JENNIFER VALOISWe were back home after the charity ball, Ryan and I rode home quietly not uttering a word to each other. It was more like we were both taking in everything that had happened. It still felt like a dream to me and I didn't want to believe that it was real.I tapped my foot anxiously as I waited for the account manager of the foundation to pick up the call.“Check the account balance,” I said as soon as he picked up“Yes we got all payment from the donation it is all there” he answered“How much is it? How much is in the fucking account?” I asked “Two hundred million dollars ma’am,” he said and I let out a loud groan of frustration“Is everything okay?” he asked“Check it again, refresh it, it should be one hundred and ninety not fucking two hundred,” I told him“I don't under-”“Do as I have fucking said!” I shouted “I am currently on the account that is the exact amount there,” he said sounding confused“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck” I muttered under my breath “I would se
LEONThe soft rays of the morning sun peeked through the curtains, flooding the room with a golden glow. I had been awake long before the first light touched the sky, my mind restless after last night’s events. My body ached faintly from being in the wheelchair for so long, but I didn’t care. Last night was messy but necessary.I reached for my tablet on the bedside table and unlocked it. The notifications were endless. My name was plastered across every major blog, tabloid, and online news outlet. A mix of shock, curiosity, and mockery filled the headlines. “Leon Valois Donates $10 Million—A Cry for Attention or a Statement?” one article read. I scrolled through the sea of comments, most filled with speculation about where I’d gotten the money. Some questioned my motives, while others found my appearance at the ball a source of entertainment“Leon Valois shows up with mysterious woman” Another headline read I leaned back in my chair and smirked. The sound of light footsteps pulle
NAYA I couldn't believe myself and why I kissed him, one minute I found myself leaning in and I just couldn't stop myself. Thankfully he didn't reject me but part of me was embarrassed by my own movement. I couldn't push away the feeling on his lips on mine, his kiss was delicate yet passionate. I loved the way he made me feel. I wondered how I was ever going to face him again. I probably made things super awkward between us. The moment I found my phone in the living room and turned it back on, it was as if the entire world had been waiting for me. The screen lit up with an endless stream of notifications, and the vibrations wouldn’t stop it felt like my phone was having a meltdown. Thousands upon thousands of messages and alerts flooded in all at once, overwhelming me. My heart raced as I stared at the chaos unfolding in my hands. I wasn’t the mysterious woman anymore. Somehow, they had found out everything about me. My name, my life everything was out there for the world to se
RYANThe night was quiet, but my mind was anything but quiet. I sat in my dimly lit study, the weight of everything pressing down on me like a boulder. Papers, documents, and pictures were scattered across the desk, all reminders of the chaos Leon had brought into my life. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling as a storm of thoughts raged in my head.I didn’t know where to start or how to fix the mess that was unraveling in front of me. It felt like everything was falling apart at once, and I was powerless to stop it. I grabbed the whiskey bottle from the desk and poured another glass, the amber liquid shimmering under the light of the desk lampMy mind kept circling back to the same question, the one I dreaded most.What if he wants to contest for the title?That thought alone was enough to drive me mad. If Leon decided to step out of the shadows and challenge me, everything I had worked for would be at risk. I wouldn’t stand a chance.I had three advantages over Leon, th
NAYA I woke up early, determined to get a head start on preparing for Leon’s session. After everything we had been through and the chaos of the past few days, it was time to refocus. We couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Leon wasn’t walking yet, and that was the ultimate goal. I took a deep breath as I got out of bed, mentally going over the plans I’d made for the day. Each session was a small step forward, and while progress had been slow, it was still progress. I reminded myself of that every day. Heading to the kitchen, I made myself a quick cup of tea to wake up properly. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft glow through the windows. The quiet of the morning gave me a moment to think, to plan out exactly how today would go. I wasn’t going to let anything distract us or slow us down. I grabbed my notebook, flipping through the pages filled with exercises and techniques I had researched and written down. Each one was carefully selected to push Leon closer t
I woke up and it felt like I had been in a trance, I tried to move my body to find out that both my hand and feet had been tied, then there was a cloth over my face so I couldn't see a thing, there was a tape over my mouth was also so all I could let out were weak muffled screams. We were moving and I was in a tight space that I figured out I was in the trunk of the car. I kept screaming through the tape even though they were barely audible. I still continued screaming and kicking to let myself out or call attention to passersby all to no avail.“Shut the fuck up bitch or I would stab you in the guts” someone shouted from the front seat of the car.My brain couldn't function, I could barely think about anything else other than trying to survive. I just couldn't die yet. The car came to a stop after hours, at some point it felt like they were driving in circles. The car trunk opens and the first thought that came to my mind was to make a run for it. I hopped out of it even with the fa
