I decided to go through with the DNA test. It was the only way to get the confirmation I needed, the only way to finally know the truth. And once I had that, then I would deal with the results whatever they might be. That was how I chose to handle it. No more second-guessing, no more doubts swallowing me whole. I just needed an answer. But even as I convinced myself that this was the right thing to do, my stomach churned with unease What if the results came back positive? What if they weren’t lying? But as Leon said why would they lie about something like that? The thought scared me more than I wanted to admit. I didn’t sleep at all that night. I tossed and turned, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing with a hundred different scenarios. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw their faces, hopeful, desperate, waiting for me to accept them. The more I thought about it, the more suffocated I felt. The hours dragged by painfully slow. I kept checking my phone, watching as the
RYANI was in my office, going over some reports when my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen, and a smirk pulled at my lips when I saw the caller ID. It was the fake parents, I already knew what it was about. They were panicking already. Just as I expected.I answered but didn’t speak. I let the silence stretch.“H-hello?” The woman’s voice was shaky, laced with fear.I leaned back in my chair, tapping my fingers against the desk. “What is it?” I asked, my voice calm, and controlled.“T-they suggested a DNA test,” she blurted out.I didn’t react. Of course, they did. I had already anticipated this. Naya had Leon and he wasn’t stupid. They would be suspicious from the start, and if I were in her position, I would have done the same.“We didn’t know what to say, so we agreed,” she continued. “What do we do now?” she askedI could hear the desperation in her voice. It almost made me laugh. Did she really think this was something I hadn’t planned for?“Relax,” I said smoothly. “I’ll
NAYAI was in bed just lying down after our little trip to the hospital when my phone buzzed on the side table. I lazily turned and picked it up to see what the notification was about. I saw it was a video from an unknown number, I just assumed that it was a spam message and wanted to ignore it but I hesitantly pressed play and my breath hitched when the first thing that appeared on the screen was Ryan’s wearing a big smile. I increased the volume of the phone with shaky hands to hear what was being said.“Naya Genrey, I mean Valois” he chuckled“As you can see I have your parents” he continued panning the camera around and I saw both of them tied to a chair struggling to break free. My blood stilled and my heart began to beat frantically. I wanted to scream and let off all the frustration. I wasn't even done dealing with one and there was already an ocean ready to swallow me.What should I do?How do I do?“I would send you an address, come here now or they die. If you say a word to
LEONEverything happened so fast. Out of nowhere, they were claiming that Naya was their long-lost daughter. Their reason? They had a sketch made years ago, showing how their daughter would look after twenty years, and somehow, the drawing looked exactly like Naya.It seemed like the perfect lie, too perfect. There was something about their story that felt off, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what it was. I didn’t believe anything that came out of their mouths, but it didn’t feel right to point it out like that, especially with how torn and confused Naya was feeling. She wanted to believe, and I could see it on her face.That’s why I suggested the DNA test. I thought that way, at least we would have the truth, one way or another. No guessing, no lies. Just the cold, hard facts.But if they were lying, then it meant someone had to know Naya well enough to pull it off. Someone who could easily trick her into believing it. And that’s where things got even more confusing.“T
LEONI dialed her number again, pressing the phone so hard against my ear that I could hear my own heartbeat.Voicemail.I gritted my teeth and called again.Voicemail.A sick feeling settled in my stomach. Maybe she went for a walk to clear her head. Maybe she just needed some space. I tried to convince myself, but it wasn’t working. Something felt wrong, I could feel it. I pushed out of the room and made my way toward the front gates, my heart pounding. The security had to know something. Naya wouldn’t just leave without a word.The guard at the gate straightened when he saw me approaching. “Hello, sir.” He gave a small bow.“Do you have any idea where Naya went?” I asked, barely keeping my impatience in check.“Naya?” He frowned, looking confused.“My fucking wife,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin.His eyes widened slightly. “I’m sorry, sir. She drove out a few hours ago. She looked like she was in a hurry.”My chest tightened.“By herself?” I askedHe nodded. “Yes, sir.”“Did
NAYAI rushed over to them, their body was hanging lifeless on the chair they were tied to. I shook their bodies violently begging them to wake up but they didn't bat an eyelid. I cried and screamed at the top of my lungs but it didn't change anything.Ryan was standing in the corner cleaning the gun in his hand with a handkerchief while Kayla panicked frantically wiping the blood that had splattered on her face when Ryan pulled the trigger.My heart couldn't take it anymore, it hurt so bad that I wanted to pass out. I just killed my parents I never knew existed in the first place, it shouldn't hurt as much as it did because I didn't know them at all, and just moments ago I was praying that the result came out negative but no it hurt as hell, I was broken, I wanted to go with them, there was no reason to stay alive.All they wanted was to be reunited with their child but they lost their lives in return all because of me. It seemed like everyone who was affiliated with me ended up havi
