane collapsed due to exhaustion. “Hey, the man protected her body from falling on the cold bridge floor. Open your eyes and talk to me”. Not receiving any response, he carried her in a bridal style as he walked hurriedly to his car that was parked on the other side of the bridge. “Boss, what is wrong with her?” His driver, who had been watching his boss who wouldn’t care about anything even if the world collapsed in front of him, and wouldn’t even bat an eyelid if someone died in front of him, carried the unknown woman to the car with impatience written all over his face asked the man. “Just shut the fuck up and open the door”. He shouted at the driver who shivered and also rushed to open the car's back door. “Drive to the hotel immediately”. He ordered his driver. “Yes boss” he didn't need to be told twice. As they drove to the hotel they lodged in, the man was in a deep thought. He doesn’t know why he felt so scared of losing someone he didn't even know before. He felt a sense of familiarity looking at her back view when he was sitting in his car as he looked outside the window in boredom a moment ago. He came to Los Angeles for a business deal a week ago. It was a business trip that needed his present, if not, he wouldn’t be here. “Boss, we are here”. The voice of his driver brought him out of his thoughts. Not wasting any time, he carried the woman who had been resting her head on his lap out of the car in a hurry. “Leonard, you are ba…” Another man can be seen coming out of the hotel putting on a swimsuit with a towel hanging on his neck. Without the need to tell, he wanted to go for a swim. “Just shut up and come and take a look at her immediately.” Leonard didn’t let him finish his statement before shouting at him without stopping his footsteps as he made his way to the elevator. Looking puzzled, Dylan followed behind him looking lost. When has welcoming his friend turned into a fight? And what did he see just now? His friend was carrying an unconscious woman with fear evident on his face. He even brought her to him personally so he could check up on her. Who can explain what is going on to him? After giving the driver a curious look, showing how interested he was to know all that happened for this woman to end up here, he followed behind Leonard hurriedly. The elevator which Leonard entered with Jane in his arms was about to close when Dylan rushed in. “Who is she? Why did it seem you are almost losing your mind?” Dylan asked. “We will talk about that later. Right now, I want you to take a look at her.” Leonard replied. Ding! The elevator opened after descending on the fifty-sixth floor which was the highest floor in the hotel they lodged in. Leonard rushed out of the elevator after it opened. Kicking the presidential suite door, he entered hurriedly and placed Jane on the bed. “Why are you just standing there? Check what is wrong with her immediately.” “Right away,” Daniel replied after being stunned for the second time today by all Leonard's actions since he came back. Without wasting time, he went over to check on Jane, who was lying on the bed with a pale face. Dylan began examining Jane, checking her vital signs. She is exhausted and dehydrated and it’s like she just donated blood recently. My equipment is not here with me, so I can’t be sure of that. We need to get her stabilized. Leonard’s face darkened with concern. “Get what you need, now!” Dylan quickly placed a call to his girlfriend Lucy, who came together with him to Los Angeles for this trip. She was in their hotel room. “Lucy, bring my first aid kit, we have an emergency. I’m in Leonard’s room. “What happened, is Mr. Bank sick?” Lucy asked with concern laced in her voice. “No, it’s not Leonard that’s sick, it’s someone else. Be fast, when you reach here, you will get to know the details.” After saying that, he hung up. “She will be here soon,” Dylan said as he continued his examination of Jane, Leonard's gaze lingered on Jane's features. Something about her resonated with him. “Who is she?” Dylan asked, curiosity getting the better of him. Leonard hesitated before answering him. “I don’t know her, I saw her on the bridge… she was going to jump.” Dylan’s eyes widened. “You saved her life, Leonard?” Leonard was about to reply when the door of the presidential suite was opened, revealing Lucy, who was putting on a short red gown that complimented her skin perfectly. As she entered, her eyes widened in shock as she saw who was lying on the bed. “Jane? Oh my God, is that…?”“Jane Lockwood!” Lucy exclaimed, her voice trembling, as she rushed over to the bed she was lying on. Touching her pale face, which was cold to touch, she choked on her sob. “I knew you were still alive, but they didn't believe me.” Dylan's expression turned puzzled seeing his girlfriend's reaction. “You know her?” Lucy nodded, tears streaming down her face. “We were friends since childhood, she disappeared a year ago.” Leonard’s gaze never left Jane. “What happened to her?” He questioned. Lucy's voice cracked. “The last time we talked before she went missing, she was telling me about some arranged marriage she had since childhood. If I’m not mistaken, I think the reason she went missing was to escape the marriage. After getting this information from Lucy. Leonard's expression turned solemn. No one knows what he was thinking. After Lucy composed herself, Dylan continued examining Jane. “We need to get her to New York, she requires specialized care,” Dylan said. “I will ma
Lucy snapped out of her thoughts hearing that. You can test me, I might be a match. She said, stretching her hand forward. Dylan's grip on Lucy tightened. "Are you sure, Lucy?" Leonard's expression turned solemn. "We'll do everything to help Jane recover." Dr. Sophia nodded. "Let's run the tests." The medical team quickly took Lucy's blood samples. Hours passed, and Dr. Sophia returned with a hopeful smile. "Lucy, you're a perfect match. Your blood is compatible with Jane's." Lucy's face crumpled again, this time with relief. As the medical team prepared Lucy for donation, Leonard's thoughts lingered on Jane's arranged marriage partner. "Who was he, and why did she want to escape?" he wondered. Dr. Sophia's voice interrupted his thoughts. "We'll begin surgery immediately after the blood transfusion." Leonard nodded, his gaze never leaving the Icu. The hours ticked by as they all waited for the end of the surgery. Finally, Dr. Sophia came out from the operatin
Leonard sprang to his feet, rushing out of his office. I will be there soon. He hung up immediately not waiting for Lucy’s reply. Thirty minutes later, he was standing in front of the ICU room. He does not know what’s the matter with him. He was not an impulsive person, but since he met her, it’s like he had turned into a different person. “Hey Mr. Banks, you are here.” Dr Sophia’s voice brought him out of his reverie. “Why aren’t you entering already?” She questioned as he faced her. Leonard blinked, snapping back to reality. “Oh sorry, Dr Sophia, I was lost in my thoughts.” Dr Sophia’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. I presume it’s about Jane?” Leonard’s cheeks warmed slightly, but he nodded, confirming her suspicions. Dr Sophia’s eyes sparkled seeing the embarrassed Leonard. Who would have thought the ruthless billionaire also has a day when he feels embarrassed? “You care deeply about her, don’t you?” She said while smiling. Leonard was silent, unsure of how to res
After the call with his assistant, Leonard didn’t bother telling Jane and Lucy goodbye before he left the hospital. He took a long stride towards his car in the parking lot. He couldn’t explain the turmoil brewing inside him. His driver, James, had already opened the car door as he saw him approaching. “Where to sir?” James asked Leonard after he slid into the backseat. “To the office,” Leonard replied curtly. As the car pulled out of the hospital parking lot, Leonard's phone buzzed. “Leonard, where are you?” Lucy called after noticing that Leonard had left the hospital. Leonard hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Would he tell her that he left just because he was angry hearing Jane say she loved someone other than him? That sounds crazy. “Something came up at the office. I had to rush back.” He finally said. Is everything okay? Lucy asked with concern. Leonard's gaze drifted out of the window. Everything is fine. Just a document that needed my signature urgently.
“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
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