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
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
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