We pulled up to the front of the building, and before the car had even come to a full stop, I flung the door open and sprinted inside. My heart was pounding so loud I could barely hear my own thoughts.The place was eerily quiet. No voices, no movement, nothing. It felt abandoned.But that wasn’t possible.Ryan always had his men with him. He never went anywhere alone. I expected to be met with resistance, maybe even a fight, but there was nothing. Just complete silence.Something was wrong.It felt like we were too late.“Should we have called the cops?” Nick asked from behind me, but I ignored him. There was no time to think about that now.All that mattered was finding Naya.My legs carried me through the house faster than I could process. My eyes darted around, scanning every corner, but all I saw was dust, cobwebs, and old furniture covered in sheets. It was exactly how I remembered it, an abandoned holiday home, untouched for years.“Naya!” I called out, my voice desperate, but
KAYLAEverything happened too fast. One second, they were just sitting there, tied to the chairs, scared but alive. The next, there was a deafening bang. Blood sprayed across the room, warm and sticky, splattering onto my face. My ears rang from the gunshots, my body frozen in place. My heart pounded so loudly that I could barely hear anything else.I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.Ryan shot them.He actually shot them.The couple who had done nothing but beg for their lives. The couple who were supposed to only be actors in my plan. The couple who were never meant to die.But they were dead now. Just like that.Their bodies sat limp in the chairs, heads slumped forward, eyes lifeless. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. The sight of them, the blood pooling beneath their chairs, the way their fingers twitched slightly even though they were already gone, it was all burned into my mind. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.My plan was simple. Fool Naya, make her believe she had
NAYAWhen I opened my eyes, the room was quiet except for Leon and Nick’s voices. They were speaking in low tones like they didn’t want to disturb me. I didn’t catch everything they were saying at first, but when I listened a little more, I heard them mention something about a video and the press.“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice still a bit weak.Leon quickly rushed to my side. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to wake you,” he said gently.“You didn’t,” I replied, shaking my head slowly.My eyes landed on the laptop screen, and I noticed a video was paused. “What’s that?” I asked, pointing to it.Leon’s eyes followed mine. “I should go get the doctor to check you,” he said quickly, trying to change the subject.“Don’t do that, I am fine” I said firmly. “Just tell me what’s going on this time, Leon,” I told him He hesitated for a moment. “It’s Jennifer,” he said finally, and my eyes widened.“What? Did she try something again?” I asked, suddenly alert“No, nothing like that,” he answe
LEONThe anger in her voice was very loud and clear, I had never seen her like that it was like watching a different person but in a good way. Although it happened at a rough time she had the last laugh and it was so satisfying to watch. Their faces as they watch every word come out of her mouth, they must have forgotten she wasn’t the same girl they taunted and trampled on. They thought her words were just her bluffing because they thought she was weak and there was nothing she could do to them.And she showed them, they didn’t know how much she gave her all into making sure she brings them to their downfall, how persistent she was during that period was what drew me to her. I was so proud of her because she fought that battle against them and she won after they laughed in her face repeatedly, now it was left to them to waste away wishing they could go back in time and not get on her wrong side.She laid in bed and just stared at the ceiling without uttering a word and I sat beside h
I sat on the hospital bed staring into the distance while Leon sat beside me, he looked down and troubled, that it made me feel horrible. He also lost the same way I did but he was only trying to make me feel better while he battled with his own grief internally. I couldn’t even hold him and tell him everything would be fine, my mind wasn’t in the right place, we both needed each other and I couldn’t be there for him.“Have you had anything to eat?” I asked and he turned to me quickly surprised to hear me speak“Don’t worry about me I am fine” he said giving me a little smileHe still had his head wrapped with bandages and he hadn’t had any rest yet, his eyes looked red and heavy.“How could I not? Just look at you we went through the same thing and you are still trying to look after me when you are also hurting” I cried“Naya” he called cupping my face in his hands“Look at me, I am fine as long as you are fine,” he said the tone in his voice breaking my heart even further “But I’m