LEONIt was so funny watching her bolt out of the house, how could she kiss me but was flustered when I pulled her to me? She was something else. There was a way she made me feel, a way that I couldn't put it into words. Every morning I look forward to hearing her voice, to hear her cute laughter. I hated to see her hurt and for some reason, I wanted to keep the smile on her face so bad so I was ready to do anything at all to make that happen just for her.She brought out what had been buried in me for a long time. The least I could do is make her wish come true regardless of the results of the ongoing treatment.I heard the door of the living room open up so I rushed over to see her “Naya, are you finally back?” I laughed “Naya?” I asked “You mean Nick and yes I'm back, don't tell me you missed me” I heard Nick say “Shut your hole, did you see Naya?” I asked bummed that she wasn't the one“Where? Isn't she in the house or did she go somewhere?” he asked looking around like I was
NAYA“Oh my, look at your face” Ryan gasped“Did I tell you to rough her up like this?” he asked the man who kidnapped me“She wasn’t obedient,” the man said“So you couldn’t handle this tiny woman without ruining her face?” he asked, kicking him on the shin, then he grabbed him by the collar and slapped him repeatedly across the face, not once, not twice, not thrice just continuously. He acted like he was crazy“Now apologize,” he told him“I-I-I am sorry” the man stuttered “Good, now Naya he has apologized we should be even,” he said smiling, his smile gave me the creeps. How was he human “Right?” he asked “Oh sorry your mouth,” he said before he snapped at the man, who looked like he was in a lot of pain. The man came over to me and took off the tape that covered my mouth.“Get me a chair,” he said and the man did just that, it was pathetic to watch a grown man run around for Ryan.Ryan sat in front of me and crossed his legs together wearing that same stupid ass smile. If not b
LEON“Let me fucking go” I hissed at the doctor trying to clean up my wounds“But sir you are bleeding,” he said“I don’t fucking care!” I roared “I want every doctor in this hospital to attend to her, she must wake up or I would burn this place to the fucking ground!!” I shouted, there was a banging in my head as I spoke but I ignored it. I had to make sure Naya was fine“We have been able to stabilize her, we can only hope that she wakes up,” he said slowly like he was scared of the words as they came out of his mouth“Don’t tell me that! I would pay any damn amount just make sure she is fine and she wakes up please” my voice cracked as tears filled my eyes, it was unbearable to keep watching her lay still like that“What is going on? What happened?” Nick rushed in looking between me and Naya“We will try our best you have my word,” the doctor said I crashed on the couch holding my head tightly trying to stop the banging that refused to stop“Why hasn’t this been covered up?” Nick
LEONPain shot through my body the moment I opened my eyes. It was sharp and burning, but it didn’t matter. None of it mattered. The only thing that did was her.“Naya.”I managed to say her name and it came out in a whisper, barely audible but it was the only thing I could say. My vision was blurry, the hospital ceiling above me spinning, but I forced myself to move.I had to see her.With every bit of strength I had, I pushed myself up. A sharp stabbing pain shot through my ribs, and my arm screamed in pain, but I didn’t care. I ripped out the drip attached to my arm, ignoring the sting, I dragged my legs off the bed. The floor was cold against my bare feet, but I barely felt it.I needed to find her.My knees failed me the moment I tried to stand, but I gritted my teeth and held onto the wall tightly using it to balance myself. Step by step, I forced my body to move, ignoring the shouts of the nurses behind me. I staggered through the hallway, my mind drowning in the only thought t
NAYALeon didn’t let me lift a finger. If I allowed him, he would even bathe me every morning. He didn’t let me out of his sight for a second, always hovering around me like I was going to disappear into thin air if he looked away. It was sweet, really, but sometimes, it was too much.I loved how much he cared, but I also needed my space. Every little thing, he wanted to do for me, pulling out chairs, opening doors, carrying things I could easily handle myself. If I so much as reached for a glass of water, he was already there, handing it to me before I could even touch it. I knew he was just being protective, but at times, it felt like I couldn’t even breathe without him watching over me.“Good morning darling, I brought breakfast” he smiled walking in with a tray“I’m not hungry” I whined putting the blanket over my head “Come on love you have to eat” he turned over the side of the bed tugging the blanket“I feel nauseous, and I think you are feeding me way too much” I whined“You