KAYLAIt was like a dream, one minute I was planning a holiday to escape everything that had been going on around me, and the very next minute everything was taken away from us. It was frustrating when our accounts got frozen but in my head I expected it to get fixed. Dad would take care of it was what I said. But it was like someone was actively working extremely hard to bring us down, I would never forget how Dad got arrested. I was still in bed when I heard a loud bang from downstairs, I was so confused and scared but I ran down the stairs to see what it was about just to see a sea of policemen storm into the house and whisk Dad away before we could react. Mom had to go around taking loans to afford a lawyer, it was embarrassing and unbelievable. I couldn’t wrap my head around how we could fall so fast, it didn’t happen with warning or little but everything happened at once and too fast for me to process. I cried myself to sleep every night because mom kept saying stuff like I ha
NAYA Being in that ward tied to the damn drip and the continuous beeping that filled my ears made me feel like I was being held captive. I wanted to leave the damn environment but they didn't want to let me leave. “I can’t stay here it is suffocating, I need to leave,” I said to Nick “Just a little more while and you will go home” Nick answered his voice laced with pity “I can’t, it feels like I am being held captive. I hate it here” I sobbed “How about we get some air outside” he suggested “Alright” I mumbled He took a wheelchair and tried to get me to sit on it when I stopped him “I can walk” I kicked the chair away as I got on my feet “Careful” he rushed to my side to assist me but the look I sent his way made him know better than to hold me I lost my baby and that was hard enough, staying in bed made me feel more helpless and way worse than I already was “Leon is now the CEO,” Nick said beside me “That’s good” was all I said It was good news but right
I headed back to the hospital so I could be with Naya while Nick could carry on sorting everything out, the evidence was clear and inevitable. The only way Jennifer could avoid getting arrested was if the evidence was destroyed and that would never happen not on my watch. I got down from my car and before I could step in an older-looking man with specks of grey hair scattered over his hair stopped me with his both hands stretched out by his side “Where is my daughter?” he asked a whiff of his alcohol-filled breath hit meI tried to walk around him and leave but he rushed and stood in front of me again asking the same question “Where is my daughter?!” he asked shouting this time“Go find your daughter or whatever else where to leave me and get out of my sight before I punch you in the guts” I threatened through my gritted teeth, I was in no mood to deal with a drunk“If you don't take me to her now I will come back with the press,” he said pausing me in my tracksWhat was the fucked
LEONIt was hard watching Naya devastated and broken and once again it was me who put her in that position. Just after celebrating that we were going to be parents it was taken away from us. It hurt so much but I couldn't show that in front of her, I had to be strong for her but I was moments away from slipping. I wanted to scream and crush them both to crumbs even after being named CEO. That wasn't enough, I need to finish them off for good.She clung to me tightly but didn't say a word after she cried her eyes out and I held onto her not letting her go. I couldn't tell her the good news since the moment had been stolen away and it didn't even sound like good news anymore with what we had going on. Our bundle of joy that we rejoiced over was gone, and I couldn't begin to imagine the pain that Naya was going through.“Congratulations boss you did it” Nick whispered once Naya fell asleep “Doesn't feel like a victory” I breathed out, he was talking about me becoming the new CEO of Valo
NAYAI slowly opened my eyes, my vision blurry at first. Everything around me felt hazy like I was trapped in a dream I couldn’t wake up from. I tried to make sense of where I was, but the steady beeping sound filling my ears told me all I needed to know. I was in a hospital.I felt something strapped to my face and instinctively reached up, pulling down the oxygen mask. My body ached, but I ignored the pain and tried to sit up. The moment I moved, a sharp sting shot through me, making me wince.Before I could push myself any further, I heard hurried footsteps. Nick rushed to my side, his face filled with worry.“You are up,” he said happily “Stay still I will go get the doctor” he whispered“Where is Leon?” I asked but he rushed out to get the doctor I winced at every movement I made every part of me hurt and there was a throbbing in my head that didn't want to go away. Every time I close my eyes I see flashbacks of the car ramming into us, I thought that was it, I genuinely thoug
RYANIt felt like I was in a trance state not only did I watch Leon walk in and destabilize everything I also watched him get elected as CEO out of fifty board members forty-nine of them all voted for him while I got one, just one fucking vote and that person was my mother. All my plotting and trying to protect my position and he just came out of nowhere and took it away from me like it was nothing.I had questions How long has he been planning for?He had a whole secret company and now an investment company? He was out to get us for good and he won. he fucking won.More than anything I felt like a failure, the smirk he had on his face kept replaying in my head. I wanted nothing more than to bury my nose in cocaine and do whatever came to mind. I wanted to strangle him with my bare hands and watch his life slip out of him.“Can you fucking answer me?!” I heard my mom shout. We were in the basement parking lot of the company waiting for the reporters to clear out before we left, the