JENNIFER I decided to invite all the board members for a meeting so I could convince them to vote for Ryan in the upcoming election. The last time I tried to reach out to them, they were stubborn and refused to meet with me. They claimed Ryan had to terminate the contract because the only other option left was Leon, and the idea of giving him the title was unacceptable.But after Leon revealed himself as the CEO of TechNova, things changed. I heard that some people were already rallying votes for him, and I had to shut it down before it got out of hand.Leon was smart and calculating, I would give him that. He had always been that way. Unlike others who underestimated him and mistook his quietness for weakness, I knew better. That was why I bought the idea of getting him married, to at least put a leash on him. But that plan failed miserably, and now we were stuck dealing with the consequences.Ryan, on the other hand, couldn’t get anything done. He had been like that his entire life
NAYAI felt horrible, the moment I opened my eyes, I knew something was off. My body felt sluggish, my head was pounding, and there was this awful taste in my mouth that made me want to gag. I swallowed hard, trying to shake off the discomfort, but the second I moved, a sharp wave of nausea hit me so fast that I barely had time to scramble out of bed.I ran straight to the bathroom, dropping to my knees as my stomach twisted painfully. My body leaned forward into the toilet bowl, and before I knew it, I was throwing up everything I had in me. The retching didn’t stop. I held onto the toilet bowl, my fingers gripping the edges as my stomach continued to churn. My eyes felt heavy, and my throat burned.What the hell was this feeling?When I finally stopped, I slumped against the bathroom wall, completely drained and tired. My body felt weak and my bones heavy. I took in slow, shaky breaths, trying to steady myself. Maybe I ate something bad last night? That had to be it, I thought to my
RYAN Everywhere I turned, Leon’s face was either plastered on a billboard or the main topic of conversation. It was impossible to escape him. His product launch was all anyone could talk about, and there were massive campaigns and promotions happening everywhere. I couldn’t stand it. The mere sight of his name or company logo made my blood boil. I made sure every single TechNova product was thrown out of my office and my house. I didn’t want to see anything that reminded me of that bastard. But no matter how much I tried to erase him from my space, he was still everywhere. What pissed me off the most was that I still didn’t understand how he managed to build something so big from the ground up without anyone noticing. How had he done it in complete silence? How had he kept it hidden for so long? It didn’t make sense. I refused to believe he built it on his own. I was convinced he must have acquired the company and was just pretending to own it. So, I had people look
AMARIEThe next few weeks were hell everything had completely destroyed in our faces, it was bad to the point that James started selling off things we owned to try to keep the project going. He started with our vacation home then Kayla's car that he got her for her birthday but that wasn't enough still so I started to sell off some of my jewelry but all that was still not enough. The reporter kept calling and demanding for money or he would expose the news to the press but we have given and given that there was no more to give.Kayla locked herself in her room and refused to come out, I didn't know what that was about but she needed to go be with Ryan and get him to love her so we could ask for his help and tell him the truth rather than the truth being revealed through the press because that would be let all hell loose on us.“Kayla open the door” I knocked on her door“Let me fucking be Mom I am not going to meet Ryan” she hissed“This is for your good, everything can crash to the g
NAYAI tried to brush away the conversation I had with Kayla but what I didn’t get was her saying she was supposed to get married to Leon originally, I didn’t understand what she meant by that, and that somehow found its way to remain in my mind as I waited for Leon to return so I could ask what it was about.I sat in the living room waiting for the door to open up. After about an hour the door opened and Leon walked in with a smile on his face but I didn’t return it. I needed answers. “Did you miss me?” He asked placing a peek on my forehead“Why the long face?” He asked pinching my cheeks playfully “Did anything happen today?” I asked“I was waiting to get to you so I could tell you what went down,” he said“What is it?” I asked“It is quite interesting but expected to be honest,” he said with a smile as he sat beside me“But first you tell me what’s up with you,” he said“Well I got a call from Kayla,” I said“Really?” He eyes widened“Let me guess she tried to threaten you?” He
AMARIE“Amarie!” I heard my name being called, loud and urgent.“Where are you?” My husband's voice echoed through the house, filled with tension.I quickly made my way down the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest as I rushed down. Something was wrong, James never sounded like this unless it was serious.“I am right here,” I called out. “What is going on?” I askedAs soon as I stepped into the living room, I stared in confusion as he was pacing back and forth, his hands gripping his hair tightly. His breathing was uneven, and his face was twisted in frustration. My stomach clenched at the sight, I could immediately tell something was up and it was something big and bothersome.“Did something happen?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, but my throat felt dry.He stopped pacing for a second, looked at me, then turned away again.“There is trouble,” he muttered, almost to himself.“What are you talking about?” I pressed, stepping closer.“There is trouble,” he repeated, his voic